Working with Ambiguous Grief and Non-Death Loss

Though much grief training focuses on bereavement loss, grief is the human response to the full spectrum of loss - death and nondeath, tangible and intangible. This workshop is designed to provide behavioral health professionals with a comprehensive understanding of the research around these types of grief while providing a practical framework and skills for supporting these losses.

Throughout the workshop, participants will engage in an academic exploration of ambiguous loss and non-finite loss, examining the diverse array grief stressors from disability to relational disruptions caused b...Read morey dementia, incarceration, foster care, and addiction. Drawing upon contemporary literature and clinical insights from Pauline Boss' fromattive work, attendees will develop a nuanced comprehension of the impact of ambiguous loss on individuals and family systems and the unique relational dynamics that arise in these contexts.

The workshop will equip participants with evidence-based therapeutic and psychoeducational interventions tailored to mitigate the stress associated with ambiguous loss and provide comprehensive support for other non-death losses. By differentiating between various forms of non-death losses, including chronic sorrow, attendees will gain the requisite skills to identify overlapping and distinguishing features, thus enhancing their efficacy in clinical practice.

Central to the workshop's objectives is an examination of the role and limitations of resilience in ambiguous loss scenarios. Through a scholarly exploration of resilience theory and empirical research, participants will discern strategies for promoting resilience in circumstances characterized by ambiguity and non-death loss, thereby enhancing their capacity to facilitate adaptive coping mechanisms among clients. Less...

Learning Objectives

  • Define the types of ambiguous loss and assess the 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.

Target Audience

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

Learning Levels

  • Intermediate

Thursday, May 09, 2024

Live Interactive Webinar

12:00 PM EDT - 03:15 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

12:00 -12:30 Introduction and defining grief

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

12:30-1:30 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

1:30-1:45 Break

1:45-2:15 Definition and Assessment of Other Non-Death Losses

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

2:15-2:45 Interventions

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

2:45-3:05 Additional applications to specific practice

  • Substance use disorders
  • Dementia
  • Foster Care

3:05-3:15 Questions and Close

CE Information - Earn 3 CE Credit Hours

CE Approvals

American Psychological Association
CE Learning Systems, LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CE Learning Systems maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
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 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 XX 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.

CE Process Info

Each professional is responsible for the individual requirements as stipulated by his/her licensing agency. Please contact your individual licensing board/regulatory agency to review continuing education requirements for licensure renewal. Please note: You must attend "live" (in real-time) to earn CE credits.

Before the event, you will receive an email from CE-Go with access to the virtual event. After the event, you will receive access to your evaluation and continuing education certificate via a personalized "attendee dashboard" link, hosted on the CE-Go website. This link and access to the virtual event will be sent to the email account you used to register for the event.

Upon accessing the CE-Go "attendee dashboard", you will be able to:

  • Complete evaluation forms for the event
  • Download your continuing education certificate in a PDF format

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the CE-Go platform, please contact CE-Go at 888-498-5578 or by email at support@ce-go.com Please Note: Emails for this event will come from "support@ce-go.com".

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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.