Thanatology Certificate
Well, I am going to start my Thanatology Certificate program next month, and I’m pretty excited about it. I will have to give an update on the courses if anyone is interested in possibly going that route themselves. Below mentions the MS in Thanatology program, but as I mentioned, I will be doing the certificate program through this university.
An Academic Discipline That Examines Death and Its Impact
Thanatology is a scientific discipline that examines death from many perspectives, including physical, ethical, spiritual, medical, sociological, and psychological. It emerged out of the “death awareness movement” that started in the 1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. Before this time, death education happened within families and communities, because most people died at home. Since World War II, dying and death have been more remote.
In the 21st Century only 20% of Americans die at home, while 60% die in hospitals and 20% die in nursing homes. Families have limited opportunities to care for the dying, or to be present at the death of someone they love. It has become challenging to pass on family and community values and customs related to mourning the dead.
The goal of the founders of the death awareness movement was to improve death education in families and communities. In doing so, they recognized it was important to establish death education – or thanatology – as an academic discipline.
Students of thanatology get a broad-based education on the topic of death, grief, and loss. Marian University’s MS in Thanatology program includes coursework such as:
Foundations of Thanatology
Bereavement Theory and Practice
Cultural Perspectives in Thanatology
Applied Ethics and the End of Life
Death in the Lives of Children and Teens
Complicated Grief
Traumatology
Understanding Suicide
Those who work in thanatology hold jobs in a wide variety of organizations. They include hospitals, hospices, funeral homes, faith communities, and non-profit organizations. Some focus on working with specific groups, including children, parents, military personnel, and veterans.
Is a Thanatologist a Grief Counselor?
It’s important not to think of “thanatologist” as synonymous with “clinical grief counselor.” Some clinicians specialize in grief therapy but becoming a grief counselor or therapist requires a degree that prepares a graduate for clinical licensure. Grief counselors and therapists need to know the techniques of clinical psychology, but they also need a good education in thanatology.
Grief counseling or therapy is not the primary job destination for thanatologists. Only 3% to 7% of grieving individuals require some sort of clinical care because their grief has triggered a more serious response – usually related to a pre-existing mental health issue.
The Benefits of Thanatology
Death remains a taboo topic for many people. While it happens to everyone, most people simply do not want to think about it more than necessary. But those who study thanatology face the issue of death head-on, studying the impact of death on individuals, families, and communities.
Those who work directly in thanatology may spend time with those who are facing death due to a life-limiting or terminal disease. They may also work with family members of those who are dying, helping them process the loss. Still others engage primarily in bereavement support services.
Taking courses in thanatology can benefit other medical professionals, helping them do their job better. They include medical examiners, coroners, doctors, and nurses. Social scientists also benefit from thanatology courses to learn about rituals and customs used to honor those who have died.
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