For many years most people thought the word grief only related to death. Many people may still think that, but with the advent and growth of grief counseling, more and more people have come to realize that divorce is also a grieving event. And little by little, there’s been a huge and correct shift in our society, so that the broad umbrella of grief counseling now encompasses the 43 life events that create feelings of grief.

The Background

Thirty-five years ago, John W. James—founder of The Grief Recovery Institute^®—put the words grief and recovery together for the first time, and began developing a system of grief counseling that has not only lasted, but is now considered to be the single-most practical method available for dealing with significant emotional loss of any kind.

Grief Counseling by another name

In the 35 years since John first created the The Grief Recovery Method^®, the “action based” system of grief counseling, more than 4000 mental health professionals, funeral directors, cemeterians, clergy and others who have a genuine desire to help grieving people have attended and completed the Grief Recovery Method Certification training. If you’ve ever wondered, “What more can I do to help my clients?” please go to the Get trained to help section of our website. You will find in-depth interviews with the founders, and video explanations and testimonials about the training from several of the Grief Recovery Specialists who have built their practices around helping their clients complete the pain, isolation, and loneliness caused by the significant emotional losses that have affected their lives. During your Certification Training, we will teach you how to lead our 1 on 1 Grief Recovery Method format which is the most widely used program for mental health professionals. Schedule a call to learn more about our training.