National Grief Awareness Day & Supervising Grief Competency in Texas

August 30, 2025, marks National Grief Awareness Day – a timely reminder of the profound impact grief has on our clients. As LPC-Supervisors in Texas, it’s imperative that we ensure our LPC-Associates are not just familiar with grief, but truly competent in treating it in counseling. Grief is a universal human experience, yet its manifestations are deeply personal and complex. Our associates will undoubtedly encounter it, and their readiness can make all the difference in a client’s healing journey.

Why Grief Competency is Critical for Texas LPC-Associates

In Texas, like everywhere, clients present with grief stemming from myriad losses: death of a loved one, job loss, divorce, health decline, significant life transitions, and even the "political distress" we discussed previously. These losses can profoundly impact a client's mental health, often intertwining with depression, anxiety, trauma, and identity crises.

For an LPC-Associate, navigating the raw emotion and unique trajectory of grief can be daunting. Their own experiences with loss, or lack thereof, can influence their comfort and effectiveness. Our role is to identify gaps in their understanding and skill set, and then provide the targeted supervision necessary to build their confidence and competence.

Assessing Your LPC-Associate's Grief Competency

How do we, as supervisors, gauge if our LPC-Associates are truly ready to walk alongside grieving clients? It goes beyond simply having read a textbook. Here are key areas to explore:

1. Theoretical Understanding & Models of Grief

• Questions to Ask: "Can you describe a few prominent grief theories or models (e.g., Kubler-Ross, Worden, Dual Process Model, Stroebe & Schut) and how they might inform your work?" "How do cultural factors influence grief expression and rituals?"

• What to Look For: Do they understand that grief is not linear? Can they articulate the difference between normal grief, complicated grief, and depression? Are they aware of the unique challenges of disenfranchised grief?

2. Clinical Skills & Interventions

• Questions to Ask: "A client has lost their spouse six months ago and feels 'stuck.' What might be your initial approach?" "How do you balance validating emotion with encouraging adaptation?" "When would you consider a referral for complicated grief?"

• What to Look For: Do they demonstrate empathy without pity? Can they facilitate emotional expression while maintaining boundaries? Are they familiar with interventions like narrative work, memory work, or meaning-making? Do they recognize the importance of ritual and continuing bonds?

3. Self-Awareness & Countertransference

• Questions to Ask: "How do your own experiences with loss impact your work with grieving clients?" "What emotions are evoked in you when a client shares their grief story?"

• What to Look For: Can they identify potential countertransference reactions? Are they able to maintain therapeutic objectivity while still being present and compassionate? Do they recognize the signs of compassion fatigue in themselves when working with grief?

4. Ethical & Legal Considerations

• Questions to Ask: "How do you ensure you're practicing within your scope of competency when working with complex grief presentations?" "What are your reporting obligations if a client expresses suicidal ideation during a grief session?"

• What to Look For: Do they understand the rules regarding competence and maintaining professional boundaries? Do they know when to seek further consultation or refer out, especially for clients experiencing prolonged or complicated grief?

Addressing Gaps: Supervising for Grief Competency

Once you've identified areas for growth, here's how to structure your supervision to enhance grief competency:

1. Targeted Didactic Training & Resources

• Action: Recommend specific books, articles, or online courses focused on various grief theories and clinical approaches (e.g., anything by Dr. Alan Wolfelt, Dr. Kenneth Doka).

• Texas Relevance: Point them to grief support organizations in Texas (e.g., Hospice organizations, local grief centers) as potential resources for both clients and professional development.

2. Case Consultation & Role-Playing

• Action: Dedicate significant supervision time to discussing grief cases. Encourage the associate to bring process notes, verbatim accounts, or even recorded (with consent) sessions for review. Role-playing difficult conversations or interventions can be invaluable.

• Example: Role-play how to respond when a client says, "I just want to join them."

3. Encourage Personal Reflection & Self-Care

• Action: Openly discuss how working with grief impacts the associate. Emphasize the importance of their own self-care practices to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue.

• Supervisory Role: Model this by discussing your own experiences with the emotional toll of the work (appropriately). This aligns with the Texas BHEC's emphasis on professional responsibility.

4. Experiential Learning

• Action: If appropriate and safe, encourage the associate to attend a local grief support group (as an observer or participant, depending on their own history and the group's rules) to gain a deeper understanding of the client experience.

• Mentorship: Connect them with another seasoned LPC who specializes in grief for an informal mentorship, if the associate is open to it.

Final Thoughts for Texas LPC-Supervisors

Grief work is some of the most profound and meaningful work we do as counselors. By diligently assessing and actively nurturing our LPC-Associates' competency in this area, we are not only fulfilling our supervisory responsibilities under the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, but we are also ensuring that the grieving hearts of Texans receive the compassionate, skilled care they deserve. Let's make every day Grief Awareness Day in our supervision.

...supervision matters!