Credential verification

Verify a grief coach's credentials

Grief coaching has no license to check. Enter a credential number to confirm a coach holds an active BCGC credential. Free, and the coach is not notified.

Credential numbers are formatted BCGC-YYYY-NNN. Ask the coach for their credential number, or request written verification at [email protected].

Credential status
Active · Certification is current and in good standing. The coach has completed all annual renewal and ethics attestation requirements.
Expired · Certification has lapsed due to non-renewal. The BCGC designation may not be used until the credential is reinstated.
Revoked · Certification was withdrawn following an ethics review process. The BCGC designation may not be used.

For formal written verification or to report unauthorized use of the BCGC credential, contact [email protected].

Before you search

What to ask the coach for

In short

Ask for the credential number. Verification is done with the number alone, it takes seconds, and the coach is not involved.

Every Board Certified Grief Coach is issued a credential number when the credential is awarded. It is formatted BCGC-YYYY-NNN, and certificants are expected to provide it on request. It is theirs to share, and many list it on their website and in their professional materials so it can be checked without asking.

You do not need the coach's permission to verify, and nothing about your search is reported back to them.

If there is no number

When a coach cannot produce a credential number

In short

There are two common reasons, and they are not the same. In either case the coach may still be well prepared, but the review becomes yours to perform.

They hold a training certificate

A training certificate is issued by the school that taught the course and records that someone attended. It is not a board credential, and no body outside the program that issued it can confirm anything about it. The two are frequently described using the same words, which is why the number matters more than the document.

They hold no credential at all

Grief coaching is not a regulated profession. No license is required and no training is required, so a practitioner may hold nothing and still be using the title lawfully.

What changes without a credential is where the burden sits. Your organization performs the review rather than relying on one already completed, and it is worth documenting what you found.

The six criteria to evaluate a practitioner against, six questions to ask, and sample policy language are published at referral criteria for grief coaching. Free to use, cite, and adapt.

Scope of a search

What verification confirms, and what it does not

In short

An Active result confirms preparation and standing. It does not confirm that a particular coach is the right fit for a particular person.

An Active result means an independent board reviewed the coach's grief-specific education against six published topic areas, verified their practice hours, holds them to a published Code of Ethics, and examined their knowledge under proctoring, and that the credential is current.

Fit is a separate question, and the practitioner is the one to ask:

  • Experience with the specific kind of loss involved, since grief coaching covers divorce, job loss, serious illness, estrangement, identity change, and career transition as well as death
  • Whether they work with children and adolescents, which requires preparation distinct from adult work
  • Fees, session structure, and payment arrangements, which INBGC does not set, approve, or publish
  • Format, whether in person or by video, plus language support and current availability

Looking for a coach rather than checking one? Find a Grief Coach matches individuals and referral partners with active certificants. There is no cost, and no coach can pay to be matched ahead of another.

Accountability

Reporting misuse of the credential

Anyone may file a report

Members of the public, referral partners, employers, clients, and other certificants are all able to report inaccurate or unauthorized use of the BCGC credential, and Program Administration reviews every report.

Write to [email protected] with what you saw and where you saw it.

This applies to a lapsed credential still being displayed, a credential number that does not match the name using it, a designation used by someone who never held it, and any claim that misstates what the credential requires.

The published Code of Ethics requires honest representation of credentials, and the board's process can result in guidance, warning, probation, suspension, or revocation.

Common questions

Ask the coach for their BCGC credential number and enter it in the registry on this page. The result confirms the name on the credential and whether it is Active, Expired, or Revoked. There is no cost, no account is required, and the coach is not involved in or notified of the search.
No. The registry is searched by credential number only. It is a verification tool rather than a browsable directory, so it confirms a specific credential rather than returning a list of practitioners. If you are looking for a coach rather than checking one, use Find a Grief Coach.
The credential lapsed through non-renewal and the BCGC designation may not be used until it is reinstated. An expired credential is not an ethics finding. It means the credential is not currently maintained, and the coach may be able to reinstate it. A revoked credential is different: it was withdrawn following an ethics review, and it should be treated as disqualifying.
Yes, at no cost. Organizations that maintain credentialing or vendor files often need documentation rather than a screen check. Write to [email protected] with the coach's name and credential number, and Program Administration will provide formal written verification.
No. Verification is free, both through this page and through written verification from Program Administration. Referral partners are never charged for anything, and neither are members of the public.
They may hold a training certificate rather than a board credential, or they may hold nothing, since the grief coach title is unprotected and requires no license or training. A coach without a credential may still be well prepared. Evaluate them against the six published referral criteria, which cover grief-specific education, documented practice, a written scope of practice, defined referral thresholds, accountability to published ethics, and independently verifiable standing.
Write to [email protected] with what you saw and where you saw it. Anyone may file a report, including members of the public, referral partners, employers, clients, and other certificants. Program Administration reviews every report under the published Code of Ethics, and outcomes can include guidance, warning, probation, suspension, or revocation.

Become board certified.

Applications are open and reviewed on a rolling basis. Apply when you are ready.

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