Counseling Grief Clients Certification Training: Functional Interventions for Everyday Use

CPD

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Joy R. Samuels, D.MIN., LPC-MHSP, NCC Related seminars and products

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JOY R. SAMUELS, D.MIN., LPC-MHSP, NCC, has over 25 years’ experience as a licensed professional counselor, Fellow in Thanatology, chaplain, and ordained minister. She teaches in the graduate clinical mental health psychology department at Lipscomb University and at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in the United Methodist Church Course of Studies.  She maintains a private counseling practice and supervises those seeking licensure as a LPC-MHSP.

Dr. Samuels holds D. MIN. and MDIV. degrees from Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC. Additionally, she holds an M.S. degree in counseling psychology from California State University, Northridge, CA, and a counseling certificate in substance abuse from the Northern Virginia Community College, Annadale, VA. Among her areas of expertise are individual, couples and family counseling, trauma and bereavement, and post-masters supervision.

 

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial: Joy R. Samuels, D.MIN., LPC-MHSP, NCC maintains a private practice. She is an adjunct faculty at Lipscomb University. Dr. Samuels receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.

Non-financial: Joy R. Samuels, D.MIN., LPC-MHSP, NCC is a Fellow in Thanatology. 

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Objectives

1. Articulate current models for conceptualizing grief and how these influence treatment planning.
2. Analyze and differentiate clinical symptoms to diagnose grief clients appropriately.
3. Implement functional interventions for grief counselling adaptable to use with any clients.
4. Demonstrate three new interventions to use with bereaved clients.
5. Determine when grief has become “complicated” and develop an appropriate treatment strategy.
6. Develop strategies of self-awareness and self-care for grief counsellors as it relates to clinical practice.

Outline

THE JOURNEY OF GRIEF

• Models for understanding grief
  • Older, familiar models
  • Current theories and approaches
• Grief expressions
  • Emotional and cognitive
  • Physical manifestations
  • Behavioural
  • Social behaviours and societal reactions
• Predictors and mediators of the experience
  • Background: grief is highly individual
  • Personality and other vulnerability factors
  • Who died; quality of relationship
  • Social, contextual, and cultural influences
  • Mode of death
  • Other influences
• Non-death losses

ASSESSMENT AND DIAGNOSIS OF GRIEF-RELATED SYMPTOMS

• Differential diagnosis between depression, grief, and PTSD
• Persistent complex bereavement disorder
• Use of adjustment disorder diagnosis with grief clients
• Measurement/assessment of grief symptoms

WHEN GRIEF BECOMES COMPLICATED

• Common trajectories for grief
• What is “complicated” grief and how do you recognize it?
• Treatment interventions for complicated grief

TREATMENT STRATEGIES AND FUNCTIONAL INTERVENTIONS

• Grief counselling
  • How is it different from other types of counselling?
  • Who often benefits (and who may not)?
• Components of a general approach
  • The 3 Rogerian conditions
  • Power of presence
  • Being a companion/therapist for your grief clients
• Cross-cultural and other diversity considerations
• Dealing with emotional intensity
• Grief vs. trauma
• When clients’ grief is disenfranchised
• Working with couples or families who have experienced the “same” loss
• Preparing for grief “spikes”
• Post-traumatic growth

BEING A GRIEF COUNSELLOR

• The risks and joys of this work
• Self-awareness
• Self-care
• Training opportunities in this field

LIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH AND POTENTIAL RISKS

• Disparity in results across studies for grief
• Risk factors for complicated grief

Target Audience

• Psychologists
• Psychiatrists
• Counselors
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Social Workers
• Pastoral Counselors
• Chaplains/Clergy
• Mental Health Nurses
• Funeral Directors
• Case Managers
• Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners
• Addiction Counselors
• Thanatologists
• Nursing Home Administrators

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