Working with Ambiguous Grief and Non-Death Loss

Grief is the normal and natural reaction to any significant loss, whether that is a bereavement loss or a non-death loss. From coping with divorce or loss of job to losing a loved on to dementia, incarceration, foster care or addiction, therapists and other professionals are often supporting those dealing with these types of misunderstood grief. In this training, we will review the body of literature around ambiguous loss and non-finite loss, helping clinicians define and identify ambiguous loss, assess the impact on individuals and family systems, understand the nature of the relational stres...Read mores of these losses, and provide techniques for promoting resilience in circumstances of ambiguous and non-death loss. Less...

Learning Objectives

  • Define the types of ambiguous loss and assess them impact of ambiguous loss stressors on individuals and family systems.
  • Differentiate other non-death losses, including non-finite loss and chronic sorrow, defining overlapping and distinguishing features.
  • Identify therapeutic and psychoeducational interventions to ease the stress of ambiguous loss and provide individual, family, and community support for other non-death losses.
  • Discuss the role and limitations of resilience in ambiguous loss and apply evidence-informed techniques for promoting resilience in circumstances of ambiguous and non-death loss.

Learning Levels

  • Intermediate

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Live Interactive Webinar

01:00 PM EDT - 04:15 PM EDT

Register for this Webinar
EARN 3 CE Credit Hours

About the speakers

Litsa Williams MA, LCSW-C

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

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 -1:30 Introduction and defining grief

  • Doka and the introduction of the grief beyond bereavement loss.

1:30-2:30 Ambiguous Loss: Definition and Assessment of Impact

  • Defining the two types of ambiguous loss
  • Relational stress and assessing the impact of ambiguous loss
    • Individuals
    • Family Systems

2:30-2:45 Break

2:45-3:15 Definition and Assessment of Other Non-Death Losses

  • Non-finite Loss
  • Chronic Sorrow
  • Intersections with ambiguous loss and considerations for COVID

3:15-3:45 Interventions

  • Pauline Boss’s six guidelines for building the resiliency
  • Schultz and Bruce’s psychoeducation intervention

3:45-4:05 Additional applications to specific practice

  • Substance use disorders
  • Dementia
  • Foster Care

4:05-4:15 Questions and Close

CE Information - Earn 3 CE Credit Hours

CE Approvals

American Psychological Association
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New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work
CE Learning Systems SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0060.
New York Education Department Board of Creative Arts Therapy
CE Learning Systems (d/b/a CE-credit.com), is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed creative arts therapists. #CAT-0008
New York Education Department for Licensed Mental Health Counselors
CE Learning Systems, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0072.
Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners
What's Your Grief is authorized by the Board of Social Work Examiners in Maryland to sponsor social work continuing education learning activities and maintains full responsibility for this program. This training qualifies for 3 Category I continuing education units.
New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology
CE Learning Systems dba CE-Credit.com & AddictionCounselorCE.com is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0016.
New York State Education Department's State Board for Marriage and Family Therapy
CE Learning Systems dba CE-Credit.com & AddictionCounselorCE.com is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Marriage and Family Therapy as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0045.

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