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The Graduate Program

The Program seeks to actively promote grief counselling knowledge and skills in appropriate clinical and research settings.

The Program provides a solid theoretical foundation in grief issues together with practical counselling skills that will enhance existing professional practice and provide a new perspective for those new to grief counselling.

It offers exciting opportunities for personal and professional development that can be applied to current workplace environments.

The integrated sequence of courses provides students with the knowledge and the counselling skills to understand, assess and intervene appropriately in situations of grief, bereavement, serious illness, stress or difficulty.

Who is the program for?

The Graduate Program is designed for practitioners with appropriate educational, experiential and personal attributes who wish to enhance their knowledge and expertise in the area of counselling within a grief, bereavement or palliative care context.

The program is suitable for all professionals who work in health or welfare and who are responsible for supporting others in times of transition, crisis or difficulty.

Grief associated with loss and change is commonly seen in clinical work and in counselling practice. Knowledge and skills relevant to working with grieving people can enhance the quality of care offered to this population. In addition, health practitioners need to be able to recognise instances of more complicated grief, which will require more sophisticated handling and knowledge.

Past students of this program have included practitioners currently working in areas such as mental health, education, business, nursing, medicine and pastoral care, delivering care in service agencies, government and private institutions, and in private practice.

What is distinctive about this program?

The Graduate Program offers a unique combination of up-to-date-knowledge of grief, palliative care and bereavement issues with the practical skills of counselling. Theoretical perspectives are balanced by application of techniques, so that experiential and integrated learning results. It answers not only the "What is happening?" but also the "What can I do about it?" questions that arise when working with people in grief.

The program recognises the importance of a holistic orientation in therapeutic practice and acknowledges the connections between mind, body and spirit in all individuals. Spirituality, an integral part of the human experience, may assume particular significance in times of grief, and is explored along with physical, emotional and cognitive domains.

Self-awareness work is a fundamental component of the Graduate Program, and is based on evidence that the ability of the counsellor to provide effective rapport, contact and intervention is directly linked to the persona of the counsellor.

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