Grief coaching: What it is, how it compares to counseling—and how to get it

When life coaching was established in the 1980s, most Americans were unaware of the field. Now, America has the highest number of life coaches (and clients) in the world due to the rise of self-improvement. The growth of life coaching has resulted in the development of several branches, including something called grief coaching.

While life coaching allows clients to self-improve in general, its branches allow clients to self-improve in specific areas. In grief coaching—an alternative to grief counseling—clients address how losing a loved one has affected them. Read on to find out more about grief coaching, how it compares to grief counseling, whether it may be right for you—and if so, how to find a grief coach.

What is a grief coach?

For many people, losing a loved one is the most lonely and painful part of life. Grief coaches specialize in counteracting that loneliness and pain through goal-setting. Rather than assign generic (or unattainable) goals to their clients, grief coaches design personalized and achievable ones for them.

Typically, the goals revolve around rebuilding what the loss of a loved one tore down, such as self-esteem and decision-making. Whether someone has been grieving for five weeks or five years, a grief coach can help them live with loss and feel like themselves again.

Grief coaching not only includes custom goals, but also a custom schedule. The majority of grief coaches lead sessions remotely. That empowers clients to participate in sessions when it’s convenient for them, in a comfortable setting. In addition to choosing when and where they participate in sessions, clients can also choose the frequency of meetings. Often, grief coaches are willing to consult with clients between once a month and once a week. No matter what someone’s needs are, a grief coach can fulfill them.

Grief counseling vs grief coaching

Although “grief counseling” and “grief coaching” sound interchangeable, they have different focuses and practices. Grief counselors concentrate on the past. They’re likely to ask clients “How did you feel during loss?” However, grief coaches concentrate on the future. They’re more likely to ask clients “How do you want to feel after loss?”

Grief counselors shift clients’ feelings to help them cope with loss. That approach benefits clients with unresolved emotions. Grief coaches, on the other hand, shift clients’ actions to help them grow through loss. That approach benefits clients that get by, but want to thrive. For idealists who experienced loss, but still want to transform their aspirations into reality, grief coaching is the preferred option.

Finding a grief coach

Finding a grief coach doesn’t have to be difficult; save your hard work for the sessions! Life coach directories are a great place to start. There, you can browse grief coaches by language, location, experience, offerings, and fees.

If you can’t find a grief coach there, let a grief coach find you! Life coach directories accept coaching requests, where you share your obstacles and ambitions, and are then contacted by grief coaches that are a good fit. Life coach directories make life easier.

If you already know a life coach organization that offers grief coaching, you may not need to explore life coach directories. Every life coach organization’s website has a page titled one of the following: “About,” “Team,” or “Who We Are." That page discloses the names, personalities, certifications, and contact information of the organization’s grief coaches. Reach out to the grief coaches that pique your interest to schedule a consultation with them. A life coach organization’s website can be just as helpful as the grief coach you’ll gain from it.

Your life can be enriched, even when dealing with death, through a grief coach. A grief coach can help redirect you after loss by creating individualized goals and calendars for you. To begin working with one, stop by a life coach directory or a life coaching organization’s website. If you lost a loved one in 2020, 2021 is a great time to get grief coaching started.

— Madison Kemp