Grief Counseling: A Growing Field

One of the fastest growing fields in health care therapeutic disciplines is grief counseling. In today’s past paced world, people sometimes have difficulty dealing with their emotions and feelings when they experience a major loss—whether that is a loss of something or someone. But to meet that need, many already trained in the medical field are switching careers and are getting a certification in grief counseling. If you’re looking to enhance your career, or simply make a move to something that better fits your personality, you might want to consider this rapidly growing field.

Who Does It?

The professionals who work in the field of grief counseling have some specific traits that are necessary to be effective counselors. First of all, it’s vital that you be able to relate to all age groups—from the very young to the very old. People from all walks of life suffer losses, and each age group will require a counselor who they feel can relate to them. For instance, you may find yourself working with a ten year old who can’t get over the loss of a pet, to an eighty year old who is deeply mourning the loss of a spouse. In addition, you must be a patient person. If you’re one of the people who feel that others should just be able to get over it and move on, this profession is likely not for you! People move at different paces when grieving—not everyone follows the general guidelines—and these people need understanding and comfort from a trusted counselor.

How Is It Done?

Grief counselors can work in various means and situations. For example, some may work by renting their own office space and hanging out a shingle, while others may choose to share a leased space with others and make it more of a group effort. In addition, there are many places where a person with this kind of training can get a job. Hospitals employ grief counselors, as well as some schools, nursing homes and government offices. Regardless of the environment you want to work in, there are plenty of jobs available.

Maybe this sounds like the perfect career path for you. If so, why not check into the training required to get a grief counselor certificate? It’s a field that’s growing, and those who get trained early will have the best chance of creating a well-established career.