The STILL Method
Grief Coach Training
UK Accredited Certification
The Life After Loss programme trains you to support grieving adults and teenagers with a clear, trauma-informed framework. Live on Zoom or self-paced online. Accredited by ACCPH and IPHM. Open worldwide.
2 days
Live Zoom training
ACCPH + IPHM
Dual accreditation
Worldwide
Online or live Zoom
Accredited by
ACCPH
IPHM
Internationally recognised
No prior qualifications needed
What grief coaching is and why it matters
Grief is one of the most universal human experiences, and one of the most poorly supported. In the UK, bereavement counselling waiting lists can stretch for months, and many people who are grieving do not meet the threshold for clinical services. They are not in crisis. They are simply lost, exhausted, and unsure how to carry a loss that has quietly changed everything.
Grief coaching fills that space. It is not therapy, and it does not try to be. It is a structured, forward-focused approach that helps people understand what is happening in their body and mind, build practical coping tools, and begin to find meaning and stability again. A good grief coach does not rush the process or tell people to move on. They hold steady alongside someone who is finding their way through.
The Life After Loss programme approaches grief through a nervous system lens. Grief and anxiety are deeply connected — both are rooted in how the body responds to loss, threat, and change. When you understand that, grief stops being something to fix and starts being something you can genuinely support. That shift is at the heart of Life After Loss, and it is what makes this approach different from general bereavement awareness courses.
From September 2026, grief and bereavement education becomes a statutory requirement in English schools under the updated DfE RSHE guidance. Demand for qualified, accredited grief practitioners in the UK is growing. Life After Loss positions you to meet that demand whether you are building a private practice, adding to existing professional skills, or bringing structured bereavement support into a school, care setting, or community organisation.
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Stuart Thompson — Course Author and Lead Trainer
Anxiety specialist and coach trainer. Trained social worker. Over 20 years experience. Award-winning therapist. Featured in The Guardian.
Stuart created the Life After Loss programme after working for over two decades with people navigating grief, trauma, and anxiety. He trained as a social worker, spent years as a therapist, and built the STILL Method when he recognised that most people needed something between talking it through and formal clinical treatment. His approach treats anxiety and grief as deeply connected because in the nervous system, they often are. Stuart trains every cohort personally and remains involved in the mentoring community after you qualify.
What coaches say after completing the training
"After the loss of my husband, I felt called to explore ways I could support others experiencing grief. The Life After Loss course is compassionate, insightful, and deeply respectful of the grieving process. It has helped me both personally and professionally as I begin a new path of supporting others through loss."
Melanie Diggins — Grief Coach
"This was a thoughtful and enriching course that offered meaningful insight into supporting people through grief and loss. It was both reflective and practical, and I am looking forward to carrying this learning into my work supporting people through life's transitions and the many forms grief can take."
Sarah Antrobus — Practitioner
"It was wonderful. You made everything easily understandable and digestible, and such a great group creating a truly inspiring experience. I'm feeling very positive about this. I'm so pleased it was you training and inspiring us. This weekend was incredible."
Benjamin — Grief Coach
"I love the way Stuart put this course together. I learned so much and it was all delivered so well. I didn't expect to get so much from it and I've already started using the session plans."
Anne — Counsellor
What you will learn
Emotional processing techniques
Help clients move through sorrow, anger, guilt, and fear without pushing them to rush.
Trauma-informed grief tools
Work safely with complicated grief, traumatic loss, and delayed or masked grief responses.
Six-week group model
A ready-to-deliver Life After Loss group programme for community, school, or professional settings.
One-to-one session structure
A clear framework for individual grief coaching sessions with adults and teenagers.
Resilience and meaning-making
Practical tools for helping clients regain strength, identity, and a sense of life after loss.
Ethics and safe referral
How to work within your scope, recognise when to refer on, and hold appropriate boundaries.
Who this training is for
No prior counselling or therapy qualifications are needed. People come to this training from a wide range of backgrounds. What they have in common is a genuine desire to support others, and an understanding that grief deserves more than a sympathy card and a suggestion to seek help elsewhere.
Teachers, teaching assistants, and pastoral leads
Coaches, therapists, and counsellors adding grief skills to their practice
Support workers, care home staff, and community volunteers
People with lived experience of grief who want to support others in a structured way
Anyone who wants a practical, accredited approach to bereavement support
Choose how you want to train
Both routes cover the same content and lead to the same ACCPH and IPHM accredited certification. The only difference is how you study. Many coaches begin online and then join a later live cohort to deepen their confidence and practise tools with others. You can do both at no extra cost.
Option one
Live Zoom training
- Two live training days with Stuart on Zoom
- Weekend or weekday cohorts available
- Interactive teaching, live Q&A, and group practice
- London timezone, accessible worldwide
- Same accredited certificate as the online route
View dates and book
Option two
Self-paced online
- Immediate access to all modules and resources
- Study at your own pace from anywhere in the world
- Join mentoring calls when you are ready
- Full six-week group model and one-to-one tools included
- Same accredited certificate as the live route
Start today
Early bird price
£295
£395
Full curriculum, all materials, and mentoring during training included.
What is included
Full Life After Loss curriculum with videos, session plans, worksheets, and case studies
Ready-to-deliver six-week grief group programme
Personalised mentoring during training
Replay access so you can revisit sessions as your practice develops
If your focus is specifically supporting children through grief
We offer a separate specialist Child Grief Coach Practitioner Training — a three-day accredited programme covering child psychology, attachment, ACEs, and bereavement support in school settings. It is distinct from this course and designed specifically for those working with younger people.
View child grief training
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to attend live, or can I learn at my own pace?
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You can choose either route. The course is available as a self-paced online training you can start instantly, or you can join a live version taught on Zoom at set dates throughout the year. Both formats cover the same content and lead to full certification.
Do I need to be a counsellor or therapist?
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Not at all. This training is designed to be accessible to anyone, whether you are a coach, teacher, parent, or someone who simply wants to help. You will receive clear, practical tools you can use with confidence, without needing a clinical qualification.
Can I use this course to run a grief support group?
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Yes. The training includes a full six-week grief group programme you can deliver in community, school, or professional settings from day one after qualifying.
What support will I receive during and after the course?
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You will receive personalised mentoring during training and have access to ongoing support and professional development opportunities within the STILL Method network after you qualify.
How much does the grief coach training cost?
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The Life After Loss Grief Coach Training is priced at £295 early bird or £395 standard. Both the live Zoom and self-paced online routes are the same price and lead to the same accredited certification.
Can I join if I am outside the UK?
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Yes. Training is open worldwide. Live Zoom sessions run in London time. The self-paced route can be completed from any timezone. ACCPH and IPHM accreditation is internationally recognised.
Is the training relevant to the new DfE school bereavement requirements?
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The Life After Loss programme covers adult and teenage grief and is relevant for practitioners working in schools who want a solid foundation in trauma-informed bereavement support. For specialist training focused specifically on children, including the DfE RSHE guidance coming into force in September 2026, see our
Child Grief Coach Practitioner Training.
Want to explore our approach before booking?
Visit our Grief Coaching Insights hub for articles on types of grief, practitioner tools, and how grief coaching works in practice.
Grief Coaching Insights
Ready to become a grief coach?
Join live on Zoom or start the self-paced route today. Both routes lead to full ACCPH and IPHM accreditation.
