ONLINE CE COURSES FOR RECERTIFICATION
GRIEF COUNSELING
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The following CE courses have provider approvals: The American Institue of Health Care Professionals Inc. is an Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Florida State Board of Nursing and the District of Columbia Board of Nursing. CE Provider #50-11975 and is a licensed Continuing Education Provider in the State of California, Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #CEP 15595. For additional information please access here.
1. COMPLICATED MOURNING - this online course covers a comprehensive overview and review of normal grief reactions and the grieving process. It then explores in depth the issues of complicated and abnormal grief reactions and processes. Students learn the signs/symptoms of complicated and abnormal grief as well as criteria for referrals and counseling interventions that support clients needing more intense and higher level therapies. Upon successful completion of this course, students earn 25 continuing education contact hours toward recertification. Course Code: GC 500. Course Cost:
$ 75.00
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2. SPIRITUAL INTERVENTIONS IN GRIEF COUNSELING- this online course presents a newer approach to grief counseling and explores the spiritual dimensions of interventions that assist in healing the bereaved. Students learn to assist clients in finding support in spiritual practices and also learn to use a mindfulness meditation that is helpful to clients. Upon successful completion of this course, students earn 25 continuing education contact hours toward recertification. Course Code: GC 510. Course cost: $ 75.00.
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3. ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION STATEGIES FOR BEREAVED CHILDREN- This course provides the student already familiar with grief theory and children, a storehouse of hands-on assessment and creative intervention methodologies aimed at helping children who are experiencing loss and grief. Through a description and comprehensive presentation of a variety of strategies that identify and assess where children are in the grieving process, the student will develop skill in how and when to apply interventions at various developmental stages in a child's growth. The student is provided with the theory behind an intervention, the rationale for the intervention, and the grief task it addresses. Full instructions are provided for the effective practice and application of the intervention. Strategies are presented for individual counseling settings, family sessions and peer support groups.
The interventions explained include play therapy, art therapy, story telling and the use of children's commemorations. Utilizing research from the Dougy Center for Grieving Children, the course also includes a review and description of essential attitudes and communication skills care givers should practice when dealing with the grieving child. Upon successful completion of this course, students are awarded 30 contact hours of continuing education credits by the American Academy of Grief Counseling. Course Code: GC 520. Course Cost: $ 150.00
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4. MEANING RECONSTRUCTION IN GRIEF AND BEREAVEMENT- This comprehensive course explores the principles and propositions of the revisionist theory of "meaning reconstruction" as it applies to grief and bereavement. The course examines the current body of research that argues for a more dynamic concept of loss that goes beyond stage or task theory. Meaning reconstruction positions the concept of grief on the constructivist process of meaning making and on a reworking of the griever's assumptive world. The course elucidates this grief theory as a highly subjective and social process in which the bereaved - rather than withdrawing energy from the deceased - constructs a new world of meaning as a result of the experience of loss. As the student appraises this contemporary paradigm, he/she will develop a fresh understanding of the role of grief and loss in changing the life perception of the griever. The student will also assess meaning making strategies and therapist dialog in order to apply the theory of meaning reconstruction as a technique in grief counseling.
The reading in this course is extensive and presumes that students have a good understanding of the process of grief as described in stage and task theory. Readings have been chosen from a variety of grief theorists in order to furnish the student with a thorough understanding of the rich dimensions of this approach. Upon successful completion of this course, students are awarded 40 contact hours of continuing education credits by the American Academy of Grief Counseling. Course Cost: $ 150.00 Course Code: GC 530
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5. BEREAVEMENT AFTERCARE PROGRAMS: DEVELOPMENT & IMPLEMENTATION This course is designed as a resource for those who are interested in establishing - or enhancing an already existing - Aftercare Program for the bereaved. It demonstrates the ever growing need for organized Aftercare Programs, and offers detailed information on how to meet those needs. In addition to Funeral Home based programs, information on establishing programs in other settings, including schools, hospitals and the military is provided. Both ethical and practical issues will be discussed. Students study a wide range of topics related to the development and implementation of a comprehensive and quality bereavement aftercare program.
The text for this course, “When All The Friends Have Gone - A Guide For Aftercare Providers”, is a groundbreaking guide for anyone interested in helping the bereaved on their journey through grief. This course is designed to educate and prepare providers with the tools they need to accompany their clients on that journey. Upon successful completion of this course, students are awarded 30 contact hours of continuing education credits by the American Academy of Grief Counseling. Course Code: GC 535. Course Cost: $100.00.
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6. COUNSELING INDIVIDUALS WITH LIFE-THREATENING ILLNESS
This course provides a way to better understand the intricate issues and dynamics of various trajectories people might face amid life-threatening illness. Selective theoretical foundations are presented, along with brief anecdotal accounts of individuals facing serious diagnosis. Moreover, a phasic model is proffered depicting the pathways of life-threatening illness. The framework presented in the text can be described as holistic and family-inclusive. Counseling suggestions are offered for practitioners’ consideration when working with gravely sick persons and their families/supportive others. As Doka himself remarks, the goal of the book is “to make the struggle with life-threatening illness a little more understandable and perhaps less lonely and frightening” (2009, p. 11). Upon successful completion of this course, students are awarded 45 contact hours of continuing education credits by the American Academy of Grief Counseling. Course Code: GC 540. Course Cost: $150.00
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7. When Bad Things Happen: The Existence of Evil- This course is a multi-disciplined course in that it covers theological, social, philosophical, and counseling related topics. This course is presented from a "christian perspective." Its primary importance, in relationship to counseling certifications, is to give the counselor an academic background in the problem of evil, or the theodicy. Bad things happen every day. Catastrophic earthquakes, sudden deaths, and the sadness that can accompany life are all facets of the human condition. While bad things may not be seen as pure evil, but the reality of life, one cannot deny that beyond misery there is an existence of evil that goes well beyond the mere counseling dilemmas that one may face. Upon successful completion of this course, 30 contact hours of education are awarded for recertification status. Cost: $ 100.00. Course Code: SC 405
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8. Current Topics in Death, Dying & Bereavement - This course is designed to provide the health care professional who deals directly with dying, death and bereavement an overview of the topics, trends, research and issues that are current in the field of thanatology today. Through a series of selected articles, you will have the opportunity to explore and evaluate medical, ethical, emotional, spiritual and cultural topics that constitute ongoing issues in this field. Topics are centered around new definitions of death; dying and death across the life cycle (children, teens, the elderly); the dying process; ongoing ethical questions connected with dying and death; contemporary trends in funerals and burials rites; and current concepts in the grieving process. Students studying pastoral thanatology, grief counseling, and funeral services will especially benefit by this course. The course presupposes that the student is practicing in one of these fields and would like to benefit from a summary and review of the current debates and issues of these fields. Upon successful completion of this course, 45 contact hours of education are awarded for recertification status. Course Cost: $150.00. Course Code: GC 570
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9. Pastoral Care for Complicated Grieving- This course provides the pastoral thanatologist with assessment and counseling strategies critical in the care of clients experiencing complicated and/or dysfunctional reactions to the loss of a loved one. The course begins with a detailed review of the normal grief response, and then moves into a comprehensive analysis of the kinds of complications found in each phase of grief. It distinguishes between complicated grief and dysfunctional grief reactions and provides pastoral strategies to deal with each. After this foundation is presented, the course provides an understanding of the spiritual aspects of grief and presents pastoral strategies for dealing with these grief issues. It concentrates on such pastoral tools like developing connectedness, remembering, a sense of self, relationship, memory building and meaning. Course Cost: $150.00 Course Code: GC 575. Contact hours of Education = 50.
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10. Christian Death and Dying - The Christian perspective on death and suffering has always presented a unique theism of a personal God who willing allowed himself to experience suffering and death through the Incarnation of the 2nd Person of the Trinity. The story of Jesus offers the perfect paradigm and example on how Christians should greet suffering and death. This does not mean the Christian is immune from the emotional, psychological, or spiritual pains of suffering, but it does mean via Christ, the ultimate teacher and example, Christians can transform suffering into something greater than mere loss. Through Christ’s death was life, and through a proper understanding of Christian suffering, eternal life and merit can be found and applied to one’s life. This course explores the sufferings of Christ, his saints, and looks at the Christian notion of death and man’s final eschatological end. It sets the foundation for the Christian perspective on Christian grief. Course Code: GC 600. Contact hours of continuing education = 35. Course Fee: $ 150.00
11. Counseling Ministry to the Bereaved - Christianity has always viewed grief as a true human reality that is not to be escaped but accepted and transformed into something new and redeeming. GC 630 continues this Christian theology and attempts to apply it to ministry. The text for the course “The Unwanted Gift of Grief” exemplifies this notion as grief as a gift. The text is not intended for one to escape the pain but hopes to invite one into it and through that pain create a “transformation and new life”. The course Christianizes the behavioral sciences not only within the text but also looks at the “Unwanted Gift of Grief” through the story of Job. This second text and commentary on Job nourishes the spirituality of the counselor and equips the counselor with greater understanding of one of the greater Old Testament works on grief. Course Code: GC 630. Contact hours of continuing education = 50. Course Fee: $ 150.00
12. Christian Approaches to Survivors of Suicide - The tragic nature of a loss involving suicide is more than a simple death but a tragedy of despair and anguish—one society can at times stigmatize and leave family members in a state of grief saturated with ambivalence. The Christian’s answer to this catastrophic event has for the longest time been aligned with the “Death of Judas” leaving the mark of suicide as a state of betrayal. While it is true Christian moral theology has viewed it as a sin of despair, there are other elements of Christianity that has always sought to understand the despair and find love in the chaos. This is especially true in recent years as Christianity has embraced a more loving pastoral understanding of the misfortunes associated with suicide both for those who have attempted it and those who have been victims of lost family members who have succeeded in it. This course aims at first identifying the Christian theology on suicide, including both suicide and assisted suicide, and then giving the Christian counselor feedback on how to administer to those who contemplate suicide and those who are victims of suicide within the family. Course Code: GC 640. Contact hours of continuing education = 40. Course Fee: $ 150.00
13. Transform Your Loss- This comprehensive course introduces a system on how to process grief and embrace life after a loss. It can be applied to the personal situation of the student or to be used with clients. Students study different kinds of losses, the dimensions of grief, personal stories, and the system of transformation. This course provides the tools to approach loss in a holistic manner, integrating body, mind, and spirit. These losses may be loss of a loved one, divorce, loss of health or loss of job, among other losses. The purpose of this system is to empower people to embrace people and turn loss into growth. This course is particularly designed for those who would like to apply for Re-Certification as a Grief Counselor with the American Academy of Grief Counseling. Course Cost: $ 100.00 Course Code: GC 650. Contact hours of education = 30.
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14. New Concepts in the Science of Bereavement- Old paradigms regarding attachment as pathological or stage theories as universal are quickly being swept under the rug as contemporary grief theorists are realizing the human condition of grief is more diverse than previously thought. George Bonanno in his book, “The Other Side of Sadness: What the New Science of Bereavement Tells Us About Life After Loss” points out the many new theories regarding grief and grief support. This course uses his text as a blue print to examine grief and older theories regarding it from a new 21st Century perspective that is sure to give any grief counselor new ideas and outlooks on grief support. Course Cost: $ 100.00. Course Code: GC 670. Continuing Education hours = 30.
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15. Ambiguous Grief and Cognitive Grief Therapy - This course focuses on two important concepts in grief counseling which are not mainstream. The first is a kind of grief, which is not caused by physical death, but grief that is caused by a psychological absence. Psychological absence can cause grief like physical death and often more painful to adapt to and cope with it. First step is to identify the psychological absence, then identify its effects, then possible treatments. The second is a kind of therapy. This important concept to learn about in this course is the practice of Cognitive Grief Psychotherapy. Cognitive Therapy is based on changing dysfunctional thinking and emotions. Assessment, interventions, and complications in the bereavement processes are studied using the cognitive model of therapy. Finally, this course touches on the difficulties and challenges that cognitive therapists often face. Course Cost: $150.00. Course Code: GC 682. Continuing Education Hours = 50.
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16. Elisabeth Kubler Ross and Grief Theory-The teachings and research of Elisabeth Kubler Ross have left a great imprint upon the study of bereavement. Her research led to the famous phases or steps of grieving for terminally ill patients, starting with denial and ending in acceptance. However, her research and ideas are much deeper than the steps that developed from her dedicated visitation with the dying. With it comes a philosophy of death as experienced and formulated by Kubler Ross. From her writings we see not only a doctor and physician but a caring friend to the dying. This course looks at three of her works, “On Death and Dying” where she lists her famous steps of grief, and also her two other works entitled “On Children and Death” and “Death: The Final Stage of Growth”. I hope these texts help grief counselors find a deeper appreciation for one of the pioneers in the science of bereavement. Course Cost: $150.00. Course Code: GC 680. Continuing Education Hours = 50.
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17. Effective Clinical Interviewing-This CE course provides a very comprehensive overview of theories, processes and considerations when conducting a clinical interview. Four broad areas of clinical interviewing are covered: 1. "Becoming a Mental Health Professional", 2. "Listening and Relationship Development", 3. "Structuring and Assessment" and, 4. Interviewing Special Populations." Chapters within each area discuss research, theories, cultural issues, ethics, techniques and challenges. Ultimately the course provides clear and practical knowledge of the clinical interview. This course prepares students with the knowledge and skills to conduct and document a high quality interview and assessment. Upon successful completion of this course, students are awarded 50 contact hours of continuing education credits. Course Cost: $200.00 Course Code: GC 684. Continuing Education Hours = 50.
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18. ANGER MANAGEMENT: CONCEPTS & THEORIES
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the theories and concept of anger and its effective management. The authors of the course textbook are distinguished researchers, teachers and practitioners in the field of anger management, and their book offers a detailed, research-based and empirically validated "anger episode model." This indispensable resource for human service professionals emphasizes how to help clients understand, manage, and prevent unhealthy anger. Students will study methodologies for teaching and working with clients to enhance their life skills, increase problem solving and change their responses to anger. Students will achieve a comprehensive and solid understanding of the theories and concepts of anger and will acquire a comprehensive skill set of anger management strategies/interventions for clinical practice. This course has accompanying power point lectures. You must have MS Power Point software to access the lectures. Contact hours of continuing education = 65. Course Code: AM 500. Course Cost: $ 200.00
19. Counseling Hispanics Through Loss
This comprehensive CE course explores the multiple losses Hispanics may face living in the United States. Students will learn about different losses such as the loss of a loved one, homeland, traditions, and/or language. This course provides tools to approach these losses in an empowering manner, offering different approaches and case stories. Upon successful completion of this course, students are awarded 35 contact hours of continuing education credits. Course Code: GC 685. Course Cost: $ 125.00
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