Grief Therapists Job Description: Career Information, Training and Required Knowledge, Employment Outlook and Salary Expectations
Submitted by: Cheska Davenport
Job Overview: Grief therapists are persons who offer therapy and counseling to families and individuals who are mourning for the death of their loved ones. Also known as bereavement counselors, these persons help survivors in coping with the loss and recover from the pain they feel during mourning, so that they can finally move on and live their lives normally. Grief counselors are usually found in communities or places in which victims of natural disasters, acts of violence or accidents are situated, as well as in social welfare offices, hospices and funeral homes.
Education, Knowledge and Training Required: Persons who wish to become grief therapists are recommended to take up courses in psychology, social work or guidance counseling, as they are going to provide a lot of moral and emotional support to their clients. Others on the other hand may also take up communication arts programs in order to effectively convey their messages and advice to the people they are going to handle.
Skills and Abilities: Aside from the knowledge and academic skills, grief counselors should also have the passion to help others. They should enjoy working with people and feel comfortable dealing with persons who are currently going through the mourning process, as they are expected to be suffering from personal loss. They should have patience and compassion, and they as well have to be good listeners to their clients’ problems and stories, as this is one way for them to get rid of the pain they’re current feeling. They should also express themselves clearly and properly, with tact and courtesy. Grief counselors should as well not let their job interfere with their emotions, as they will be hearing various stories of grief and sadness which may affect them at the end of the day.
Tasks: The main task of grief therapists is to help persons accept the loss of their loved ones, may it be their children, partners, spouses, parents, siblings or close friends. They provide assurance and advice on how to cope with deaths of their loved ones, as well as guide them towards getting back their normal lives. Counseling is not an easy process, since it requires constant communication, and grief therapist should have the patience in dealing with various client problems and stories, as most of them are about the good and bad times they shared with their departed loved ones.
Therapists also offer comic relief such as engaging in group activities, conducting games and other ways which deviate the mind from thinking about the loss, and to make their clients feel better in the process. Grief therapists are usually employed in schools where children have been victims of violence, community shelters of persons who have been victims of natural disasters and weather-related tragedies, as well as in places where airplanes have crashed and terrorist bombings have occurred. They also assume their tasks in aftercare programs for families and friends after a funeral.
Earnings and Job Outlook: The salaries of grief therapies range almost the same as typical counselors and therapists. At present they earn an average of $34,010, alongside benefits such as insurance, sick and vacation leaves, retirement pension and other receivables.
Cheska Davenport is a career search strategist who focuses on creating power resumes and providing job search advice that aim to help individuals achieve their target goals in the job market.
Latest Articles about: Careers
1: College Mathematics Professors: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook2: Mathematics Teacher: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
3: Medical Assistant: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
4: Mathematicians: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
5: Medical Ethicist: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
Word Count: 552 Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2010 Time: 6:40 AM
Previous - Geriatric Social Workers Job Description: Employment Opportunities, Wages and Earnings, Required Skills and Education, Job Outlook | Next - Greeting Card Designers and Writers Job Description: Tasks, Required Skills, Education, Career Outlook and Salary