About this Event
Course Overview
When a child dies, the world changes — not only for the families, but for every professional who stands alongside them. Few feel fully prepared for it.
This 3-day CPD course is essential for people who encounter child bereavement in their work: student counsellors, healthcare professionals, social workers, pastoral staff, volunteers - anyone in a helping role. NB: if you are a qualified counsellor, you will gain more from our specialist course aimed specifically at practicing therapists, which will be launching soon.
Child loss leads to a particular kind of grief — it is a unique, life-altering experience. This course helps you understand its complexities and ensures that you can offer meaningful, sensitive, and informed support when it matters most.
Held at The Alder Centre, a nationally recognised centre of excellence in therapeutic care and education after child death, our courses offer in-depth knowledge, practical strategies, and real-world insights, delivered by highly experienced practitioners.
Participants will:
· Consider major theories of grief, specifically in the context of child loss.
· Recognise how the death of a child is different, and why it requires different support.
· Distinguish between ‘normal’ grief reactions and signs of complex or prolonged grief.
· Learn from bereaved parents themselves, with contributions from Alder Centre volunteers.
· Reflect deeply on personal attitudes toward loss — a crucial step in offering authentic support.
· Discover the importance of self-care to sustain long-term work with bereaved families.
Course Design
The course blends tutor-led input with participant discussion, group work, and reflective practice to create a rich, supportive learning environment.
Course Details
· Thursdays 15th, 22nd and 29th October 2026, 9.30 – 16.30
· Venue: The Alder Centre, Alder Hey Hospital Campus
· Lunch and drinks provided
· Course Fee: £360
Event venue & nearby stays
The Alder Centre - Alder Hey Hospital, Eaton Road, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.