INBGC Resources
Grief Coaching Resources
Clear, plain-language answers about grief coaching - what it is, who it serves, how it differs from therapy and counseling, and what an independent board credential actually verifies.
Written for coaches, referral partners, and anyone trying to understand where grief coaching fits.
The Independent National Board for Grief Coaching maintains these pages as a reference. They are meant to be read, cited, and shared, not sold.
Start here
Board Certification for Grief Coaches: The Complete Guide
The plain-language guide to what board certification verifies, how it differs from a training certificate, who it fits, the two pathways, cost, and timeline, plus how to judge any grief coaching credential. Start here, then follow the links into the specific topics below.
The basics
Grief coaching, explained
Four guides answer the questions people ask most.
What Is a Grief Coach?
The clearest answer to what a grief coach is, what the role is not, and where it sits alongside therapy, counseling, and support groups.
Grief Coach vs. Therapist
A side-by-side comparison of training, scope, and use cases, plus clear guidance on when to refer to each.
Training Program vs. Certifying Board
Why teaching and certifying are two different jobs, and what a board credential verifies that a course completion cannot.
What "Accredited" Really Means
An honest look at accreditation in an unregulated field, and how to judge a credential by its substance rather than a label.
For coaches
Becoming a grief coach
What the profession looks like, how to enter it, and what the path involves from where you are standing.
Grief Coaching as a Practice
What the work involves, where clients come from, how coaches are compensated, and what board certification does and does not change.
How to Become a Grief Coach
A clear path into the profession: the training, board certification, and referral relationships that turn the work into a credible, referable practice.
Deciding whether it is worth it? Read why grief coaches get board certified.
Find the path that fits your background
For referral partners
Deciding whether to refer someone
If you are a therapist, clergy member, hospice or healthcare professional, funeral director, or employer deciding where to send someone, one page covers what you need: what a Board Certified Grief Coach does and does not do, the published indicators at which they must refer to clinical care, how to verify a coach's standing at no cost, and what accountability exists if something goes wrong.
Referring someone to a grief coach
For the scope distinction specifically, see Grief Coach vs. Therapist.
For grievers and families
If you are looking for support
The title is not protected, which means the responsibility for checking falls to you. These answer what to expect and how to judge who you are talking to.
What Is a Grief Coach?
What a grief coach does, what they do not do, and where the role sits alongside therapy and support groups.
How to Choose a Grief Coach
What to look for, what to ask, and how to verify that someone holds the credential they claim.
What Happens in a Grief Coaching Session
People often arrive unsure what they are supposed to say, or worried they will be asked to relive the worst day of their life. Here is what actually happens.
Recent writing
From the blog
Shorter pieces on grief, the profession, and the credential.
Workplace Grief: What Employers Need to Know
Bereavement leave ends long before grief does. Here is what most workplace policies miss, and what actually helps.
What Happens in a Grief Coaching Session
People often arrive unsure what they are supposed to say, or worried they will be asked to relive the worst day of their life. Here is what actually happens.
How to Choose a Grief Coach
The title is not protected, which means the responsibility for checking falls to you. Here is what to look for and how to verify it.
About these resources
Why INBGC publishes them
Grief coaching is an emerging field, and the title is not protected. Anyone can claim it. These resources exist so that grievers, referral partners, and coaches themselves have one clear, honest place to understand what the work is, what it requires, and how an independent standard holds it accountable.
Nothing here is gated, and nothing here is a sales page. To learn what board certification involves, review the certification process and the published certification standards.