The Relational Window of Tolerance describes how couples negotiate individual and relational coping when grieving the loss of a child.  Depending on the individual coping styles of each partner, couples may enter imbalanced, dual-fragile, or coregulatory relational states throughout their grieving process.  Each of these relational states, identified and exemplified in recent research, helps the couple to build resilience in the waves of emotional pain as they eventually form a rhythm of support for one another.  However, these “grief rhythms” can evolve in complicated ways over time, making it difficult for mental health professionals to effectively support couples in the wake of loss.  After introducing these dynamics within a systemic frame, this module will present qualitative and quantitative research that emphasizes the importance of assessing such relational states as a prerequisite to conducting individual and/or couple grief therapy.

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While many couples find a constructive grief rhythm naturally, some may struggle to return to a coregulatory state swiftly and, over time, the weight of grief may become too burdensome for the relationship to tolerate. This module will examine a case study of a couple on the verge of divorce after the death of their son.  Stuck in a long-term imbalanced relational state prior to their son’s diagnosis, the couple fell into a dual-fragile state following his death, causing further distance in their already burdened relationship.  They turned to therapy to revive their connection to one another and find meaning in their shared grief.  The therapist was tasked with breaking them out of their status quo by creating new opportunities to trade off in the support role for one another.

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This module will equip mental health professionals with a framework for discerning when and how to address both individual and relational needs of bereaved parents.  Through a systemic perspective on bereavement resilience, the Relational Window of Tolerance encapsulates the complex process of dyadic coping when grieving a shared loss.  This module will be followed by another on Constructing Relational Resilience, in which specific interventions are illustrated in a video recorded session.

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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

• Describe how to use the relational window of tolerance to assess bereaved couples;

• Differentiate imbalanced, dual-fragile and coregulatory relational states; and 

• Summarize how individual coping impacts relational coping and vice versa.

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Note:  Attendance of this Live Online Training session confers credit of 1 Technique Module required for Certification in Grief Therapy as Meaning Reconstruction or Certification in Family-Focused Grief Therapy.

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COURSE PACK PROVIDES

• A PDF copy of the presentation slides;

• Copy of the graph of the Relational Window of Tolerance; and 

• The assessment questions for the Relational Window of Tolerance.

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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:

• Grief and the Couple Dyad:  Research Perspectives on Coping with the Death of a Child. (20 min.)

• The Relational Window of Tolerance:  Couple Coregulation in the Wake of Loss (40 min.)

• Evolution of Dyadic Coping:  The Case of an Overburdened Relationship (30 min.) ​

• From Principles to Practice:  Assessing Relational States (30 min.)

• Discussion Groups:  Clinical Case Example Role Plays  (30 min.)

• Putting It All Together:  Closing Discussion (30 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.