Course Information:
Grief 101 for Funeral Directors
This course is designed to provide you with an overview of the process of grief. This material in no way reflects all there is to know about grief but is a good outline to help you feel more informed. It will also give you some insight for assisting those who want to walk with the bereaved on their grief journey.
While you can not be expected to be a therapist, you can be and are expected to explain what is normal and what is abnormal about how people respond to the death of a loved one. Grief is very individual but there are some very basic reactions that everyone has. Understanding these reactions will give you a sense of control and confidence that will allow you to convey care and concern for those you serve.
The Author
Sherry L. Williams, RN, BA,GMS, GRS, is president and founder of Sherry Williams Enterprises and New Leaf Resources, a division of Sherry Williams Enterprises. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, New Leaf Resources specializes in grief resource materials and informational/educational services. The company has helped thousands of firms assess their internal systems, communities and resources to develop and manage good bereavement outreach programs.
Out of her personal loss experiences and need for information when she was grieving, Sherry founded ACCORD® Grief Management Services in 1984. She served as president through 2004 at which time she founded Sherry Williams Enterprises and New Leaf Resources.
She has an Associate Degree in nursing from the University of Kentucky Extension Program and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Bellarmine College in Louisville, KY. Sherry is a nationally certified grief management specialist, has received advanced certification as a bereavement facilitator from the American Academy of Bereavement and is certified by the Grief Recovery Institute as a Grief Recovery Specialist. She has devoted more than 20 years to the field of grief and bereavement service.
She is the publisher of New Leaf Magazine, formerly Grief Magazine™, a quarterly publication for the bereaved, as well as a featured writer for In DeathCare Today and Yellow Book News. She is the author of Holiday Help®: A Guide for Holidays and Special Days, Beyond Goodbye: A Guide for your Journey through Grief) and is a contributing author to Every Woman’s Guide to Financial Security, When All the Friends Have Gone (A Manual for Aftercare) and What To Do When Someone Dies. She is listed in 2000 American Notable Women for outstanding service to community, state and nation.
Sherry served on the Board of Trustees for the National Catholic Ministry to the Bereaved, has co-chaired, the 1996 World Gathering on Bereavement and served as an advisor for the 2001 World Gathering. She has been a featured speaker for numerous organizations, including the National Funeral Directors Association, The Association for Death Education and Counseling, The National Catholic Ministry to the Bereaved, churches, support groups and state funeral associations across the United States.
Sherry is a guest lecturer at Bellarmine College School of Psychology, Kent School of Social Work and Expressive Therapies Department at the University of Louisville.
In the aftermath of the events of September 11, 2001, Sherry was invited by the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) to address the grief issues of the widows, parents, and children of fallen fire firefighters. In addition, she debriefed and provided insight into appropriate coping skills and techniques for firefighters at each City fire department location as well as Headquarter personnel.
