Mindfulness & Grief
Coach Certification
Learn a compassionate, trauma-informed way to support grieving people in groups and sessions using the 8-Step Mindfulness & Grief System
Led by Heather Stang
Recipient of the 2025 ADEC Clinical Practice Award for Innovation in Grief Support
May 22 - August 14, 2026
Online Fridays 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET
All sessions are recorded and posted within 24 hours
This 12-week online grief coach certification is for therapists, social workers, chaplains, meditation and yoga teachers, and other professionals who support grieving people.
You will learn how to facilitate groups and private sessions using meditation, journaling, expressive arts, and restorative practices from the 8-Step Mindfulness & Grief System so you have enough structure to guide clients confidently, while allowing space for grief to unfold in their unique way.
This isn’t a script to memorize. It’s a way of being.
Grief Counselor
Certified Mindfulness & Grief Coach - Fall 2025
Help Your Clients and Yourself Find Meaning and Stability in These Uncertain Times
Grief is everywhere right now, and it is not only about death. Many people are carrying compound losses: changes in health, identity, relationships, family roles, financial stability, community, and the future they thought they were living toward. There is also collective grief over politics and the environment. The people you support may not always call it grief, but it is there, and it needs care.
You may already bring compassion, presence, and strong professional skills to this work. What is often missing is not heart or wisdom, but a clear, trauma-informed framework for helping people move through grief in ways that feel safe, grounded, and genuinely transformative.
This certification gives you a structured, mindfulness-based way to support grieving people with confidence and care. You will learn how to facilitate guided meditation, journaling, client-centered discussion, and self-care practices in ways that feel practical, supportive, and appropriate for real clients and real-life settings.
You will also learn how to lead an 8-week Mindfulness & Grief Support Group and adapt the same framework for one-to-one client work.
Through the Mindfulness & Grief System, clients begin learning how to do things they may never have been shown how to do before. They learn how to pause instead of shut down, how to stay with difficult emotions without being consumed by them, how to soothe themselves, how to meet their pain with real compassion, and how to keep living while honoring what they have lost.
Instead of trying to fix pain or move people through stages, you will help clients regulate overwhelm, build inner resources, reconnect with meaning, and discover that life can continue alongside grief.
Just as importantly, you will leave with a framework you can rely on, so you feel more confident, resourced, and supported in emotionally demanding work.
In This Training, You Will Learn How To:
- Guide clients through grief using a clear, structured 8-step mindfulness framework
- Use meditation, journaling, and reflection safely in grief support
- Know what to offer in the moment without second-guessing
- Adapt practices using trauma-informed principles like pacing, choice, and grounding
- Support clients as they adjust to life after loss and reconnect with meaning
- Lead both group programs and one-on-one sessions with clarity and confidence
- Stay resourced while doing emotionally demanding work
Limited to 30 Participants | 12-week program | $1,495
Who is this certification for?
- Therapists
- Coaches
- Chaplains
- Social workers
- Grief counselors
- Death doulas
- Hospice professionals
- Bereavement coordinators
- Funeral directors
- Yoga teachers
- Yoga therapists
- Meditation teachers
- Spiritual care providers
- Somatic practitioners
- Other helping professionals who support grieving people
What you’ll be able to do...
Practice Grief Coaching Taught Ethically and Within Scope
This is a non-clinical professional training that teaches you how to guide meditation, journaling, client-centered discussion, and other grief coaching skills with clarity, confidence, and care. It is not a substitute for psychotherapy, mental health counseling, or medical advice. Instead, it focuses on present-moment coping, mindfulness-based support, and posttraumatic growth.
You’ll also learn ethical guidelines, clear scope of practice, and referral protocols, so you know when and how to refer a client to a licensed clinician.
For a full explanation, read Grief Coaching vs. Therapy for Professionals: Scope, Training, and Key Differences.
Learn from an Award-Winning Grief Educator
Heather Stang is the recipient of the 2025 Association for Death Education and Counseling Clinical Practice Award for Innovation in Grief Support, recognizing her contributions to trauma-informed mindfulness and grief care. She is also the author of three books: Living With Grief, From Grief To Peace, and Navigating Loss.
The 8-step Mindfulness & Grief System is featured in The Handbook of Grief Therapies, a respected resource for clinicians and educators. Her Mindfulness & Grief Coach Certification trains you to apply these evidence-informed practices with real people in real settings so you can confidently support all types of loss.
Unlike a self-paced course, this is a live, supported certification where you are not learning alone. You will practice the framework in a small cohort, receive two hours of live guidance each week, and have direct access to Heather through DM support as you build confidence with client-ready tools.
Limited to 30 Participants | 12-week program | $1,495
What Makes This Grief Coach Certification Different
If you are comparing grief coach certification programs, here is what makes this training more structured, practical, and deeply supportive than a hands-off online course.
You’ll leave with more than information. You’ll leave with a framework, scripts, guided practices, facilitation outlines, and lived experience of the process. That means you are not trying to invent grief support from scratch. You have a clear system you can adapt with care.
1. A clear system for doing grief work well
The Mindfulness & Grief System gives you a structured, trauma-sensitive path for supporting grieving people without forcing their experience into a formula. You will learn what to offer, when to offer it, and how to respond in real sessions, groups, and conversations with greater confidence and certainty.
2. Rooted in real grief work, not theory alone
Heather Stang is a thanatologist, award-winning author, yoga therapist, and grief educator with more than two decades of experience supporting grieving clients and training helping professionals. Her work brings together grief theory, lived client experience, contemplative practice, and a deeply human understanding of what grief asks of both clients and practitioners.
3. You embody the work before you lead it
This training is not only about learning what to do for clients. It is about practicing the work yourself first, so you can trust the tools because you have lived them. That embodied experience helps you respond with more confidence, presence, and authenticity when grief shows up in the room.
4. Live access to Heather and ongoing support
This is a live, supported certification, not a prerecorded course you move through alone. You will have the chance to ask questions, receive guidance, and deepen your understanding with Heather throughout the program. You can also connect with Heather and your peers in the training community during the week for support, questions, and real conversation.
5. A small cohort that keeps the training personal
With just 30 participants, the learning experience stays interactive, relational, and engaged. You will have space to ask questions, be part of meaningful discussion, and learn alongside peers who care deeply about supporting grief well.
6. Practical tools for both groups and one-to-one work
You will learn how to lead the full 8-week program and how to adapt the same system for individual grief support. You will also leave with guided meditations, handouts, scripts, and facilitation outlines you can use in your work, so you are not left trying to piece everything together on your own.
7. Mindfulness practices are taught in a way you can actually use
You do not need experience teaching meditation to benefit from this training, you will get it while you are here. You’ll learn how to guide simple meditation and mindfulness practices, journaling prompts, reflection, and self-care exercises with care and confidence. If you already teach meditation, yoga, or mindfulness, this certification will help you adapt those skills specifically for grief support.
8. Ethical, scope-aware training you can trust
This program teaches a non-clinical, trauma-informed approach to grief support, along with clear ethical guidelines, scope of practice, and referral protocols. You will learn how to guide meditation, journaling, self-compassion, and other grief coaching tools responsibly, so you can support people well without overstepping your role.
9. Ongoing support after certification
Your growth does not end when the training is over. After graduation, you can continue receiving support through the monthly Coaches Circle, where you can bring practice questions, marketing questions, and the real-world challenges that come with building this work. You can also join Awaken for your own grief work at a discounted rate.
Personally, this program helped me shift from just doing mindfulness to actually living it. I pause more and react less, especially during stressful moments.
Professionally, it changed how I think about holding space, less fixing, more allowing, and trusting the process.
Now that I’ve experienced what this practice has offered me, I can honestly say it has become an essential form of self-care.
Gina Josette
Certified Mindfulness & Grief Coach - Spring 2026
Limited to 30 Participants | 12-week program | $1,495
Teach & Embody The 8-Step Mindfulness & Grief System
This certification is built on a structured, research-informed framework grounded in established grief theory and trauma-sensitive mindfulness.
You’ll experience the full 8-step system yourself while learning how to guide it ethically, safely, and confidently with others.
Each step includes guided meditation, journaling prompts, reflection practices, and facilitation guidance you can adapt for both group programs and one-on-one sessions. You do not need to be an experienced meditation teacher to begin. You’ll receive scripts, audios, and step-by-step support so you can lead the practices with care.
Over time, the system becomes more than something you understand. It becomes something you have practiced, embodied, and can trust when supporting grieving people.
Both personally and professionally, the program helped me find my center through mindful breaths so that I can step into situations at the hospital with a clearer mind and heart. I hope to use these practices with stressed staff so they can take needed pauses while supporting patients and families.
alexandria cirko
Chaplain, VP Mission & Ministry
Future Mindfulness & Grief Coach - Spring 2026 Cohort
Limited to 30 Participants | 12-week program | $1,495
INCLUDES LIFETIME ACCESS & UPDATES TO THE ENTIRE TRAINING LIBRARY
Everything you need to empower your clients to mindfully navigate grief
24 Meditation Scripts
Ready-to-use scripts so you never have to improvise what to say.
33 Guided Meditations
Audio practices you can use for your own integration or share directly with clients.
8 Facilitation Guides
Complete step-by-step session plans for leading full grief groups.
12 On-Demand Courses
Weekly lessons that build your knowledge and confidence.
12 Live Q&A + Training Events
Real-time support, case discussion, and guided skill practice.
Orientation and Foundations | May 22, 2026
Build a strong foundation in the Mindfulness & Grief System so you can begin supporting grieving clients with greater clarity, confidence, and care.
Elements of a Session | May 29, 2026
Create grief support sessions that feel grounded, supportive, and complete, so clients feel safely held from beginning to end.
Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness | June 5, 2026
Explore trauma-sensitive principles such as pacing, choice, and safety, giving you the skills to adapt practices for each client without overwhelm.
Step 1: Conscious Relaxation | June 12, 2026
Guide relaxation meditation practices that help clients settle their nervous systems, feel less overwhelmed, and find moments of relief in the midst of grief.
Step 2: Mindful Awareness | June 19, 2026
Learn how to guide mindfulness meditations that help clients meet each moment with more presence and less fear, so they can stay connected to themselves without getting swept away.
Step 3: Compassion for All | June 26, 2026
Introduce self-compassion meditation practices that soften self-blame, reduce isolation, and help clients meet their grief with greater kindness.
Step 4: Skillful Courage | July 10, 2026
Support clients in approaching difficult emotions as important messengers, so they can listen to what their grief is asking for without becoming overwhelmed by it.
Step 5: Getting Unstuck | July 17, 2026
Use expressive arts, journaling, movement, and metaphor to help clients loosen grief loops such as rumination, avoidance, and emotional paralysis.
Step 6: Continuing Bonds | July 24, 2026
Empower clients to stay connected to the person who died in ways that feel meaningful, comforting, and restorative, even if the relationship was less than perfect.
Step 7: Allowing Transformation | July 31, 2026
Create space for clients to understand how grief is reshaping them, and to notice what is emerging alongside the pain.
Step 8: Perpetual Resilience | August 7, 2026
Bring the full Mindfulness & Grief System together so clients can build resilience, make meaning, and begin living more fully after loss.
Integration and Next Steps | August 14, 2026
Integrate the full framework into your own facilitation style, learn about ongoing professional support, and apply ethical marketing for sharing your work with integrity.
Limited to 30 Participants | 12-week program | $1,495
‘Begin again’ completely changed how I speak to myself. It made me more present, more gentle, and more confident in leading others. I used to think I had to be strong for my clients. Now I know strength can look like slowing down, breathing, and showing up exactly as I am.
Julia Rajtar, M.A.P.S., B.C.C.
Chaplain, Bakkan-Young Funeral & Cremation Services
Certified Mindfulness & Grief Coach - Fall 2025
A Message from Heather
I developed the Mindfulness & Grief System after leading grief groups and returning years later to speak with participants about what had truly stayed with them.
I wanted to understand what supported people beyond the initial shock of loss, what helped them continue living alongside grief, and what made them feel less alone over time.
That listening shaped this work.
This training is designed to give you more than knowledge. It gives you a structure you can trust, practices you can embody, and tools you can use with confidence.
My hope is that you leave feeling more grounded in yourself, clear in your role, and better prepared to support others with steadiness and care.
What the Experts Say
“When we are more firmly grounded in our bodies, as Heather Stang demonstrates, we are better able literally and metaphorically to find a new footing in the world, and to restore a life of meaning and coherence.”
ROBERT A. NEIMEYER, Ph.D.
Director, Portland Institute for Loss and Transition
“Heather Stang offers those who are grieving a wise and practical guide. The stories, teachings and meditations in this book will help you find your own inner strength and awakening heart in the midst of great loss.”
TARA BRACH, Ph.D.
Author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge
Limited to 30 Participants | 12-week program | $1,495
The program gave me more resilience to face everything I currently hold on my full plate. It also gave me the opportunity for personal growth and acceptance in my own grief. Professionally, it impacted my practice of leading meditations and holding space for others and their grief.
D.R.
Future Mindfulness & Grief Coach - Spring 2026 Cohort
Is the Mindfulness & Grief Coach Certification
the right fit for you?
If you're considering joining, these are the questions most professionals ask before enrolling.
What is the time commitment?
This is a 12-week live certification with a clear structure. Plan for around 4 hours per week including live training, practice, and integration.
Live attendance is encouraged but not required. Replays are available within 24 hours, so you will not fall behind if life happens.
Is this within my professional scope?
You do not need to be a licensed therapist to enroll, but you must already work with people in a professional or volunteer capacity. This certification does not grant a therapy license.
You agree to practice within your existing scope and apply the 8-step framework ethically in your setting.
I’m bereaved and want to offer peer support. Is this right for me?
This is a professional certification designed to prepare you to responsibly guide others through grief. If you are currently grieving and feel called to support peers, your readiness matters.
We encourage you to schedule a call with Heather to talk through your experience and goals. Together, you can determine whether this certification is the right next step.
Will I actually be ready to lead?
Yes. You will move through the full 8-step process yourself before guiding others, building embodied understanding rather than just learning theory.
You will practice leading exercises during the program and receive feedback from your practice partner or group, while using step-by-step facilitation guides, scripts, and worksheets that support you every step of the way.
Is this for group work or individual clients?
You will learn how to confidently facilitate a full 8-week Mindfulness & Grief Support Group and apply the same 8-step framework in one-to-one sessions.
The training prepares you for both settings, so you can adapt the structure to your professional role and the needs of the people you serve.
Do you offer payment plans?
If you are enrolling with colleagues, view available discounts on the Group Pricing page.
If you would like to pay over time, you may select the PayPal checkout option and apply for a payment plan directly through PayPal. Approval and installment terms are determined by PayPal at checkout.
Limited to 30 Participants | 12-week program | $1,495
Still Have a Question?
Join Heather for a live training on the
Mindfulness & Grief System
Tuesday, May 12 at 12:00 PM ET
See how the 8-step framework maps to a grieving client’s real-life experience. In this live training, Heather will show you:
- How each step of the system supports a different part of the grief experience
- How the individual steps fit into the larger framework
- Why trauma-sensitive mindfulness matters in grief work
- How your presence, pacing, and wellbeing shape the helping relationship
Plus a live Q&A with Heather, bring your questions and
get clear on whether this training is right for you.
More Frequently Asked Questions
What is a grief coach?
A grief coach is a non-clinical professional who provides support, structure, and mindfulness-based tools to help people adapt to life after loss. Unlike a therapist, a grief coach focuses on present-moment coping and rebuilding a sense of purpose rather than diagnosing or treating mental health conditions.
Who is this training for?
This training is for therapists, grief counselors, social workers, chaplains, bereavement specialists, death doulas, hospice professionals and volunteers, funeral directors, yoga teachers, yoga therapists, meditation teachers, life coaches, somatic practitioners, spiritual directors, and other professionals who support grieving people.
Is grief coaching the same as therapy?
No. While therapy treats clinical diagnoses, grief coaching focuses on present-moment coping, mindfulness, and meaning-making. This certification includes referral protocols to help coaches practice safely within a non-clinical scope.
What is the Mindfulness & Grief System?
The Mindfulness & Grief System is Heather Stang’s 8-step, research-informed framework for grief support. It combines established grief theory with trauma-informed mindfulness to help clients move from overwhelm to resilience.
Who can become a certified grief coach?
This training is designed for professionals such as therapists, chaplains, death doulas, hospice workers, and others who want a structured, evidence-based system for supporting bereaved individuals and groups.
Do I need to be a therapist to enroll?
No. You do not need to be a licensed therapist to enroll. You do need experience working with people and a commitment to practice within your professional scope.
Will this make me a therapist?
No. This certification does not grant a therapy license or board certification. You agree to practice within your professional scope.
Is this training trauma-informed and non-pathologizing?
Yes. We teach skills that honor grief as a human experience. No stages. No forced timelines.
How much time should I plan each week?
Plan for about 4 hours each week. This includes the 120-minute live coaching session with Heather, which is recorded if you miss it, about 30 minutes of training videos, and time for practice and integration.
You can work with your existing clients or request to be paired with a practice buddy from your cohort. If you practice with someone from the cohort, it will be an exchange, which adds about an hour to your weekly practice time because you will both take turns leading.
Do I have to attend live?
Live attendance is encouraged, but not required. Replays are posted within 24 hours, so you will not fall behind.
How do I access Zoom and the materials?
After you enroll, you will receive access to the live session links, course materials, audios, scripts, prompts, and replays in one place.
What will I get each week?
Each week includes guided meditation audio, client-ready scripts, a short in-the-moment practice, a journaling prompt, the session replay, and time with your cohort.
Do I need to practice meditation and journaling daily?
Aim for about 10 to 15 minutes of personal practice most days. The goal is not only to learn the material, but to embody it in your own life and work.
How do I earn the certification?
To earn your certification, you will need to watch all course videos, attend the weekly live session or watch the replay, complete a brief weekly self-mentoring check-in in the community chat, and pass the 50-question multiple choice exam.
In your weekly check-in, you will briefly reflect on your learning and stay engaged. You will also agree to practice ethically, protect client privacy, and stay within your professional scope.
Do you offer scholarships?
No. Scholarships are not available at this time. You can pay over time through PayPal or enroll with a friend or colleague for a group discount.
Do you have group discounts?
Yes. We offer discounted rates for teams who enroll together. See the Group Pricing page for current options and details.
Do you offer a payment plan?
Yes. To pay over time, choose the Pay Over Time option, which will take you to PayPal. Select Pay Later at checkout. PayPal handles approval and installment options directly. If Pay Later is not available on your account, you will need to use another payment method.
Can I use the materials with clients?
Yes. You may use the scripts, worksheets, and prompts with attribution, as long as you stay within your professional scope.
Do you offer CE credits?
No. CE credits are not offered.
Is the program accessible?
Yes. All videos are closed captioned, replays are available, and materials are provided in readable formats. If you need support, please ask and we will do our best to accommodate you.
What tech do I need?
You will need reliable internet access, Zoom, and headphones or speakers. Enrollment details and access instructions will be provided after registration.
Can I take this if I am grieving too?
Maybe. This is a professional training with an assessment, not a grief support group. You will be invited to reflect on your own experience with the work.
If you can focus during class and practice consistently, you may do well. If you need dedicated support right now, it may be better to begin with grief support or a private session first.
What happens after I enroll?
After you enroll, you will receive access instructions, add the session dates to your calendar, and find your Week 1 materials waiting for you.
Still have a question?
Join the next live Webinar and Q&A session or book a free discovery call with Heather to talk through whether this training is the right fit for you.
Limited to 30 Participants | 12-week program | $1,495