3-Day Advanced Grief Counseling Certification Course: Interventions to Move Clients Toward Healthy Grieving, Growth and Meaning After Loss

CPD

Handouts

Faculty

Diana Sebzda, LPC, FT Related seminars and products

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Diane Sebzda, LPC, FT, is a licensed professional counselor with betterhelp.com, where she provides individual counseling for those coping with grief, anticipatory grief, and pet loss. In addition to 22 years of grief counseling experience, Diana also has over 15 years of experience as a veterinary technician where she’s witnessed the impacts of end of life and pet loss firsthand. Diana has been published in Healthy Pet Magazine and is a Fellow in Thanatology (FT) with the Association for Death Education and Counseling (where she is co-chair of their Pet Loss Networking Group). Diana earned her MA degree in Applied Clinical Psychology from William Patterson University.
 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Diana Sebzda is a counselor with BetterHelp.com. She receives compensation as a speaker and consultant. Diana Sebzda receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Diana Sebzda is a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling.

Christina Zampitella, PsyD, FT Related seminars and products

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Christina Zampitella, Psy.D., FT, is a licensed clinical psychologist, Fellow of Thanatology, and the founder of The Center for Grief and Trauma Therapy. She frequently serves as an adjunct professor and internationally recognized professional speaker, with a particular passion for training emerging mental health professionals. Her clinical practice, research, course development, and teaching are centered around grief and trauma studies, nature-based therapy, and integrative psychology. 

Dr. Zampitella has held leadership roles within professional institutions, serving as the chair of the Continuing Education Committee for several organizations. Additionally, she is a faculty member at the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition and is on the advisory committee for National University’s Integrative Psychology bachelor’s degree program. Her professional experience includes serving as the resident psychologist for 5 News in San Diego, and she frequently appeared on NBC News in San Diego and Philadelphia. Dr. Zampitella has been recognized in various publications, including The Huffington Post, New York Post, Elle Magazine, BuzzFeed, and several Delaware publications. She also hosts her podcast, Phoenix Rising with Dr. Z., where she delves into various topics related to grief and trauma. Currently, she resides in Delaware with her husband, three sons, and three cats.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Christina Zampitella is the owner of The Center for Grief and Trauma Therapy and has an employment relationship with National University. She receives compensation as a presenter and receives a grant from Delaware Workforce Training. She receives speaking honorariums from TZK Seminars and eCare. She is the founder and host of Phoenix Rising with Dr. Z. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.

Non-financial: Christina Zampitella serves on the advisory committee for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors and the National University's Integrative Psychology Bachelor's Degree Program. She is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Delaware Psychological Association. She is a fellow with the Association for Death Education and Counseling.
 

Objectives

1. Investigate the clinical implications of distinctions between adult and youth responses to loss.
2. Assess for trauma, depression, substance use and anxiety in grieving clients.
3. Utilize two assessment measures for gathering grief responses.
4. Distinguish how the experiences created by different types of loss impact assessment and treatment planning.
5. Analyze the impact of death on the family system and the corresponding effects on treatment.
6. Evaluate contemporary models of bereavement as they relate to case conceptualization for grief therapy.
7. Asses the boundaries of professional competence in grief work and know when to refer out.
8. Investigate factors that can influence the grief process including the type of loss and support system.
9. Use the DSM-5 to diagnose/identify Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder.
10. Employ emotional regulation techniques to help calm clients who’ve experienced a traumatic loss.
11. Implement a bereavement plan of care for identified Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder.
12. Use CBT techniques to help bereaved clients manage guilt, blame and other maladaptive cognitions following loss.
13. Apply narrative approaches to help clients construct meaning following loss.
14. Utilize mindfulness interventions to reduce anxiety symptoms in clients with anticipatory grief.
15. Evaluate the clinical implications of cultural beliefs surrounding mourning and continuing relationships with the deceased.
16. Utilize best practices to structure and facilitate grief support or treatment groups.
17. Investigate ethical considerations to ensure proper management of terminally ill clients, minors, families an end-of-life decisions.
18. Develop strategies for self-care when working with grieving clients.
19. Analyze continuing attachment bonds and their relevance to clinical practice with bereaved clients across the lifespan.

Outline

The Process of Death, Dying, and Mourning

Grief and Loss Across Developmental and Life Stages

• Distinctions between adult and youth responses to loss
• Common grief reactions and coping mechanisms
• Factors for assessing and counselling kids and teens at schools
• The elderly – working with multiple losses, fewer supports and/or physical health issues
• Ethics with minors, families, and the terminally ill

Types of Grief:
Implications for Counselling and Treatment

• Normal grief and acute reactions
• Complicated or prolonged grief
• Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder
• Ambiguous grief in the face of changes in the living
• Chronic grief
• Traumatic grief following sudden or violent loss
• Anticipatory and disenfranchised grief
• Delayed, inhibited, abbreviated other types of commonly overlooked grief

The Impact of Loss on the Family System

• Impact on adult caregivers and siblings
• Family adaptation to loss
• Changing the family narrative
• Intergenerational effect of grief and trauma

Contemporary Models of Bereavement for Grief Therapy

Assessment of Grieving Clients:
Uncover Trauma, Depression, Substance Use, Suicidal Ideation, and More

• Intakes and gathering information
• Two assessment measures for gathering grief responses
• Assessment for depression, PTSD, trauma, substance use, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and violence

Differential Diagnosis

• Differential diagnosis between uncomplicated and complicated grief
• Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder
• Differential using the DSM-5™ and upcoming DSM5-TR

Treatment Planning for Uncomplicated and Complicated Grief

• Uncomplicated grief treatment planning
  • Grief counselling vs. grief therapy
  • Specific objectives based on the client’s grieving process
• Complicated Grief Therapy
  • Narrative Reconstruction Therapy for complicated grief
  • Integrative Cognitive-Behavioural Treatment for complicated grief
    • Specific objectives for complicated grief

Interventions and Treatment Approaches to Facilitate Healthy Grieving

• Narrative and somatic techniques
• Expressive arts techniques – music, writing, art, and more
• Interventions for regret, forgiveness, shame, and guilt
• Continued bonds and therapeutic bereavement rituals
• Nature-based therapy
• Systematic desensitization and flooding to reduce avoidance
• EMDR for complicated grief and traumatic loss

Non-Death and Abstract Losses:
How to Effectively Work with Clients Who’ve Experienced “Living Losses”

• End of relationship
• Chronic illness and terminal illness
• Deployment, job and/or retirement
• Infertility, independence, and identity
• Safety, meaning, and purpose
• Spirituality and religion
• Potential futures

Build Clients’ Resiliency and Move Them Toward Post-Traumatic Growth

• Defining resiliency and post-traumatic growth
• Employing a client’s strengths
• Considerations to foster growth with traumatic and suicide loss

The Clinician’s Guide to Grief and Loss Groups:
How to Successfully Structure and Facilitate Grief Support or Treatment Groups

• Differences between psychoeducational and therapeutic groups
• Open vs. closed groups
• Homogeneous vs. heterogeneous groups
• Peer vs. clinician led
• Participant screening and keys to effective facilitation

Grief Work with Clients of Diverse Race, Backgrounds, Cultures, and Beliefs

• Cultural competency vs. culturally and difference intentioned/aware practice
• Disenfranchised grief
• How culture impacts mourning, rituals, expectation, and continued bonds
• Working with spiritual and religious differences between clinician and client

Ethical Considerations in Grief Counselling and Treatment

• Boundaries of professional competence and when to refer out
• Research and treatment risks
• Compassion fatigue
• Self-care as an ethical imperative

Target Audience

• Counselors
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Psychiatrists
• Addiction Counselors
• Nurse Practitioners
• Mental Health Nurses
• Pastoral Counselors
• Chaplains/Clergy
• Thanatologists
• Physicians