How to Become a Grief Support Coach Without a Counselling Degree
You don’t need to be a therapist to support someone through grief.
In fact, many of the most effective grief coaches aren’t they’re carers, educators, or people with lived experience.
This guide will walk you through what grief coaching is, why it matters, and how you can get started even if you don’t come from a traditional background.
And the truth is you don’t need a counselling degree to make a meaningful impact. People who get it. People like you.
If you’re looking to become a grief coach, this guide is for you.
What Is a Grief Support Coach?
Grief coaching is not about diagnosing or treating. It’s about being present.
It’s about creating a space where someone who is grieving feels seen, heard, and supported to move forward—on their terms.
Unlike therapy, grief coaching is non-clinical. It doesn’t replace counselling, but it complements it beautifully. It offers structured support, tools for coping, and a sense of forward motion—especially for those who feel stuck or unseen in traditional systems.
And you don’t need to be a therapist to do that well.
Why So Many People Are Choosing Grief Coaching
People are searching for something more personal. More human. More real.
Grief coaching offers exactly that.
Many professionals—from teachers and carers to support workers and those with lived experience—are discovering how grief support training can deepen their work or lead to an entirely new path.
Some go on to build private coaching practices. Others integrate grief coaching into existing roles. What they have in common is a desire to show up for others in ways that are deeply needed—but too often missing.
Do I Need Qualifications to Start?
No counselling degree? That’s not a barrier. But training is important.
Grief is complex. Each person’s experience is different. What helps one person may not help another. That’s why we believe anyone supporting people through loss should be trained—not just to understand grief, but to recognise the signs of complicated grief, trauma responses, and when to refer someone on.
At The STILL Method, we train grief coaches with this in mind.
You’ll learn:
How to hold space with confidence
What to say (and what not to say)
How to support teens and adults through stuck grief
How to work ethically and safely, even in non-clinical roles
How to build a practice or offer sessions professionally
This is real, practical training—designed to empower people who want to support others without stepping into therapeutic territory.
Can I Really Make This a Career?
Yes. Many people who take our grief course go on to:
Offer private coaching sessions
Run grief groups in schools, workplaces, or community settings
Integrate grief support into existing roles in education, care, or wellbeing
Build a flexible, meaningful business helping people move through loss
The work is deeply human. And deeply needed.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever felt that pull—that quiet voice saying you could help people through this—don’t ignore it just because you didn’t go down the counselling route.
You don’t need to be a therapist to be a powerful source of support.
You need the right training. A clear framework. And a willingness to show up for people when it matters most.
That’s exactly what our grief coaching course is designed to offer.
Ready to take the first step?
Explore our grief coach training programme here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need a degree to become a grief coach?
A: No. Many grief coaches come from care, education, or lived experience backgrounds. What’s essential is training that equips you to support people safely and ethically.
Q: Is grief coaching the same as counselling?
A: No. Grief coaching is non-clinical and does not involve diagnosing or therapy. It complements other support by offering space, structure, and guidance.
Q: Can I make a career from grief coaching?
A: Yes. Many of our graduates offer private sessions, lead groups, or integrate grief work into their existing roles.
