Grief First Aid
Lifting the Lid on Conversations About Grief
Become an Accredited Grief First Aider
Grief First Aid for Workplaces and Organisations
Supporting Your People Through Life’s Difficult Moments
Bring Grief First Aid Into Your Organisation
Join a Public Grief First Aid Course
Let’s Change the Conversation Around Grief
Meet Your Instructor – Sharon Tunley
Licensed Grief First Aid Instructor | Accredited Grief First Aider | Founder of Recruited by Universe
Hi, I’m Sharon.
My passion for supporting people through grief comes from
a combination of lived experience, professional experience and the work I now do within my community.
Having experienced the sudden loss of my husband, Arthur, I know firsthand how grief can turn your world upside down. I also understand how much difference it makes when someone simply takes the time to listen, acknowledge what you’re going through and be there without judgement or feeling they need to fix anything.
After spending almost three decades working in the corporate world, including global leadership, training and employee enablement roles, I’ve seen how workplaces can influence someone’s experience during difficult times. Sometimes people genuinely want to help, but they simply don’t know how.
Today, alongside my work as an End-of-Life Doula and Palliative Care Volunteer at Nepean Hospital, I’m continuing to follow my passion for helping people feel heard, understood and supported through some of life’s most challenging moments.
Becoming a Licensed Grief First Aid Instructor felt like a natural extension of that journey.
For me, Grief First Aid isn’t about teaching people to have all the answers. It’s about helping everyday people feel more comfortable having conversations that can sometimes feel uncomfortable. It’s about building confidence, understanding and compassion, whether that’s in our workplaces, families or communities.
My approach to facilitating training is down-to-earth, welcoming and interactive. I believe we learn best when we feel comfortable asking questions, sharing perspectives and having real conversations, with a little humour along the way where appropriate.
My hope is that everyone who attends a course walks away not only with new knowledge and practical skills, but with the confidence to make a meaningful difference in someone else’s life.
Because sometimes the most powerful thing we can offer someone who is grieving isn’t advice or answers.
It’s simply being there.
I’d love to welcome you to one of my public courses or have a conversation about bringing Grief First Aid training into your workplace or community.
Sharon💜
Founder, Recruited by Universe
Lifting the Lid on Conversations About Grief
Grief is part of life. Knowing how to support someone through it can make all the difference.
At some point in our lives, most of us will experience grief or find ourselves supporting someone who is grieving.
Research shows that people experiencing grief often turn to those closest to them for support — family, friends, colleagues and their wider community.
Yet, despite our best intentions, many of us simply don’t know what to say or do.
We worry about saying the wrong thing, making someone more upset, or not knowing how to respond. Sometimes, because we feel uncomfortable or uncertain, we say nothing at all.
But silence can leave someone feeling even more alone.
What if we could change that?
What if more people felt confident having conversations about grief? What if workplaces and communities were better equipped to recognise when someone was struggling and knew how to offer meaningful support?
That’s where Grief First Aid comes in.
Grief Doesn’t Stay at Home
Grief doesn’t have an on-and-off switch. We can’t simply leave it at the front door when we head off to work or go about our daily lives.
And grief isn’t always about the death of someone we love. It can arise from many different types of loss, including relationships, health, identity, employment and significant life changes.
Grief can affect us emotionally, physically and mentally. It may influence our concentration, confidence, energy, decision-making and ability to connect with others.
In the workplace, these impacts can extend to team relationships, engagement, performance, safety and overall wellbeing.
Yet grief and loss are often overlooked in workplace wellbeing conversations.
For organisations, recognising and responding appropriately to grief is an important part of creating a compassionate, supportive and psychologically safe workplace.
We can’t take away someone’s grief, but we can change how they are supported through it.
What Is Grief First Aid?
Grief First Aid is an Australian, evidence-informed training program designed to give everyday people the knowledge, practical skills and confidence to support adults experiencing grief and loss.
It is a peer-to-peer, non-clinical approach that helps people recognise grief, respond with empathy and offer appropriate support without feeling they need to have all the answers.
Just as we learn First Aid to assist someone experiencing a physical injury, Grief First Aid helps us feel better prepared to support someone navigating grief.
It’s not about fixing someone’s grief, finding the perfect words or trying to make their pain disappear.
It’s about learning how to listen, acknowledge their experience, respond with compassion and help them feel heard, respected and supported.
Sometimes, simply knowing how to be there for someone can make a meaningful difference.
Become an Accredited Grief First Aider
The Grief First Aid Accredited Course is designed for anyone who wants to feel more confident and capable when supporting someone experiencing grief.
You don’t need to be a counsellor, healthcare professional or have previous experience supporting someone through loss.
You simply need a willingness to learn and a desire to make a difference.
What Will You Learn?
Throughout the course, you’ll develop a greater understanding of grief and gain practical skills to:
- Recognise and understand grief — including the different ways grief can present and why everyone’s experience is unique.
- Communicate with compassion — feel more confident starting conversations, listening without judgement and responding with empathy.
- Provide meaningful support — understand what helps, what may unintentionally cause harm, and how to offer appropriate peer-to-peer support.
- Respect individual differences — recognise how cultural backgrounds, personal beliefs and individual circumstances can influence grief.
- Understand your role and boundaries — recognise when additional or professional support may be appropriate.
- Look after your own wellbeing — understand the importance of self-care when supporting others.
By completing the accredited training requirements, you’ll become an Accredited Grief First Aider, equipped to make a positive difference in your workplace, family and community.
Who Is This Course For?
Grief First Aid is valuable for anyone who interacts with or supports others, including:
- Individuals wanting to better support family, friends or colleagues.
- Managers, team leaders and HR professionals.
- Workplace wellbeing and people and culture teams.
- Community groups and volunteers.
- Healthcare, aged care and support workers.
- Educators and community service professionals.
- Organisations wanting to build a more compassionate and grief-aware culture.
You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need to know how to respond.
Grief First Aid for Workplaces and Organisations
Supporting Your People Through Life’s Difficult Moments
Every workplace has people who are experiencing grief, whether we recognise it or not.
It may be the loss of a loved one, a relationship breakdown, a serious health diagnosis or another significant life change.
While organisations may have policies and procedures in place, the human side of grief can sometimes be overlooked.
Managers and colleagues often want to do the right thing but may feel unsure how to approach a conversation, what support to offer or when to seek additional assistance.
Grief First Aid training helps bridge that gap.
By equipping employees and leaders with practical grief-support skills, organisations can take meaningful steps towards:
- Building a more compassionate and grief-aware workplace culture.
- Increasing confidence in having sensitive conversations.
- Reducing stigma and silence around grief and loss.
- Strengthening peer-to-peer support across teams.
- Supporting employee wellbeing and psychological safety.
- Helping managers and colleagues recognise when someone may need additional support.
Grief First Aid can also complement existing workplace wellbeing initiatives and broader approaches to managing psychosocial risks.
Supporting grieving employees isn’t just about having the right policies. It’s also about having people who know how to respond when it matters most.
Bring Grief First Aid Into Your Organisation
As a Licensed Grief First Aid Instructor, I offer opportunities for organisations, businesses and community groups to arrange dedicated in-house Grief First Aid training.
Whether you’re looking to upskill your leadership team, strengthen employee wellbeing initiatives or create a more supportive community environment, I’d welcome the opportunity to have a conversation about how this training could benefit your people.
Let’s start a conversation about bringing Grief First Aid into your workplace or community.
Enquire about booking an Inhouse Grief First Aid Accredited Course
Join a Public Grief First Aid Course
You don’t need to be part of an organisation to become an Accredited Grief First Aider.
Public courses provide an opportunity for individuals from different backgrounds to come together, learn practical skills, share perspectives and build confidence in supporting people experiencing grief.
Whether your interest is personal, professional or community-focused, the skills you gain can make a difference in the lives of those around you.
One conversation, one compassionate response, one person feeling less alone. That’s where change begins.
Book Your Consultation to learn more about Public Grief First Aid Accredited Courses
Let’s Change the Conversation Around Grief
Grief is a natural part of being human, but feeling unsupported through it doesn’t have to be.
We may not be able to change what someone is going through, but we can change how we show up for them.
Through education, understanding and compassionate conversations, we can help create workplaces and communities where grief is acknowledged rather than avoided, and people feel supported rather than isolated.
Because no one should feel they have to navigate grief alone.
