When people experience bereavement, they often turn to professionals for support.
For social workers and frontline practitioners, conversations about grief and loss are a regular part of the role. Yet many professionals tell us they have received little formal bereavement training and can feel uncertain about how best to support someone who is grieving.
Recently, The Loss Foundation delivered a bespoke Bereavement and Loss Training session for a group of social workers and adult services professionals. The training was designed to increase confidence, develop practical skills, and provide evidence-based insight into how grief can affect the people they support.
This case study explores what we covered, why bereavement training matters, and the impact the session had on participants.
Why Bereavement Training Matters
Grief is one of the most common human experiences, yet many professionals receive limited training in how to respond to it.
For social workers and frontline practitioners, bereavement can arise in many different contexts, including:
- The death of a family member
- The loss of a partner or spouse
- Anticipatory grief following a diagnosis
- Sudden or traumatic deaths
- Loss of independence through illness or disability
- Changes in identity, relationships or life circumstances
While grief is a natural response to loss, it can affect a person’s emotional wellbeing, relationships, decision-making, behaviour and ability to cope with everyday life.
Professionals are often expected to navigate these conversations with compassion and confidence, but many tell us they worry about saying the wrong thing or don’t always feel equipped to support someone through grief.
Bereavement training helps bridge that gap.
A Window Into Our Bereavement Training
The Jar Model: Helping People Understand Life After Loss
One model that often resonates with social workers is the Jar Model of Grief.
Many people assume that grief should gradually get smaller over time. The Jar Model offers a different perspective. Rather than grief shrinking, it suggests that our lives gradually grow around our grief. The loss remains significant, but over time new experiences, relationships, routines and sources of meaning can begin to exist alongside it.
For social workers, this model can provide a helpful framework when supporting individuals who feel frustrated, worried or discouraged that their grief hasn’t “gone away”. It can open up conversations about adjustment, resilience, identity and what life might look like moving forward while continuing to honour an important loss.
The Challenge
The professionals attending the session worked across adult services and support settings where grief and loss are frequently encountered.
Many were already supporting people experiencing bereavement but wanted:
- Greater confidence discussing grief
- A better understanding of how grief affects people
- Practical tools and communication strategies
- Knowledge of grief models and theories
- Guidance on looking after their own wellbeing when supporting others
Importantly, the training recognised that grief is not simply something professionals encounter in their work. Many attendees had personal experiences of loss that also shaped how they approached these conversations.
Our Approach
At The Loss Foundation, our training combines evidence-based psychology with practical, real-world application.
Delivered by Dr Erin Hope Thompson MBE, Clinical Psychologist and Founder of The Loss Foundation, the session explored:
Understanding Grief and Loss
Participants were introduced to contemporary understandings of grief, moving beyond the common misconception that grief follows a simple, predictable path.
The training explored:
- Common grief reactions
- The emotional, cognitive and physical impact of loss
- Why grief affects people differently
- Factors that influence how people respond to bereavement
Models and Theories of Grief
A key part of the session focused on grief models and psychological theory.
Participants explored different frameworks that can help professionals understand grief while recognising that no single model can explain every person’s experience.
Feedback highlighted how valuable attendees found the combination of theory and practical application.
“Bringing in science and theory to real life situations.”
Communication and Support Skills
The training also focused on practical conversations.
Topics included:
- How to listen effectively
- Creating space for difficult emotions
- Supporting people without trying to “fix” their grief
- Developing confidence in conversations about death, loss and bereavement
- Recognising when additional support may be needed
Reflection and Self-Care
Supporting people through grief can be emotionally demanding.
The session therefore included opportunities for reflection and discussion around professional wellbeing and self-care.
One participant commented:
“Erin really made me think about how I look after myself too, which is unusual.”
A Window Into Our Bereavement Training
Looking After Ourselves While Supporting Others
Self-care features throughout all of our bereavement training programmes.
Alongside evidence-based grief models and practical support skills, we encourage participants to reflect on their own wellbeing, emotional boundaries and support networks. Looking after ourselves isn’t separate from providing good support – it’s an essential part of it.
Training takeaway: A practical self-care tool designed to help professionals build resilience, recognise signs of emotional overload, and develop sustainable approaches to supporting others through grief and loss.
Creating a Safe and Interactive Learning Environment
Bereavement training is most effective when participants have opportunities to reflect, discuss and learn from one another.
The session incorporated:
- Interactive exercises
- Breakout room discussions
- Reflection activities
- Group conversations
- Practical examples and case discussions
Participants particularly valued hearing different perspectives from colleagues working in similar settings.
One attendee said:
“The breakout rooms were good. Listening to other people’s perspectives.”
Another highlighted:
“A good mix of presentation slides, models and interactive sessions.”
The Impact
Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive.
Increased Knowledge
Before the session, participants rated their knowledge of bereavement and loss at an average of 5.2 out of 10.
After the training, this increased to an average of 7.8 out of 10.
This represents a substantial increase in self-reported confidence and understanding.
Greater Confidence Supporting People Through Grief
Participants reported feeling more confident in their ability to support people experiencing bereavement.
Comments included:
“More confident in entering into conversation with someone grieving.”
“More confidence and understanding.”
“Better ability to support clients experiencing bereavement and loss.”
Improved Practice
Attendees described a range of ways the training would influence their future work.
These included:
- Making more space for grief conversations
- Improving listening skills
- Recognising when people may need additional time and support
- Supporting colleagues experiencing bereavement
- Feeling more comfortable with uncertainty and difficult conversations
One participant reflected:
“Recognising that more time may be needed when working with people dealing with grief and loss.”
Another noted:
“Acknowledging and acceptance – feeling more comfortable without having to have an answer.”
A Window Into Our Bereavement Training
Exploring Identity After Loss
As part of our bereavement training, participants explore how loss can influence a person’s sense of identity. This can be particularly important for social workers, as many of the people they support are not only grieving the person who has died, but also adjusting to changes in roles, routines, relationships and future plans.
For social workers, identity-based conversations can help individuals make sense of complex feelings, recognise the impact of bereavement beyond immediate grief, and begin exploring what life may look like as they adjust to a changed reality.
Training takeaway: A practical worksheet designed to support conversations around identity, adjustment, self-understanding and meaning-making following bereavement.
Why Bereavement Training Is Important for Social Workers
Social workers are often supporting people during some of the most difficult periods of their lives.
Having confidence in conversations about grief and loss can help professionals:
- Build stronger relationships
- Support emotional wellbeing
- Recognise complex grief responses
- Reduce feelings of isolation
- Create safe spaces for people to talk about loss
At the same time, bereavement training can support practitioners themselves by increasing confidence, reducing anxiety around difficult conversations, and encouraging healthy professional boundaries.
Looking Ahead
Grief is not something that can be fixed, solved or rushed.
However, professionals can make a profound difference when they feel equipped to respond with compassion, confidence and understanding.
This training demonstrated the value of creating space for practitioners to deepen their understanding of grief, develop practical skills, and reflect on their own experiences and wellbeing.
As one participant summarised:
“Very informative and interactive session.”
Bereavement Training from The Loss Foundation
The Loss Foundation provides bereavement training for social workers, charities, healthcare professionals, workplaces, volunteers and community organisations.
Our training combines psychological expertise, practical skills and real-world experience to help professionals feel more confident supporting people through grief and loss.
If you’re looking for bereavement training for your team or organisation, we’d love to hear from you.
Get in touch to discuss your training needs.
Questions about our bereavement training?
Contact our team to find out how our bereavement training can support your organisation.
“Every team is different, and each experience of grief is unique. This call is a chance to explore what will truly work for your staff and the people they support.”
— Dr Erin Hope Thompson MBE, Founder + Clinical Psychologist
