This is a comprehensive course that provides you with the necessary knowledge required to be a successful Funeral Celebrant. The course will give you the required skills to enable you to be well trained when working with the bereaved, and to confidently perform a funeral ceremony. The manual is in excess of 100 pages and is full of excellent material and resources to work through this course.

Topics to be covered:

• Liaison with the Funeral Director and their personnel
• Gaining the appropriate information to allow you then contact the family, and the ongoing need to communicate with them.
• Liaising with family and friends.
• Client communication techniques
• Accurate written and verbal instructions.
• Listening skills, grief awareness, empathy, confidentiality and respect.
• Designing a ceremony that reflects the wishes of the family
• Understanding the options pertaining to required elements of ritual and symbolism.
• Writing and selecting appropriate material for presentation
• Writing the service and writing a eulogy
• Writing an authentic ceremony
• Accurate interpretation of verbal and written information and instructions.
• The order and structure of the ceremony.
• Skills on how to help other speakers at the funeral
• Role and overview of others - RSL, Freemasons.
• Appropriate resource selection
• Words, poems, symbols, music, and power point presentations.
• Information about the mortuary and crematorium
• Health regulations regarding burials and cremations.
• Ability to relate to people from a range of social, cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds.
• Time management skills
• Working with Funeral Directors, and other associated professionals within the required protocols.
• Adherence to professional dress standards.
• Ability to display dignity and solemnity.
• Stress management skills and the ability to manage emotions.
• Pre-death ceremony arrangements.

Expiration date

Please Note - All distance courses will expire after 6 months. If the course assessments have not been fully submitted, and marked as competent, your course will be forfeited on this date. Optionally, at the discretion of the CEO, you may be offered a chance to pay a goodwill extension – this will incur a fee of $95, and will extend your course 4 weeks past the expiry date.