What is the Job Market Outlook for Bereavement Counselors?

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When you think about a bereavement counselor, you may not have a clear picture of what he or she is. Is this person a psychologist or a salesman for a funeral home? The title is somewhat hazy and ill defined, but you know that it deals with death. You can also know that with the “Baby Boomers” aging quickly, for the next 15 to 20 years, there will be a significant need for people in this area.

What Are the Requirements for a Bereavement Counselor Jobs?

It depends on what area of counseling you go into. In the area of funerals, you may only need a high school education. You can become certified in the field through the Association for Death Counseling and Education. Individuals in this career will find it difficult, trying to get decisions and commitments from people in grief, but you can expect a salary range of $30,000 and $50,000 per year. Job security will be based on your ability to produce in the pressure packed arena. There will be an increasing need for professionals in bereavement counseling, people who can maintain their poise in the face of death and tragedy.

What Other Groups Might Be Known as Bereavement Counselors?

Other groups that may be known as bereavement counselors are grief counselors with mental health organizations as well as people with Hospice. The qualifications for people in these positions may be a Bachelor or Master’s Degree in Psychology or Divinity. The job duties here have nothing to do with sales of organizing funerals, but to help people face the inevitable and imminent death.

The expertise and training in this area is far more demanding and requires a longer-term commitment to the people involved. If you are a grief counselor with Hospice for example, you may visit the dying person and/or his family over a six months period. You would try to help them heal wounds and leave as little “unfinished business” as possible at the time of death. You would become truly involved with those who are in need of your services. The job outlook for this area look to be strong as more emphasis on health care cost reduction moves people to Hospice sooner in the process.

Why Should I Consider Bereavement Counselor Jobs?

It is a difficult career, since you are dealing with death and dying constantly. However, it is also a truly rewarding one, whether you are helping people deal with issues or even the choice of a casket. At times of great loss, we need people who are sympathetic and knowledgeable in a situation to which we are foreign.

Bereavement counseling, in whatever area you choose, offers a solid salary expectation and increasing job security as our aging population makes its final exit. If you can be present and yet maintain separation from people in need and in the depths of grief, this could be a good career for you. You are doing a good work, and are being paid well for genuine efforts.