Betty writes in: I am 50 years old and lost my only child to suicide 10 years ago. I need to help others to make myself feel better; this is what I want to do. How do you become a grief counselor?

Dr. Gloria Horsley, founder of the Open to Hope Foundation, replies: Hi Betty: It is good that you are thinking about how you can make meaning from your loss. Let me first say that losing your only child to suicide has set you on a path and a journey that few will ever follow.  You are a survivor, and with the skills you have learned, I’m sure that you can help many.

There are many ways that you can become a “grief counselor”.  For one thing, you would make a fantastic volunteer.  There are many organizations that would welcome you and would train you to be a volunteer mentor.  Now if you want to get licensed, that is a longer road and can be approached through nursing, psychology, medicine, counseling programs and other tracts that require masters, and Ph.D. degrees.

You could contact your local collage or go on-line to look at these programs.  In order to qualify for a license, you also have to do pre- and post-college hours.  There is also the coaching tract, which is not so rigorous. However, it is difficult to get jobs or insurance with a coaching certificate or degree.

You might also check out ADEC (Association of Death Education and Counseling) on the internet.  They have a special grief counseling degree in Thanatology.  I hope this has been helpful and will inspire you to check out a program.  They may seem like a long haul, but there is a lot of joy along the way.  Good Luck and Best Wishes.

Gloria C. Horsley Ph.D.