The Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement (ACGB) is calling on psychologists, counsellors, and allied health professionals to update their qualifications in grief and bereavement counselling following a chronic shortage of appropriately trained professionals currently working in the field.

According to ACGB’s CEO, Mr Christopher Hall, there is now strong evidence to suggest that many Australian health professionals who work in the frontline of bereavement counselling and intervention are not sufficiently supported with up to date training and education on the topic. 

“We now know that when it comes to working with grief and bereavement, many practitioners feel that they are drawing on very old models of understanding, some of which date back to the late 1960s. As a field, the area has significantly progressed, and at ACGB we believe that Australian practitioners should have access to world-class training and education on the topic.” he said.

The ACGB’s call for updated training comes on the back of the release of its new Graduate Certificate in Bereavement Counselling and Intervention (GCBCI) which will be offered in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in February 2018.

The GCBCI is Australia’s first Nationally recognised post-graduate VET qualification in this field. It aims to empower psychologists, counsellors and allied health workers with practical skills and training around a number of core concepts in grief and bereavement. These skills are in constant demand in both Australia and overseas, and are especially drawn upon during times of crisis such as natural disasters and acts of terrorism.

As Australia’s leading Greif and Bereavement authority, and a Registered Training Organisation, the ACGB is in the unique position of being able to run courses that are grounded in practical, applied knowledge that practitioners don’t have access to anywhere else. The result is a much more agile qualification that draws from the intimate connection between clinical services, education and evidence based research.

Practitioners who are interested in updating their qualifications in this field are encouraged to visit the ACGB website at www.grief.org.au for a prospectus and enrolment application form.

The Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement offers a Graduate Certificate in Bereavement Counselling and Intervention. Further information can be found at www.grief.org.au