The Graduate Certificate in Bereavement Counselling and Interventions (GCBCI) provides contemporary and evidence-informed training in clinical skills and knowledge, which are essential for effective bereavement counselling and therapy. This course has been developed by experts in their specific fields to ensure the content is current, evidence based and grounded in both research and practice. The course is usually delivered through a combination of face to face and online delivery; however due to the impact of COVID-19, the course is currently being delivered online.
This course is equivalent to a Bachelor Honours Degree and is a nationally recognised, post-graduate VET Australian Qualifications Framework (level 8) program.
You will learn how to:
This leading, evidence-informed graduate program offers professionally relevant education for those seeking to specialise in grief and loss. Students are able to apply this learning across a range of clinical settings.This course creates connections and career pathways to an array of employment opportunities in a variety of settings. Graduates work in a range of workplaces including schools, hospitals, palliative care services, the corporate sector and community health.
Duration: 11 months, part time (excluding school holiday and Christmas break)
Mode of delivery:
COUCON001 Apply concepts of grief and bereavement
This unit provides students with the knowledge and skills to establish a framework from which to inform grief and bereavement practice. It provides the student with a working knowledge of the concepts and processes of grief and bereavement. In the context of grief being a universal response to loss, this unit also explores both common and atypical reactions to bereavement. This unit applies to those responsible for providing support to a range of people experiencing grief or loss and different reactions to bereavement.
CHCFCS004 Provide grief and loss counselling
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required for counsellors to explore the meaning and effect of grief and loss issues and work with individuals and families experiencing grief and loss. This unit applies to family relationship counsellors who operate with significant autonomy in therapeutic professional service roles in the community sector.
COUSER001 Access services to support clients experiencing bereavement
This unit provides the knowledge and skills to enable counsellors to identify the need for outside support and services for clients and how to access support and services. This unit applies to those responsible for providing support and counselling to a range of people experiencing grief or loss and different reactions to bereavement.
COUINV001 Provide appropriate interventions to support people experiencing complex bereavement
This unit provides the knowledge and skills to assist people who are experiencing complicated or prolonged reactions to grief. This unit applies to those responsible for counselling people experiencing complicated and prolonged bereavement. Successful completion of this unit will equip persons with the background skills and knowledge to provide these counselling services.
CHCPRP007 Work within a clinical supervision framework
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to initiate, prepare for and participate in a structured process of clinical supervision. This unit applies to workers who operate with significant autonomy in therapeutic professional service roles in the community sector.
This course exposes students to challenging and emotionally confronting situations. It requires students who have sufficient maturity and work/life experience to provide professional support services within organisational and regulatory requirements. Counselling qualifications are required, such as a completed Degree, Advanced Diploma or Diploma in a counselling related field.
Experience - evidence of two years practical experience in counselling, or at least five years supervised general counselling practice experience. Students are required to read and interpret lengthy knowledge-based literature, prepare written case studies and participate in role-plays. Students also need to have a high level of written and verbal communication skills coupled with digital literacy such as word processing and the ability to use an internet based LMS (Learning Management System) and recording devices.
October 2020 Intakes
*We have limited spots. The enrolments will be closed earlier if the intake is full.
To run Moodle (our Learning Management System) effectively you should, as a minimum, use the system components listed on this page. If you do not, Moodle may still work but some functionality may be lost. Workplace IT environments' internal configurations can also restrict the functionality of Moodle. Access to content may be affected, as may the possibility of uploading files. File size limitations may also apply. Workplaces may also have older versions of software, and Moodle may not perform well with these. Operating System Windows 7,10, Mac OSX Sierra, iPad IOS10. Internet Speed Use a broadband connection (256 Kbit/sec or faster—this will ensure that you can view videos and online presentations) through USB wireless modem, ADSL, T1/T2, fibre optic or cable. Dial-up access will be significantly slower, and we do not recommend it when accessing Moodle. Internet Browser Compatible browsers include:
Successful GCBCI graduates, with a minimum of 200 counselling hours within two years, can apply to complete an Internship Program at the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement and work towards becoming a Certified Bereavement Practitioner (CBP). The CBP program ensures that specialised grief and bereavement practitioners who have undertaken specialised training are given due recognition. Click HERE for more information.
Further details about the Internship Program are available HERE , or, for more information, you can contact the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement and ask to speak to the Internship Program Coordinator.
Tuition Fee cost
$6,160
Enrolment fee
$640
Total Course Fee
$6,800
Application Process
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Enrolments open 19 August 2020
Units 5 Core Units
Course duration 11 months (part-time)
Australian Qualifications Framework Level 8