About the Bereavement
Care Centre
Directors
Mal McKissock, O.A.M., R.G.N., R.P.N., Grad. Dip.Ad.Ed., F.C.N.(NSW),
F.R.C.N.A., (Hon), C.T (A.D.E.C.)
Dianne McKissock, O.A.M., B.Soc.Sc., A.A.R.C. (Master Clinician),
C.T. (A.D.E.C.)
Bereavement C.A.R.E.
Centre Background History
The Bereavement C.A.R.E. Centre was established at Randwick in
1981 and in Lewisham in 1986 by Mal and Dianne McKissock. The
Centre's goals are to provide comprehensive and accessible counselling
and support services for the terminally ill and their families,
and for those recently bereaved (i.e. approximately the first
two years after the death of someone with whom they have a significant
relationship).
Profiles of the Centre's Directors
Mal McKissock
is one of Australia's best known and respected bereavement
counsellors and educators. A Certified Grief Therapist and
Death Educator with the Association of Death Education and
Counselling (USA), he is a member of the International Work
Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement. He began his career
in the health field in 1965 and in 1975 was appointed as
the first full time bereavement counsellor with the NSW
Department of Health.
A founding member of the National Association
for Loss and Grief, Mal was state chairperson of the Association
from 1980-1982, and the National President from 1982-1985.
He has studied in Israel, Canada, the United States of America,
Greece, Hong Kong and New Zealand to further his knowledge
and skills in the area of death, dying and bereavement and
has been an invited presenter at international conferences
and in overseas community settings. For nearly thirty years
Mal has taught bereavement counselling skills throughout
Australasia and has received wide acclaim for his innovative
therapeutic interventions, particularly with bereaved children.
He has acted as grief and bereavement consultant to a number
of government departments and community organisations, including
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission, and
his book 'Coping with Grief' (currently in its third edition)
has been an invaluable resource for people experiencing
loss. In addition, Mal has co-authored other books on grief
and loss issues, as well as a variety of articles on death,
dying and bereavement published in professional journals.
Dianne McKissock is a sociologist and
well known Sydney psychotherapist who began her counselling
career in 1969 as a relationship counsellor. Since that
time she has maintained a private counselling practice,
worked in a variety of educational, counselling and administrative
roles in Drug & Alcohol Services (Dept. of Health,
NSW) and as a consultant to a variety of Government and
private organisations in planning and implementing educational
and training programs. For the past twenty years Dianne's
special interest in counselling and education has been
in the field of loss and grief, with current emphasis
on the needs of bereaved children. She is a Certified
Grief Therapist and Death Educator through ADEC (Association
for Death Education and Counselling – USA), a clinical
member of the Australian Association of Marriage &
Family Counsellors and a member of the National Association
for Loss & Grief. Dianne is the author and co-author
of a number of books and articles on different aspects
of grief and loss published in professional journals.
Dianne and Mal, assisted by a team of
trained counsellors who contributed their time on a voluntary
basis, provided free counselling for thousands of dying
and bereaved people for sixteen years and in 1996 were
awarded the Order of Australia Medal for service to the
community.
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