In the aftermath of a traumatic loss, survivors often experience life changes that are collectively termed posttraumatic growth (PTG), in the domains of greater appreciation for life, new possibilities, personal strength, relating to others, and spiritual development.  Of the five factors, research suggests that spirituality overlaps the least with the others and the least with overall PTG, with many participants reporting profound spiritual growth while a similar number report none at all.  This module considers the implications of such findings for both clinicians and loss survivors themselves, as they attempt to navigate the aftermath of violent and sudden losses as through suicide, homicide, war and fatal accident.

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For many mourners, faith can a powerful tool for surviving such events and helps them process what has happened.  It also gives us guidance as to how to bring new order into our chaotic experience.  In the aftermath of a traumatic death, faith practices of all kinds — prayer, meditation, the funeral service, reading scripture, praying the Rosary, reciting Kaddish — buoy grievers and help them direct expectations in the early experiences of loss, when they believe nothing else is capable of doing so.  However, for other survivors, tragic loss ushers in a process of reviewing, reaffirming or revising their beliefs, with outcomes ranging from what has been termed complicated spiritual grief on the one extreme to profound spiritual growth on the other.  This module addresses the intersection of spiritual struggle or questioning and PTG, offering a clear conceptualization of the processes that contribute to both, as well as guidelines and practices for intervention in the context of bereavement support and grief therapy for violent death loss, whether the helping professional is working in a religious or secular counseling context.

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Note:  This 3-hour CE module focuses on topics related to psychological practice, education, or research other than application of psychological assessment and/or intervention methods that are supported by contemporary scholarship grounded in established research procedures.

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Summarize the unique function of spiritual posttraumatic growth among traumatic loss survivors in recent studies;

• Describe what trauma loss survivors may do in the aftermath of traumatic events to foster spiritual PTG and overall PTG; and 

• Specify what clinicians working with traumatic loss survivors may do to foster PTG.

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Note:  Attendance of this Live Online Training session confers credit of 1 Orientation 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 the self-scoring Inventory of Complicated Spiritual Grief (ICSG) 2.0; and 

• Copy of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory - Expanded (PTGI-X) along with scoring instructions and permission for usage in clinical and research contexts.

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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:

• From Spiritual Struggle to Posttraumatic Growth:  An Inter-faith Perspective (30 min.)

• Why Doesn’t God Love Me?  Wrestling with Questions in the Wake of Suicide Loss (20 min.)

• The Inventory of Complicated Spiritual Grief 2.0:  Self-Assessment and Discussion (20 min.) ​

• Across the Lifespan:  How Traumatic Loss Shapes Identities (20 min.)

• PTG in Spiritual Perspective:  A Group Discussion (30 min.)

• Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Expanded (PTGI-X):  An Experiential Exercise (30 min.)

• Spiritual and Existential Change Following Profound Loss:  Putting It All Together (30 mins.)

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WEBINAR TIMING

• 9am-12pm, PST, Portland, OR, that corresponds to 12-3pm in Eastern Time, 5-8pm in Greenwich Mean Time and 6-9pm 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.