Ethics and Personal Loss, Countertransference, and Self-Disclosure in Grief Support

While historically psychology, counseling, and social work have discouraged self-disclosure, in recent years researchers and clinicians have adopted a far more nuanced approach to the use of self-disclosure. Grief support is an area in which both clients and clinicians cite the anecdotal value of appropriate self-disclosure. It is also a field that draws professionals who have experienced their own personal losses, something that can be a tremendous asset and also an obstacle. Through the lens of professional ethical standards and current research, this workshop will outlines considerations fo...Read morer assessing the clinical value and appropriateness of self-disclosure through examination of context and content. It will review types of countertransference and the intersection between countertransference, self-disclosure, and personal loss, specifically in end-of-life and grief support. Less...

Learning Objectives

Review types of countertransference and specific tools for increasing clinician awareness of countertransference
Identify at least one ethical principle related to the use of self-disclosure in end of life and grief support.
Identify at least two potential positive clinical impacts of self-disclosure and two potential negative clinical impacts of self-disclosure
Describe at least three recent research findings regarding self-disclosure and countertransference in grief support.

Wednesday, October 06, 2021

Live Interactive Webinar

01:00 PM EDT - 04:15 PM EDT

EARN 3 CE Credit Hours

About the speakers

Litsa Williams MA, LCSW-C

Litsa Williams, MA, LCSW-C is the co-founder of the online grief organization What’s Your Grief. She’s a grief therapist with 15 years of experience, with expertise in sudden and traumatic loss as well as ambiguous grief. Drawing on personal and professional experience with grief, WYG was built as a resource offering concrete, practical, creative, down-to-earth, and relatable support, founded on the values of psychoeducation and creative coping. It has grown to serve more than 3 million visitors each year. Litsa received her master's degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Maryland School of Social Work, as well as a master’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Warwick (UK). She has been interviewed as a grief expert for the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and New York Times. She co-authored the 2022 book What's Your Grief: Lists to Help You Through Any Loss.

Eleanor Haley, MS

Eleanor Haley, MS is co-founder of What’s Your Grief, one of the country’s largest online grief and bereavement support communities which is accessed by over 3 million grievers every year. With a background in counseling psychology, Eleanor has over 15 years of expertise in grief, with expertise in working with families who have experienced traumatic and unexpected losses. She is co-author of the book What's Your Grief: Lists to Help You Through Any Loss and has co-authored 15 grief publications used in hospitals, hospices, funeral homes, and OPOs across the US and Canada. She has experience teaching psychology courses at the college level and is passionate about innovative teaching methods, technologies, and pedagogical approaches to enhance grief education and support. She has been interviewed as a grief expert for media outlets including NPR, Washington Post, The New York Times, USNews, and Huffington Post.

Agenda

1:00-1:45 Defining concepts

Self-disclosure definitions and types
Counter-transference definitions and types
Specific relevance to grief and end of life support
Relevant ethical principles

1:45-2:30 The impact of personal losses – client and clinician perspectives

Client perceptions of self-disclosure
Clinician awareness of counter-transference and self-disclosure

2:30-2:45 Break

2:45-3:15 Assessment of personal loss management

What does it mean to have sufficiently “processed” personal loss?
Assessing the impact of personal grief on clinical work.

3:15-4:00 Tools and interventions

Guidelines for ethical self-disclosure
Personal work and targeted self-care
Addressing counter-transference
Addressing missteps and related problems

4:00-4:15 Application to practice

Relevance to specific clinical experience.
Questions and close

CE Information - Earn 3 CE Credit Hours

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