GRIEF COUNSELING

Masters Degree in Grief Counseling & Thanatology

GRF 600

Breyer State University
Instructor: Juan Kenigstein, PH.D, M.ED., GC-C

SYLLABUS

COURSE OVERVIEW: Welcome to Grief Counseling, a Master Level course in the curriculum for the Degree, Masters in Grief Counseling and Thanatology. I'm pleased to offer you this course, which will be a foundational course for the remainder of your studies in the master program. This is an exciting course. Grief Counseling involves helping people facilitate uncomplicated grief.

APPROVAL: This course is approved by the American Academy of Grief Counseling for 75 hours of continuing education toward Fellowship Status and/or recertification.

CERTIFICATION: If you successfully complete the first three courses in the curriculum, you are eligble to receive Certification by the American Academy of Grief Counseling as a Certified Grief Counselor.

1). GRF 500- Death & Dying I - 5 hrs.
2). GRF 550- Counseling the Dying Patient - 5 hrs.
3). GRF 600- Grief Counseling - 5 hrs.

TIME FRAME: This is a five-semester hour course. This course is allotted 10 weeks of time. You must complete all of the requirements for the course successfully by the end of the 10-week period. The first day of week one will begin the day that you register for the course, or the day which you notify me that your text book(s) have arrived and you are ready to begin your studies. Please be cognizant of the time frame. It is rare that extensions of time are permitted, unless you have good justification. Upon successful completion of this course, you will be awarded 5 semester hours of credit.

TEXTBOOKS: There is one (1) required textbook for this course.

Book 1: Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy. By William Worden, 3rd edition: 2002. ISBN # 0-8261-4162-5.

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You may also purchase the text directly from Springer Publishing Company at 536 Broadway, New York, NY 10012-3955. Telephone # (212) 431-4370.

EXAMINATIONS: There are no examinations for this course.

GRADING: The grading scale for this course is as follows:

90-100%    = A
80-89%      = B
70-79%      = C
Below 70%  = Fail

GRADING COMPOSITION:

RESEARCH PAPER                      20%
EIGHTEEN VIGNETTES                 45%
2 CRITIQUE/SUMMARY               10%
JOURNAL                                  10%
SELF EVALUATION                        5%
CHAPTER OUTLINE & SUMMARY    10%
TOTAL                                     100%

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS: You are to compose eighteen vignettes, each 2-3 pages in length from textbook pages 184-202. A journal is to be kept by you. The function of the journal is for you to keep a written account of your reactions to the readings, and assignments as you go through the class. In this journal you should record insights, self-analysis, responses to self-awareness activities, strengths, weaknesses, feedback, etc. You will submit a self-evaluation report. Professional and personal growth using criteria provided in class and citing evidence from your work through the semester. You are responsible for reading and becoming familiar with all materials included in the textbook, handouts, and assigned outside readings.

A typed research report is also required. The emphasis of this paper will be on a topic related to Grief Counseling. An abstract of the research, the bibliography, and listing of sources should be provided. Topics must be approved by me and copies of journal articles must be submitted with the report. Any other sources used such as books must be available upon request by me. Only professional sources should be used (minimum of eight).

Include in the current sources a chapter outline and summary, two critiques of published study--minimum 2 pages--and, again, only professional sources should be used. Journal articles should be submitted with the critique. All work submitted must be typed.

COMMUNICATION: You are encouraged to communicate with me. I am available as a teacher, coach, and mentor to assist you in meeting your goals for this course. Primarily, communication is through email. However, I am also available for conversation by telephone if you would like. Our classroom for this course has a "chat" room. I am also very willing to meet with you one-on-one in the chat room at your request. From time to time, depending on how many students are enrolled in this course at a particular time, we will have some scheduled group chats. You will receive more detailed information at the time such chat sessions are scheduled. Please keep my email address handy so that you can contact me whenever necessary. Upon registration, you will receive my email address. If at any time during this course you change your email address, please be sure to notify me right away.

GOALS: The goal of grief counseling is to help the survivor complete any unfinished business with the deceased and to be able to say good-bye to what once was. (Worden, 2002)

There are specific goals which correspond to Worden's four tasks of mourning:
1). To increase the reality of the loss.
2). To help the counselee deal with both expressed and latent affect.
3). To help the counselee overcome various impediments to readjustment after the loss.
4). To help the counselee find a way to remember the deceased while feeling comfortable reinvesting in life.

COURSE ACCELERATION: It is permissible for you to accelerate in this course. There is NO mandate to accelerate. This is an individual choice that I will honor.

METHODS: Readings from textbook, professional books and journals. Self-awareness/exploration activities.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

1). Understand the complex phenomenon of bereavement in order to help those who mourn resolve their grieving in a healthy manner.
2). Understand that grief often surfaces as the underlying cause of various physical and mental aberrations.
3). Understand unresolved grief.
4). Understand the Attachment Theory.
5). Understand Normal Grief.
6). Understand the manifestations of Normal Grief.
7). Understand Grief and Depression.
8). Comprehend Worden's tasks of Mourning.
9). Understand when to do grief counseling.
10). Understand the effectiveness of Grief Counseling.
11). Understand complicated mourning.
12). Understand special types of losses.
13). Understand different intervention approaches used in counseling.
14). Understand the counselor's own grief, stress and burnout.
15). Know the factors that contribute to the intensity of grief reactions.
16). Understand the family versus individual needs during grief.
17). Understand family dynamics.
18). Understand exercises and vignettes that will help you be an effective grief counselor.

COURSE OUTLINE:

1). Introduction.
2). Attachment, Loss and the Experience of Grief.
3). Understanding the Mourning Process.
4). Grief Counseling: Facilitating Uncomplicated Grief.
5). Abnormal Grief Reactions: Complicated Mourning.
6). Grief Therapy: Resolving Complicated Mourning.
7). Grieving Special Types of Losses.
8). Grief and Family Systems.
9). The Counselor's Own Grief.
10). Training for Grief Counseling.

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