New Approaches to Grief and Loss Work

New Approaches to Grief and Loss Work

Grief Counselling and Grief Therapy have been strongly influenced over the last thirty years by the work of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. However, over the last decade in particular new therapeutic perspectives have developed, which along with recent research have challenged some of the commonly held assumptions about grief & loss work.

Understanding the Complex Nature of Grief

• From bereavement to disability - how different losses raise different issues.
• 7 key factors determining a client's loss experience
• Contributions of new psychological theories - from Stroebe's Dual Process Model to the contribution of Positive Psychology.

Working Effectively with Complex Grief Problmes

• Specific issues relating to traumatic and multiple losses
• Distinguishing "normal" and "pathological" grief
• Working with "obsessional review" problems
• Managing recurrent anger and guilt within grief reactions.

Real Cases and Real Outcome **NEW**

• Explore actual cases, decide on strategy and then learn what actually happened to individuals.
• Explore how cases develop over time and how this effects both risk assessment and management.

Therapeutic Interventions

• Developing a therapeutic strategy in grief work - options and when to avoid grief therapy.
• Brief Solution techniques for working with grief reactions
• The use of the BARB technique for anger management in loss reactions
• Helping clients to restructure their view of themselves after loss
• Managing dependency and endings

Course Outline:

09.30 Registration
10.00 Introduction
10.15 What determines loss experiences:
Contributory and protective factors in loss - implications for assessment
11.15 Refreshments
11.15 Managing the "despair of crisis" - a Brief Solution Focused Approach
11.45 A Positive Therapy approach to grief and loss
12.30 Lunch
13.30 Managing "obsessional reviews"
14.15 Managing guilt and anger within grief reactions
14.45 Refreshments
15.00 Suicidal & homicidal risk and grief
15.45 Case simulations and group discussion
16.30 Finish