Weekly classes & challenges
Classes are live each week. Each one comes with a challenge to apply the learning, and a reflection to post in the online classroom.
Since2016
Grief exists in transitions. Help others name it.
Starts annually, in August
Grief
Specialization for coaches · 8 weeks · Live virtual
ICF Continuing Coach EducationA Certificate Program
Welcome
Grief asks for a witness.
Every coach will sit across from it, ready or not.
A Certificate in Grief is an 8-week, live virtual specialization for coaches who want to be skilled at supporting others through emotional breakthroughs. Backed by grounded theory, you'll understand the dimensions of grief, the line between coaching and therapy, and the different faces of grief. By the end of 8 weeks, you'll know exactly where your role begins and when to refer to a therapist.
You'll expand your practice with the confidence to invite and explore emotion from a new lens. You'll be exposed to cultural biases surrounding grief, explore resilience and post-traumatic growth, and stretch your capacity to hold space for strong emotions, in your own life and in service of your clients.
Earn 10 Continuing Coach Education (CCE) credits while you build the skill of staying present when it matters most.
Comfort and ease begin with you.
10
CCE credits (ICF)
8
Weeks, live virtual
- How to work with emotions as a coach, and know when to refer to therapy.
- How to identify and increase awareness of the dimensions and types of grief.
- How to choose language that helps, and notice language that harms.
- How to explore layers of emotion and evoke awareness.
- How to support resilience and post-traumatic growth.
You'll practice each week, with reflections, weekly challenges, and a Capstone Project that asks you to do the work and tie it all to your coaching practice.
A closer look
Coaching Grief, in one minute
The details
Program at a glance
| Course | Grief |
|---|---|
| Format | Live, virtual, weekly, on Zoom |
| Length | 8 weeks, 1 class per week |
| Attendance | Attend live, or watch the recording for missed classes |
| Classroom access | Course duration plus 3 months* |
| Weekly class | Weekly live class |
| Coursework | Reading, class lessons, videos, reflections + Capstone Project |
| CCE credits | 10 Continuing Coach Education (CCE) credits |
| Prerequisite | 30 coach education hours, or enrolled in a CA ICF certification (conditions and exceptions may apply) |
| Designation earned | A Certificate and Specialization in Coaching Grief |
| Start dates | Annually, in August |
| Tuition | $950 plus applicable taxes |
| CA returning student price | $750 plus applicable taxes |
* Classroom access ends 3 months after the last day of the course, with no extensions beyond that date. Every class is recorded: attend live, or watch the recording for missed classes. Tuition is valid for 2026 and subject to change.
Successful completion
- Attend live, or watch the recording for missed classes
- Post in the classroom each week
- Complete all assignments and weekly challenges
- Complete the Capstone Project
What you achieve
- 10 CCE credits, applicable to your ICF credential renewal
- Proven frameworks to coach emotion
- Confidence to hold space when a client brings loss into the room
- A Certificate and Specialization in Coaching Grief
The curriculum
What you'll learn
In 8 weeks, you'll build the awareness and connection skills to support people through grief. You'll learn how to:
- Hold space for grief, on a personal level and in support of others
- Understand the stages of grieving, through grounded theory
- Work with the dimensions of grief
- Recognize the difference between coaching and therapy
- Know when to refer a client to a therapist
- Identify different types of grief
- Support resilience and post-traumatic growth
- Challenge cultural biases and existing paradigms of grief
- Grow your comfort with discomfort, holding strong emotions
- Raise your awareness through weekly practice and reflection
Comfort with discomfort is a skill.
How you learn
Readings, videos & audio
Follow along with a stimulating selection of readings, videos and audio materials, chosen to reveal surprising aspects of grief.
Shared wisdom
Learn through peer discussion with coaches at every stage of their practice. The conversation is where the material comes alive.
Capstone Project
A creative, practical opportunity to tie your learning and self-reflection together.
You'll leave with emotion-skills. Your clients will feel it first.
The program flow
From orientation to a lifetime of learning
8 weeks, one class at a time. The full week-by-week outline is in the course overview.
Step 1 · Get Ready
Orientation
CA team members will set you up for success.
Step 2 · Settle in
Classroom access
Student orientation begins! Prep for your first class.
Step 3 · Weeks 1 to 2
Giving grief meaning
What grief means across lives and cultures, and grounded theory on the dimensions of grieving.
Step 4 · Weeks 3 to 5
The skill of witnessing
Language that helps, the ways people grieve, and the line between coaching and therapy.
Step 5 · Weeks 6 to 8
Growth and Capstone Project
Post-traumatic growth, resilient grieving, and your Capstone Project.
Step 6 · Week 8
Your certificate
Your course ends with a certificate, and 10 CCEs for your ICF renewal.
Step 7 · A lifetime of learning
Keep growing
More specializations, community, and membership carry you forward.
Beyond the classroom
Join your peers in the community
Learning continues between and beyond classes with 10+ live events every month in the Coach Academy community.
- Clubs and keynotes
- Unlimited coaching exchange
- Live coach demos
- Case study clinics
- Coaching skills labs
- Q&A with Coach Academy Founder
- Upgrade to Mastermind for mini-courses, leadership circles, business strategies and advanced skills
Membership is open to all students. Ask an Admissions Coach about member rates.
Keep learning
Why Coach Academy
We are different
Grounded in research
Every specialization is built on empirical research and evidence-informed practice, backed by 50,000+ hours of curriculum design since 2016. When the science of coaching moves, our curriculum moves with it.
The pulse of the profession
We study where coaching is heading: new ICF competencies, emerging frameworks, and the skills teams and organizations ask for. You learn what the coaching trends predict.
Learning beyond certification
Our mission is to multiply the impact of coaching in every conversation, and that doesn't stop with certification. Specializations, CCEs, and a community of practice keep you growing.
Here to serve
Small experiential classes, immediate feedback, and the care you would expect from a world-class institute. We are here to serve the coaches who serve everyone else.
The founder
Nathalie Blais, MCC
Founder & CEO, Coach Academy
Nathalie Blais is the Founder and CEO of Coach Academy and an ICF Master Certified Coach whose work focuses on how people think, connect, and lead. Her central idea is both simple and disruptive: connection is a skill.
Blais holds a Master's degree in Psychology from Harvard and has logged more than 50,000 hours in facilitation, learning design, research, and education development. She is the architect of multiple ICF-accredited coach education programs, a TEDx speaker, and has trained thousands of leaders and coaches worldwide.
Watch her TEDx talk: Connection matters more than curriculumQuestions
What people ask before they call
What are CCE credits, and why do they matter?
Continuing Coach Education credits are how the ICF keeps credentials current: credential holders renew every 3 years with 40 CCE units. This course earns you 10 CCEs in one 8-week specialization, applicable to your renewal.
Is this a certification?
This is a specialization for coaches. You'll graduate with a Certificate and Specialization in Coaching Grief and 10 CCE credits that build on the credential you already hold. For ICF credentials, see our certification programs.
What is the prerequisite?
30 coach education hours, or current enrollment in a Coach Academy ICF certification (conditions and exceptions may apply). An Admissions Coach will confirm your eligibility.
Will this teach me to be a grief therapist?
This is coach training. You'll study the line between coaching and therapy through grounded theory, so you know exactly where your role begins, and when to refer a client to a therapist.
How does attendance work?
Attend live, or watch the recording for missed classes. You'll also post in the classroom each week and complete the assignments, weekly challenges, and Capstone Project.
What is the Capstone Project?
A creative, practical opportunity to tie your learning and self-reflection together. This is where the curriculum is brought to life.
Can I do this while working full-time?
Yes. One live class per week, a weekly challenge to apply what you're learning, and a reflection to post in the online classroom, all designed for working coaches.
When does the course start?
Once a year, in August. Cohorts stay intimate for connection and collaboration.
Do I have to be a Coach Academy graduate to join?
No! Coaches trained elsewhere are welcome. If you meet the prerequisites, we would love your perspective in the classroom. Many students join us from other schools.
How long do I keep classroom access?
Course duration plus 3 months, with no extensions beyond that date. Every class is recorded, so you can revisit lessons during that window. You have 3 months after the program ends to complete all assignments.
Start with a conversation
What happens when I fill out this form?
Fill out the form to set up a call with an Admissions Coach, or view program overviews and get more information. Either way, no pressure. All of our Admissions Coaches are graduates of our programs. They will be able to answer all your questions from first-hand experience as alumni of Coach Academy.
Starts annually in August · All classes live and online
| Program | Grief |
|---|---|
| Next program starts | August 24, 2026 |
| Class time | Mondays at 6:30 PM ET |
| Format | Live, virtual |
The first life to change is yours.