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Certification

Level 1 Certification in Grief Therapy

Level 2 Certification

Meaning-Focused Grief Therapy (MFGT)

Family-Focused Grief Therapy (FFGT)

Grief Therapy for Non-Death Losses (NDL)

Art-Assisted Grief Therapy (AAGT)

Grief Therapy for Traumatic Loss (GTTL)

Training

In-Person Training

Working with Continuing Bonds in Grief Therapy: A Clinician’s Toolbox

When Dying Is Well Accompanied: A Quest for Meaning in Terminal Illness

Grief Therapy Learning Retreat

Live Online Training

Grief and the Expressive Arts: Activating the Creative Imagination

Recorded Training

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ACORN PLMS

Recorded Training

Compassion-Based Therapy for Grieving Individuals

Compassion-based approaches have been widely supported through recent research in the field with diverse populations. These approaches are of specific interest in bereavement due to their capacity-building effect for clinicians and clients alike. Training in compassion has demonstrated enhanced ability to tolerate distress, maintain focus, and discern clinical interventions that are appropriate for clients in a variety of contexts. Cultivating a compassionate stance provides clinicians with the opportunity to engage clients with their full attention and presence, allowing openness and receptivity for both the painful and the adaptive aspects of the client’s process. 

Participants will explore the applications of Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT; Gilbert) in working with grieving clients. The session will also include the use of a validated measure to consider the role of self-compassion in therapeutic work for both the clinician and clients.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Define compassion as it relates to the therapeutic process in bereavement-related settings;
  • Describe the value of cultivating compassionate awareness in clinical work with grieving clients; and
  • Identify compassionate practices that will enhance clinical practice skills.

Earn 1.75 Continuing Education (CE) Credits

Portland Institute for Loss and Transition is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.  Portland Institute for Loss and Transition maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Portland Institute for Loss and Transition, [Provider number 1954], is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program.  Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers.  State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit.  Portland Institute for Loss and Transition maintains responsibility for this course.  ACE provider approval period: 09/09/2025-09/09/2028.

Earn 1 Credit for Technique Module toward
Certification in Grief Therapy for Non-Death Losses
Offered by the Portland Institute.

 
 

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

This program contains the following video segments:

  • Understanding Compassion: The Five-Fold Path (26 mins)
  • Compassion Training: Intention and Expression (29 mins)
  • The Three-Circle Model: Threat, Drive, and Soothing (23 mins)
  • Self-Compassion: Applications in Grief and Loss (29 mins)

Compassion-Based Therapy for Grieving Individuals

Purchase without CEs
Purchase with APA CEs
Purchase with ACE CEs
USD$99 for 3-hour module / USD$124 with CE Credits

GRIEF TRAINING FACULTY​

Darcy Harris

RN, RSW, PhD, FT
London, ON, Canada

Darcy L. Harris, RN. RSW, PhD, FT, is Professor Emeritus of Thanatology at King’s University College / Western University in London, Canada.  She is also a faculty member of the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition and co-editor for Routledge publishing company’s Death, Dying, and Bereavement Series.  Her research interests include non-death loss and grief, including structural, political, and environmental grief, in addition to social justice issues in contexts of loss and grief, and the application of compassion-based approaches to loss and grief.

Testimonials

I really liked the session and learned a lot about myself throughout this experience. I learned a lot of practical skills and strategies that I can use for myself or even for my clients in between and during sessions.

Sarah Abi-Khaled

It was great learning and reinforcement of the value of making meaning for one’s posttraumatic growth. I really like the way you model validation and reframing in your case studies. Meeting a client where they are and then facilitating with one of interventions you’ve given, in their moment of readiness. Teaching and modeling this is very helpful to watch unfold.

Celeste Miller

I appreciate so much how Dr. Neimeyer and Dr. Ng explain, present and model the use of the techniques throughout the workshop. Both Drs. Neimeyer and Ng are top in their field. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting so many other faculty at the retreat–all of whom are experts in this field. I look forward to participating in the certificate program.

Beth Bowman

I enjoyed the whole seminar – very informative and well organized.

Stephanie Enos

Deeply moving, well-supported with theory and research, extremely useful and inspiring. The slides were beautiful and engrossing. I’m sure we were all looking closely and deeply, in a parallel process with the screen and within ourselves.

Robin Roberts

I was very moved by the instructor sharing her personal experience as well as her art. Having her client present to share her loss and her art was also powerful and impactful. The learning from this class was deep and sustaining.

Paula Lowden

I truly loved everything. I particularly enjoyed the combinations of lecture and experientials.

Kristen Moore

The entire retreat was amazing. It was perfectly paced for learning and creating. It was both personally powerful and professionally. I loved the Lunch and Learn.

Brenda Daly

I am extremely impressed by this conference. The topics, the presenters. It was well worth the time and money.

Cynthia Crockett

Thank you for a beautiful retreat. I was moved to tears several times and it has set me on a course of deeper discovery. The presenters were all top notch, knowlegeable, and engaging. The activities allowed us to discover many things about ourselves and sharing the experience with others was invaluable. Those interactions will stay with me for a long time.

Jean Edwards

Honored & grateful for the PI team. Such a wealth of knowledge, expertise & compassion for humanity & healing suffering. I cannot wait to engage further with the PI trainings!

Nola Simpson

This is my first experience with PI and now I have found my go-to place for ongoing learning, mentoring & connection! I’m so excited for more! 

Monica Hanza

Well done!  Appropriate breadth & nice depth of skills covered. Appreciate the experiential approach. Knowledgeable & supportive faculty. Looking forward to doing more with PI in the future.

Allison Ilem

PI’s Grief Therapy Learning Retreat offered a safe holding space for grief professionals to gather in a beautiful setting & learn with prominent leaders in the field of thanatology. Professional yet warm, rigorous yet invigorating — I’m leaving with a sense of renewal to meeting clients where they are.

Lisa A. Rainwater

The retreat, the attendees, the faculty, the leaders and the offerings (learning opportunities) were really off-the-charts amazing. Thank you for creating an event that has been transformational for me.

Sheila Henderson

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If you have questions about Portland Institute or some of our offerings, please click the button below to visit our Frequently Asked Questions section – where many common questions are answered!

FREQUENTLY ASKED questions