Loss, grief and mourning are ubiquitous human experiences that pervade the work of therapists, psychiatrists, counselors, and social workers alike.  Helping those who have experienced a significant loss can be challenging and confusing, largely because there is no single intervention that is well-suited for all individuals.  In what ways can we tailor our interventions to accommodate the specific temperaments and psychological needs of our bereaved clients?​  This experiential module will explore research on the topics of complicated bereavement and attachment theory, and help learners translate these into guidelines for co-constructing creative grief rituals that match the needs of particular clients and are grounded in the meaning of the specific relationship they are attempting to mourn.

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Placing rituals in a cultural anthropological perspective, we will discuss various funeral and memorial practices from around the world that demonstrate diverse perspectives on what the mourning process entails and give it symbolic significance.  We will then consider several case studies of the use of ritual in grief therapy to convey the scope and depth of such practices and set the stage for their integration into learners’ own therapeutic settings.  Finally, we will discuss detailed guidelines for the co-construction of rituals with clients, conclude with a small group exercise in which learners will practice how to assess complicated bereavement, conceptualize what a bereaved client needs, and brainstorm ideas for the creation of a personal grief ritual uniquely relevant to an actual client.

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Note:  This 3-hour CE module focuses on application of psychological assessment and/or intervention methods that have overall consistent and credible empirical support in the contemporary peer reviewed scientific literature beyond those publications and other types of communications devoted primarily to the promotion of the approach.

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• List the essential differences between attachment styles and how each manifests in different forms of complicated bereavement;

• Describe what a personal grief ritual is and the clinical benefits of performing rituals in grief therapy; and 

• Create personal grief rituals that are tailored to bereaved clients depending on their attachment style and/or coping style.

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Note:  Attendance of this Live Online Training session confers credit of 1 Practicum Module required for Certification in Grief Therapy as Meaning Reconstruction or Certification in Grief Therapy for Suicide Bereavement.

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COURSE PACK PROVIDES

• A PDF copy of the presentation slides;

• Copy of a Personal Grief Rituals worksheet highlighting a systematic method for organizing thoughts about how to conceptualize what a particular bereaved client needs in order to mourn more adaptively; and 

• A guide for brainstorming ideas for working with clients to create a personal grief ritual uniquely relevant to how they can make meaning out of loss.

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TARGET AUDIENCE

• Psychologists, social workers, counselors, art / music / expressive arts therapists, pastoral care personnel, healthcare professionals, bereavement volunteers

• To qualify for the 3 CE Credits, please kindly note that:

  • Full attendance of the entire session is required to receive CE credits.  No partial credit is awarded.

  • You are required to complete a CE quiz after the session.  An overall score of 75% or higher within three attempts is required to obtain CE credits.

  • The certificate of CE credits will be issued to you upon your submission of a participant evaluation form.

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INSTRUCTIONAL LEVEL

• Intermediate

 

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

This program contains the following segments:

• Reinventing Ritual:  The Problem with Generic Practices (10 min.)

• Attachment and Mourning:  A Brief Review of Attachment Theory, Continuing Bonds and Dual Process Model (20 min.)

• Grief Rituals:  A Cultural Anthropology Perspective (30 min.) ​

• Mourning and Meaning:  The Benefits of Symbolic Action (20 min.)

• Diversity among the Bereaved:  Case Vignettes (30 min.)

• Assessing Attachment and Coping Style:  Tailoring Ritual Enactments (30 min.)

• Designing Personal Grief Rituals:  Small Group Practice (40 mins.)

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WEBINAR TIMING

• 9am-12pm, PDT, Portland, OR, that corresponds to 12-3pm in Eastern Time, 4-7pm in Greenwich Mean Time and 5-8pm in Central European Time.

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Note:  The Zoom link and learning materials will be emailed to the registrants in due course.

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Disclosure Statement

This recorded module is not supported financially by a manufacturer of any commercial product and there is no sale of any product or publication during the live training session.  There is no known conflict of interest for this CE module or the presenting faculty.