Widow’s Fire: Embodied Grief & Longing after Sexual Loss
Young widows, who are typically defined as being 50 years old or younger, confront many unique complexities that warrant attention. Much of the clinical literature about widowhood is derived from older widows; it does not fully capture the experiences of young widows, who usually face an untimely and traumatic loss. In this module, we will […]
Titrating Trauma, Rescuing Relationship: Clinical Strategies for Addressing Tragic Death
When a significant person dies by suicide, homicide, overdose or fatal accident, mourners often need more than the informal support systems in their lives can provide, calling for specialist intervention. And yet many professionals struggle to meet the daunting challenges that such violent and unnatural deaths pose, not only to the survivors but also to […]
Writing for Wellbeing
Grief is widely recognised as one of the most challenging and emotionally painful experiences we may face. Such an intense experience calls for a wide and varied range of methods that allow therapists, counselors, psychologists and social workers to support the individual needs of their clients. This module introduces Writing for Wellbeing (WFW) as one […]
Grief Therapy Learning Retreat
Join us in Bainbridge Island, Seattle, WA, USA, for our 5-Day / 4-Night Grief Therapy Learning Retreat that offers close access to a selection of internationally renowned Portland Institute faculty and guest speakers, who provide substantial training in the latest research and practice on meaning-oriented grief therapy approaches. Drawing on a blend of systematic instruction, […]
When Dying Is Well Accompanied: A Quest for Meaning in Terminal Illness
13-14 July 2026 Singapore Presented by REGISTER NOW EARLY BIRD till 1 June 2026 Just SGD$900 for 2-day workshop! (Inclusive of lunch & 2 tea breaks) Earn Credits for 2 Orientation Modules and 2 Techniques Modules toward Certification in Meaning-Focused Grief Therapy or Certification in Family-Focused Grief Therapy Offered by the Portland Institute. In the face of […]
Writing Through Bereavement
Although retelling the “event story” of the death in an atmosphere of responsive witnessing represents a core component of Meaning Reconstruction, it is only one of a great variety of narrative procedures that can be used by grief therapists. In this workshop we explore the possible role of a sample of creative techniques in which […]
Transcending Taboos: Rewriting the Self in Grief
While sadness is readily sanctioned in bereavement, other less comfortable emotions such as anger, regret, relief, guilt, joy, and desire are frequently considered taboos by those facing loss. Because research shows that a much larger pallet of feelings is common in those who are grieving, this module uses writing techniques to enlarge the space for […]
Online But in Depth
You’ve moved your therapy online, but have you sacrificed the depth and nuance of in-person practice, substituting psychoeducation, simple support and advice for the deeper, more emotion-focused work that grieving clients commonly require? In this module, we explore the surprising benefits of online therapy for supporting evocative experiential interventions in grief therapy and demonstrate their […]
Emotion Co-Regulation
Though grief is widely considered a family affair, how can therapists best promote both personal and interpersonal resilience in a field dominated principally by individualistic theories? Approaching this question from a systemic perspective, meaning can be viewed as a fundamental principle of resilience and shared meaning has the potential to bring families and communities together. […]
Constructing Relational Resilience
How do couples support each other when they are both simultaneously grieving the loss of a child? Grief can create either connection or isolation in couple relationships, as parents cope with the gravity of their own tragedy while also bearing witness to their partner’s suffering and pain. A research-based systemic perspective on bereaved couples’ coregulatory […]