Grief Education Certificate Program

At OISE Continuing and Professional Learning (CPL), we’ve developed a one-year online Grief Education certificate program to help educators gain a better understanding of Canadian bereavement contexts, and how grief impacts our experiences. The program is designed for educators at all levels, and explores grief and bereavement theories, research, and practices.

The Grief Education program is an evolution of our former Bereavement Education program. Through the leadership of Karima Joy, a doctoral candidate at University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, we have added insight into grief from leading scholars, researchers, and practitioners and have broadened the understanding of grief in terms of trauma, displacement, and other areas beyond a sole focus on bereavement.

“In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is so much unacknowledged grief around us demanding space and attention. Everyone can benefit from grief literacy, or greater proficiency in recognizing and understanding grief so that we can better support ourselves and others.”
– Karima Joy, Grief Education Program Lead and Sessional Facilitator.

Should You Take Grief Education?

This program does not make you qualified to become a grief counsellor or to conduct any form of psychotherapy. It is rooted in education and underpinned by the Educator Skill Domains while reflecting the needs of people working in human services—either in an educational role or responsible for educating others in some capacity, and supporting people experiencing grief. This group includes:

• Nurses and other healthcare workers
• Social workers
• Clergy
• Volunteers
• Mental health practitioners
• Human resources professionals

The program takes a critical and anti-oppressive lens to offer a learning experience that is very personal and reflexive in nature.

Investigating Grief in Our Contemporary Context

Grief and loss are everywhere, and their sources have multiplied during the pandemic. Canadians are steadily recognizing the brutal legacy of settler colonization and the residential school system, and people around the world are experiencing the disruption and anxiety of ecological disaster.

“This program will openly talk about and investigate the experiences of grief and loss because you’re never the same after a significant loss has occurred.”_
– Mark Shevlock, Certified Thanatologist, and Facilitator of Introduction to Grief and Bereavement.

Program Dates – Next Course Starts January 13^th, 2022. Enroll Now!

Course 1, Introduction to Grief and Bereavement runs January 13th-February 24th. View the full course description and sign up today.

Course 2, Contexts of Grief and Bereavement Experiences, runs March 17th to April 28th, and Course 3, Elements of Grief and Bereavement Practice and Education, runs May 12th – June 23rd.

The courses do not have to be taken in sequence – you can sign up for one, or all three in any order, however we recommend taking the introduction course first if possible.

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NOTE: This post has been adapted from Perry King’s original OISE News article, November 1st, 2021.