Compassion-Based Grief Therapy for Non-Death Losses

INTRODUCTION

Working with individuals who struggle with issues related to loss and grief immerses us into a very dynamic and diverse field, with new information, approaches, and trends arising on a regular basis. Some of the new areas of focus in grief and loss work include changing ideas about how to define grief and how the support of grieving individuals is different from assessment and intervention models that are designed for working with clinical populations. Another trend is the growth of an increasingly older demographic, which has implications for issues related to dependency, non-death losses, and the juggling of everyday life as family systems now may readily span four generations.

In the second day, we will explore the role of presence and compassion when assisting individuals whose lives are punctuated by grief, trauma, and uncertainty. The focus of this session will be grounded in compassion-based therapies and approaches, which can be helpful to individuals who are suffering from intense grief, as well as for the clinicians who bear witness to the deep pain and suffering of their clients.

COURSE OBJECTIVES 

• Describe the impact of an aging population upon how grief is experienced
• Explore different types of loss and the unique forms of grief that accompany them
• Understand the role of presence in the therapeutic relationship with grieving individuals
• Explore creative approaches to supporting and facilitating the expression of grief
• Examine the role of compassionate response for both professionals and the grieving individuals that they support

COURSE CONTENT

• A Spectrum of Grief and Loss

  • Changing demographics and theoretical underpinnings of living losses
  • Specific types of non-death losses and their unique features
  • Case studies and application of theory to practice
  • The social context of loss, aging, and grief

• Compassion-Based Grief Therapy
  • When grief and trauma co-mingle
  • Introduction of the Compassionate Stance in working with difficult grief
  • Understanding the components of compassion and the application to grief
  • Developing a model of compassionate grief therapy

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Helping professionals like counsellors, social workers, therapists, psychologists, pastoral staff, community/outreach workers, befrienders/volunteers, and people who are keen in rendering grief support.

AWARD

Participants who meet 80% class attendance will be awarded a Certificate of Completion by Portland Institute for Loss and Transition & Academy of Human Development.

COURSE FEES

TRAINER

Darcy L. Harris, R.N., R.S.W., Ph.D., FT is an Associate Professor and the Thanatology Coordinator at King’s University College in London, Canada, where she also maintains a private clinical practice specializing in issues related to change, loss, and transition. Dr. Harris developed the undergraduate degree program in Thanatology at King’s University College. She has served on the board of directors of the Association for Death Education and Counseling and is a current member of the International Work Group on Death, Dying, and Bereavement. She is a series co-editor for Routledge Publishing Company’s Death, Dying, and Bereavement Series. Her publications include Counting our Losses: Reflecting on Change, Loss, and Transition in Everyday Life (Routledge), Grief and Bereavement in Contemporary Society: Bridging Research and Practice (Routledge), Principles and Practice of Grief Counseling (Springer), The Handbook of Social Justice in Loss and Grief: Exploring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (Routledge), and Non-Death Loss and Grief: Context and Clinical Implications (Routledge). Darcy serves as a faculty mentor with the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition.

APPLICATION and ENQUIRIES

Alicia Loy

6593 5287

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CERTIFICATION MATTERS

Dr Carolyn Ng

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