A Happy Whole Human® + The Impermanent Human Collaboration
Happy Whole Human® mandala
Happy Whole Human® ICF Level 2 & Level 3 Provider
+
The Impermanent Human logo
The Impermanent Human Founded by Rafał Szaniawski, MCC
In partnership to bring ethical, psychologically informed grief coaching into the world.
Happy Whole Human logo Grief Works The Impermanent Human · HWH
HWH Level 2 & Level 3 · ICF Accredited · 12 CCEUs
The Impermanent Human.

Grief Works.

A six-session, in-depth grief coach training for credentialed coaches who want to work with loss ethically, confidently, and with psychological depth, grounded in adaptive grief theory, narrative practice, and contemplative wisdom.

12 ICF CCE Units 6 live sessions · 2 hrs each Applies to PCC · MCC · CCE renewal Level 2 & Level 3 elective
Enroll in Grief Works Download the syllabus
Rafał Szaniawski, MCC, ICF Master Certified Coach and EMCC Senior Practitioner & Accredited Supervisor.
Rafał Szaniawski, MCC EMCC Senior Practitioner & Accredited Supervisor · ESIA · Founder, The Impermanent Human
About the Programme

Grief is a profoundly human process. It deserves coaching that meets its depth.

"This programme recognises grief as a profoundly human, adaptive process that reshapes identity, meaning, and capacity."

The Impermanent Human: Grief Works is an ICF accredited, six-session training designed for coaches who want to work with grief ethically, confidently, and with psychological depth. Across six immersive live sessions, you'll build the frameworks, presence, and ethical discernment needed to hold coaching conversations where loss is present, without stepping outside the scope of coaching.

The programme integrates contemporary grief theory, narrative practice, meaning reconstruction, contemplative wisdom, and applied nervous system literacy. You'll leave with an integrated grief-informed coaching framework, clearer referral pathways, and a way of holding grief in your practice that is grounded, spacious, and human.

The Six Sessions

Six immersive sessions. Twelve hours of live, interactive learning.

Each session runs 2 hours live with facilitated teaching, demonstration coaching, triad practice, and reflective dialogue.

2 hrs
Session One

The Impermanent Human: Foundations of Grief & Ethics

  • Welcome, best hopes, and orientation
  • Types of grief and adaptive grief models
  • Coaching vs therapy in grief work
  • Scope of practice & referral thresholds
2 hrs
Session Two

The Narrative Human: Grief as Identity Rupture

  • Story reconstruction after loss
  • The Hello Again principle
  • Honouring the loss & holding legacy
  • Ethics in narrative grief work
2 hrs
Session Three

The Meaning-Making Human: Reconstruction After Loss

  • Continuing bonds & integration
  • Meaning reconstruction after loss
  • Avoiding premature reframing
  • Values-based integration & ethics
2 hrs
Session Four

The Impermanent Self: A Buddhist-Informed View of Grief

  • Impermanence as psychological reality
  • Non-attachment & compassion
  • Sitting with grief
  • Contemplative presence without spiritual bypassing
2 hrs
Session Five

The Embodied Human: Nervous System & Emotional Waves

  • Window of tolerance & emotional waves
  • Titration & pendulation within coaching scope
  • Trauma-informed grief coaching
  • Ethics of embodied work
2 hrs
Session Six

The Integrating Human: Designing Ethical Grief Coaching

  • Session design for grief coaches
  • Intake, assessment, long-term support
  • Coach supervision & well-being
  • Positioning an ethical grief coaching offer
What You'll Be Able to Do

Learning objectives

By the end of the 12-hour programme, participants will be able to:

01

Differentiate between coaching-appropriate grief and grief requiring therapeutic referral.

02

Apply adaptive grief frameworks to inform coaching conversations.

03

Establish and maintain clear agreements when grief emerges in coaching engagements.

04

Demonstrate presence and active listening during emotionally heightened sessions.

05

Facilitate narrative reconstruction and identity integration after loss.

06

Support client meaning-making without imposing interpretation.

07

Apply basic nervous system literacy, including titration and pendulation, within coaching scope.

08

Articulate ethical boundaries and referral pathways consistent with the ICF Code of Ethics.

Portrait of Rafał Szaniawski, MCC.
Meet Your Mentor

Rafał Szaniawski, MCC

Master Certified Coach · EMCC Senior Practitioner & Accredited Supervisor · ESIA · ACTC

Rafał is a Master Certified Coach accredited by the International Coaching Federation and a Senior Practitioner and Accredited Supervisor with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council. He has taught, mentored, and supervised coaches internationally, supporting their development with both rigor and reflective depth.

Rafał is co-author of Solution Focused Team Coaching and brings extensive experience integrating evidence-based approaches into professional practice. His work in grief is informed by advanced specialist training, including Shapes of Grief for therapists, Working with Loss and Bereavement for Therapists and Counsellors, and training in Palliative Care through Stanford University.

He is the founder of The Impermanent Human, a practice focused on change, loss, and professional development. His work is grounded, spacious, and devoted to honoring the complexity of being human.

ICF MCC EMCC Senior Practitioner EMCC Accredited Supervisor ESIA ACTC MCS · ACC / PCC / MCC
"His work is grounded, spacious, and devoted to honoring the complexity of being human."
Accreditation & ICF Credit

Twelve hours toward your ICF credential, or your renewal.

An elective within the Happy Whole Human® Level 2 and Level 3 ICF accredited curriculum.

12

ICF CCE Units

10.0 Core Competency + 2.0 Resource Development. Full 12-hour synchronous programme accredited by the International Coaching Federation.

PCC · MCC

Credential-Path Ready

Counts toward your ICF credentialing hours for PCC or MCC, or apply the CCEUs toward your credential renewal.

L2 · L3

Part of the HWH Curriculum

An elective within the Happy Whole Human® Level 2 and Level 3 ICF accredited coach training curriculum.

ICF Level 2 Accredited Coaching Education ICF Level 3 Accredited Coaching Education

Delivered inside the Happy Whole Human® ICF Level 2 & Level 3 accredited curriculum.

Is This For You?

Who this programme is designed for

This is for you if you're a…

  • ICF credentialed coach (ACC, PCC, or MCC) whose clients bring loss into the coaching space
  • Coach working toward an ICF credential and looking for ethical grounding in emotionally complex work
  • Experienced professional coach wanting to deepen competence with grief
  • Coach supervisor or mentor coach expanding scope into grief-informed practice
  • Practitioner drawn to narrative, meaning-making, and contemplative approaches

This may not be the right fit if…

  • You're an entry-level coaching student without foundational training
  • You're seeking psychotherapy or clinical bereavement training
  • You want a lecture-only course. Sessions include triad coaching practice and reflection
  • You're looking for a quick certification without live participation
Downloadable Syllabus

See the full curriculum before you enroll.

Send yourself the full Impermanent Human: Grief Works syllabus, with the six sessions, learning objectives, delivery methods, and ICF CCE category breakdown.

  • Session-by-session content & methods
  • All eight learning objectives
  • CCE category allocation (Core & Resource Development)
  • Completion & attendance requirements

We'll email you the syllabus and occasional updates from Happy Whole Human®. Unsubscribe any time.

✨ Your syllabus is on its way.

Check your inbox, and your download should begin automatically.

Enrollment

Enroll in Grief Works

Six live sessions · 12 ICF CCE units · Certificate of completion

  • Six live, interactive 2-hour sessions with Rafał Szaniawski, MCC
  • 12 ICF CCE units (10.0 Core Competency + 2.0 Resource Development)
  • Triad coaching practice with feedback
  • Case reflection discussions & ethical case consultation
  • Integrated grief-informed coaching framework you can bring straight into practice
  • Certificate of completion (85% live attendance required)
  • Part of the Happy Whole Human® Level 2 & Level 3 curriculum
Enroll & Pay Securely

Secure checkout via Stripe. Applicable taxes may be added based on the purchaser's location. Attendance of at least 85% of live contact hours is required for CCE credit.

Frequently Asked

Common questions

Can I use these hours toward my ICF PCC or MCC credential?

Yes. The Impermanent Human: Grief Works is accredited by the International Coaching Federation and offers 12 CCE units (10.0 Core Competency + 2.0 Resource Development). Because it sits inside the Happy Whole Human® Level 2 & Level 3 curriculum, credentialed coaches can also apply the hours toward CCE renewal.

Is this training coaching, therapy, or something in between?

This is a coach training. The programme is explicit about scope: you'll learn to recognise coaching-appropriate grief, to hold agreements when loss surfaces, and to make clean referrals when the work belongs elsewhere. You will not be trained as a bereavement therapist or clinician.

How is the training delivered?

Six live 2-hour sessions on Zoom. Each session includes teaching, demonstration coaching, triad coaching practice with feedback, and facilitated case reflection. There is no self-paced component to complete. the learning happens in the room.

What are the completion requirements?

To receive a certificate of completion and CCE credit, participants must attend at least 85% of live contact hours (10 hours), participate in interactive exercises and triad coaching practice, engage in case reflection discussions, and demonstrate applied understanding during practice components.

If you miss a portion of the programme, CCE credit is still available if you watch the recording of the missed session and provide a written reflection on the learning.

Who is this training designed for?

ICF credentialed coaches (ACC, PCC, MCC), coaches working toward ICF credentials, and experienced professional coaches seeking to deepen competence in working with grief. Coach supervisors and mentor coaches expanding their scope in emotionally complex work are also welcome. Participants are expected to have completed foundational coach training and be familiar with the ICF Core Competencies.

Who is Rafał Szaniawski?

Rafał is a Master Certified Coach (MCC) accredited by the ICF and a Senior Practitioner and Accredited Supervisor with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council. He is the founder of The Impermanent Human, co-author of Solution Focused Team Coaching, and holds specialist grief training including Shapes of Grief and Working with Loss and Bereavement for Therapists and Counsellors, plus training in Palliative Care through Stanford University.

Does Happy Whole Human® represent the ICF?

Happy Whole Human® is an ICF-accredited Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, and AATC training provider. HWH does not represent the International Coaching Federation or perform official ICF credential evaluations. ICF credential requirements and evaluation processes are determined exclusively by the International Coaching Federation.