The NDSU counseling department created a unique learning opportunity for students earlier this summer.
Under the direction of doctoral student Jessica Hotchkiss and Brenda Hall, professor and coordinator of counselor education, students participated in a course focusing on bereavement for counselors-in-training. The class was titled, “Childhood Bereavement: Implications for Counselor Theory and Practice.”
Half of the course was completed on NDSU's campus, while the other half took students to London to learn from leading professionals at the Child Bereavement Center UK. The course served as an elective for students interested in gaining a deeper knowledge when working with grief and loss.
Hotchkiss is also a Certified Child Life Specialist and Certified Grief Counselor. She created the course to address a gap in bereavement education for counselors.
"Grief and loss are so universal, yet hardly talked about. As counselors, and really all helping professionals, we have an opportunity to bring this topic to the forefront,” she said. “Everyone will experience grief at some point, and when we are able to talk about it and understand what it looks like, we are not only able to help our clients, but we help change the stigma surrounding grief – their grief, our grief and the world's view on those who are mourning."
Students learned about death competence, developmental considerations when understanding death, ethical implications and interventions to use with children.
Students received three certificates of professional development in addition to their course credits. They also toured a local child bereavement center and met with counseling faculty at London Metropolitan University.
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