678-466-0714
SGTU

Degree Program

Accelerated Doctorate in Grief Counseling

Faith-Integrated · Online · Self-Paced

11 Modules

Full Curriculum

12–16 Months

Program Duration

$4,400

Pay in Full

$400/course

Per Course Option

Program Overview

A rigorous 10-module doctoral program for practitioners seeking the highest level of scholarly and clinical expertise in bereavement care. Students engage with advanced research, complex trauma, lifespan loss, and institutional leadership in grief ministry and counseling. Instructor: Gerrit J. Grundling, Ph.D.

Academic Pathway

Postgraduate Certificate

Master's Required

8 courses

Postgraduate Diploma

Master's Required

10 courses total

Doctor of Philosophy

Master's Required

11 courses total

No coursework is repeated. Each credential builds toward the next.

59

Video Lectures

11

PDF Materials

10

Graded Quizzes

Full Curriculum

11 modules across 11 courses
1

GCD1101 – Advanced Psychotherapy Theory: Research and Doctoral Practice

1 lessons

01

GCD1101 – Advanced Psychotherapy Theory: Research and Doctoral Practice

2

GCD1102 – Advanced Motivational Interviewing: Research and Application

1 lessons

01

GCD1102 – Advanced Motivational Interviewing: Research and Application

3

GCD1103 – Advanced Grief Counseling: Doctoral Perspectives

1 lessons

01

GCD1103 – Advanced Grief Counseling: Doctoral Perspectives

4

GCD1104 – Advanced Ethics: Law, Supervision and Professional Practice

1 lessons

01

GCD1104 – Advanced Ethics: Law, Supervision and Professional Practice

5

GCD1105 – Advanced Treatment Planning: Case Conceptualization and Outcomes

1 lessons

01

GCD1105 – Advanced Treatment Planning: Case Conceptualization and Outcomes

6

GCD1106 – Advanced Treatment of Complicated and Prolonged Grief

1 lessons

01

GCD1106 – Advanced Treatment of Complicated and Prolonged Grief

7

GCD1107 – Grief Counseling Across the Lifespan: Doctoral Perspectives

1 lessons

01

GCD1107 – Grief Counseling Across the Lifespan: Doctoral Perspectives

8

GCD1108 – Loss, Trauma and Resilience: Advanced Clinical Applications

1 lessons

01

GCD1108 – Loss, Trauma and Resilience: Advanced Clinical Applications

9

GCD1109 – Counseling the Terminally Ill: Palliative Care and End-of-Life Practice

1 lessons

01

GCD1109 – Counseling the Terminally Ill: Palliative Care and End-of-Life Practice

10

GCD1110 – Group Support for Bereavement and Loss

1 lessons

01

GCD1110 – Group Support for Bereavement and Loss

11

GCD1111 – Doctoral Capstone: Research Synthesis and Dissertation Proposal

1 lessons

01

GCD1111 – Doctoral Capstone: Research Synthesis and Dissertation Proposal

Video PDF Quiz Requires enrollment

What You Will Gain

K

Knowledge

  • ✓Advanced research methodologies in grief counseling
  • ✓Comprehensive theoretical models of bereavement across cultures
  • ✓Scholarly frameworks for integrating theology and clinical practice
  • ✓Dissertation-level expertise in a focused area of grief studies
S

Skills

  • ✓Design and execute original doctoral research
  • ✓Critically evaluate clinical and theological literature
  • ✓Supervise and mentor graduate-level counseling students
  • ✓Publish scholarly work in grief counseling and theology
M

Ministry Application

  • ✓Serve as a subject-matter authority in grief ministry
  • ✓Develop training curricula for grief counselors in your organization
  • ✓Contribute original scholarship to the field of faith-based grief care
  • ✓Lead institutional grief counseling programs at the organizational level

How This Program Changes You

Beyond knowledge — the tangible shifts in how you think, lead, and serve.

Think and write at the doctoral level with scholarly rigor

Produce original research that advances grief ministry practice

Supervise and develop the next generation of grief counselors

Speak with authority on the intersection of theology and clinical grief care

Lead institutional change in how organizations approach bereavement

Where Graduates Apply This

Real-world contexts where your training makes a difference.

Church & Congregation

Grief support groups, pastoral counseling, congregational care programs

Nonprofit Leadership

Community wellness programs, faith-based crisis response organizations

Chaplaincy Settings

Hospital, hospice, military, and institutional chaplaincy roles

Seminary & Education

Teaching, mentoring, and curriculum development in theological education

Community Outreach

Bereavement support services, disaster relief counseling, ministry partnerships

Academic Research

Doctoral-level publishing, conference presentations, peer review

Leadership Outcomes

How this program builds your capacity to lead.

Lead grief support teams with clinical confidence and pastoral sensitivity

Develop and oversee counseling programs at the organizational level

Mentor junior counselors and ministry volunteers

Represent your organization in community care partnerships

Lead doctoral-level research initiatives

Shape institutional grief counseling policy and standards

This Program Prepares You For

Pastoral counseling within church and ministry settingsGrief support group facilitationChaplaincy in faith-based organizationsNon-profit and community care leadershipTeaching and mentoring in seminary contextsDoctoral-level theological research and publishing

Program Learning Areas

Advanced Grief Theory
Doctoral Research Methods
Dissertation Development
Literature Review & Analysis
Specialized Populations in Grief
Supervision & Mentorship
Academic Writing
Advanced Ethics
Cross-Cultural Bereavement
Integrative Theology & Practice
Capstone Dissertation

Stackable credentials: Earn credentials while progressing toward your degree. Each milestone — Certificate, Diploma, and Degree — is awarded automatically as you complete courses. No coursework is repeated.

Tuition Options

Choose the plan that works for you

Pay in FullBest Value

$4,400

one-time · no interest

Per Course11 courses

$400/course

pay as you progress · flexible

11 online modules
Video lectures per lesson
Downloadable PDF materials
Graded module quizzes
Certificate of completion
Lifetime access
Apply Now

Payment plan selected after application approval

Learn More & Apply — $400/course

Pay per course or in full · Application fee waived

Questions? Contact

Grant James

Director of Admissions

📞 678-466-0714✉ admissions@southgeauga.com