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Global Grief Network Education Center
Global Grief Network · Community Education

Trauma-Informed Grief Support

Safer, steadier support for grieving people in families, faith communities, workplaces, and volunteer teams

A Global Grief Network program

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A Welcome from the Global Grief Network

Some losses arrive with extra weight. A sudden death, a violent death, a death after a long and frightening illness, or a loss that echoes old harm in a person's life can leave grieving people not only sad, but shaken: jumpy, on guard, flooded by images, or unable to trust that the world is safe.

The people who show up for them are usually not professionals. They are sisters and sons, neighbors and coworkers, pastors and imams, choir members and hospice volunteers. What they say and do in the days and months after a loss can make grieving people feel safer, or, without meaning to, make things harder.

The Global Grief Network (GGN) was founded by Tony Lynch so that no one has to grieve alone. Through the GGN app, the Memory Wall, our streaming and broadcasting channels, Grief Talk Magazine, the Grief First Aid course, the GGN Practitioner Directory, and the GGN Educator Directory, we connect grieving people with community, information, and care.

Trauma-Informed Grief Support is a GGN education program for anyone who supports grieving people in everyday life. It teaches practical habits for making support safer, steadier, and more respectful, in families, faith communities, workplaces, and volunteer teams.

An important note before you begin. Being trauma-informed does not mean diagnosing or treating trauma. That is the work of licensed professionals. This program teaches you how to support people in ways that are less likely to cause harm and more likely to help them feel safe, and how to connect them to professional help when it is needed. If someone is in crisis in the United States, call or text 988. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

Modules

  1. 1What Trauma-Informed Means for Everyday Supporters
  2. 2Predict: Safety and Predictability
  3. 3Ask and Pace: Choice, Voice, and Trust
  4. 4Respect: Culture, Faith, Identity, and History
  5. 5Connect: Responding to Reactions After Frightening Losses
  6. 6Steady Ground Communities and Caring for Helpers

About this program

Program Overview

Program name

Trauma-Informed Grief Support. A GGN community education program with a Certificate of Completion.

What this program is

A self-paced course of about 8 hours that helps participants:

  • Understand, in plain language, what trauma is and what a trauma-informed approach means for everyday supporters.
  • Use the five GGN Steady Ground Habits: Predict, Ask, Pace, Respect, and Connect.
  • Make gatherings, conversations, workplaces, and faith settings safer and more predictable for grieving people.
  • Recognize common reactions after frightening or sudden losses and respond with steadiness, without labeling.
  • Know when and how to encourage professional help, and when to use 988 or 911.
  • Look after themselves and their teams as helpers.

What this program is not

  • It is not clinical training. It does not teach anyone to assess, diagnose, or treat trauma or any mental health condition.
  • It is not mental health treatment or counseling, and it does not prepare people to offer either.
  • It is not a license or professional credential.
  • It is not the professional, practitioner-level GGN Certified Somatic Grief Support Practitioner program. It is written for families, communities, workplaces, and volunteers.
Learning Outcomes

By the end of this program, participants will be able to:

  1. Explain, in plain language, what trauma is and how a trauma-informed approach differs from trauma treatment.
  2. Describe trauma in plain language using the GGN Three Questions, and explain the GGN Steady Ground Promise.
  3. Apply the five GGN Steady Ground Habits in family, faith, workplace, and volunteer settings.
  4. Prepare grieving people for events and conversations in ways that increase predictability and choice.
  5. Offer support that respects culture, faith, identity, and history.
  6. Recognize common reactions after frightening or sudden losses and respond without probing or labeling.
  7. Encourage professional help when reactions persist or interfere with life, and use 988 and 911 when safety is at risk.
  8. Build simple trauma-informed agreements for a team, congregation, or workplace, and care for helpers.
Who This Program Is For
  • Family members and friends of grieving people.
  • Faith leaders, chaplains, ministry teams, and congregation members.
  • Managers, human resources staff, and coworkers.
  • Hospice, funeral home, school, and community volunteers.
  • Support group hosts and GGN community members.

No prerequisites are required.

Format and Time
ModuleTitleTime
1What Trauma-Informed Means for Everyday Supporters1.25 hours
2Predict: Safety and Predictability1.25 hours
3Ask and Pace: Choice, Voice, and Trust1.25 hours
4Respect: Culture, Faith, Identity, and History1.25 hours
5Connect: Responding to Reactions After Frightening Losses1.25 hours
6Steady Ground Communities and Caring for Helpers1.25 hours
Final assessment0.5 hours
TotalAbout 8 hours
How to Use This Handbook

Each module includes objectives, a lesson, a GGN practice, a fictional story, reflection prompts, and a quiz. Answers with explanations appear in the appendix. The online course site includes interactive quizzes and a progress tracker saved on your device.

Care while learning. Stories in this program include sudden and violent deaths. You can skip any story or step away at any time. If you feel unsafe or are thinking about harming yourself, in the United States call or text 988. In an emergency, call 911.