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Positive Psychology Tools for Grief Counseling

CE Hours 3

About this course

The Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania defines Positive Psychology (also known as Well-Being Psychology) as "the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive." Though "thriving" may seem like a lofty ideal for grieving people, the tools and concepts that have been found to contribute to things like well-being, purpose, and meaning are far more accessible and may resonate with grievers at different points in their grief. Positive Psychology concepts like resilience, post-traumatic growth, character strengths, accessing social networks, and others offer pathways to coping and new perspectives that may help a person at the critical point where they must rebuild their beliefs and assumptions about life after loss and find ways to move forward that allows space for both their grief and things like purpose, meaning, and positive emotion. This session will provide clinicians with an overview of positive psychology and positive psychology topics relevant to grief coping and grief counseling. It will provide clinicians with tools and language for using these concepts in their work with grieving clients, particularly when helping clients find effective ways to cope with their experiences. Developed through a collaboration with MAPP candidates from the University of Pennsylvania defines Positive Psychology program and What's Your Grief, all participants will receive a 50+ page digital practitioners guide for implementing the tools and interventions covered in the workshop.

Learning Objectives

  • Describe the general history and theoretical framework of positive psychology.
  • Integrate evidence-informed positive psychology concepts into grief counseling, assessing which concepts have particular relevance to various types of loss and grief.
  • Operationally define positive psychology concepts including but not limited to resilience, post traumatic growth, character stregnths, co-destiny, etc.
  • Identify factors that facilitate positive resilience and well-being outcomes to assist grieving clients in applying these resources and interventions in their grief coping.

Learning Levels

  • Introductory
  • Intermediate

Target Audience

This educational activity is intended for behavioral health professionals, including Psychologists, Social Workers, Counselors, and MFT's.

Course Instructor(s)

  • 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.

  • 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.

Disclosure

DISCLOSURE OF RELEVANT FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIPS CE Learning Systems adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity ― including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others ― are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (formerly known as commercial interests). The following relevant financial relationships have been disclosed by this activity’s planners, faculty, and the reviewer: PLANNERS AND REVIEWER The planners of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships. FACULTY The faculty of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships.

References

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Positive Psychology Tools for Grief Counseling
Free
  • CE Hours
    3
  • Type
    Self-Paced
  • Publication Date
    Dec 10th, 2024