When a loved one dies suddenly or unexpectedly, the resulting grief often becomes intertwined with trauma, leaving survivors struggling to make sense of their loss while coping with fear, disbelief, and shattered assumptions about safety and control.  Specialized training can help clinicians recognize and address these complex, diverse reactions, as traditional grief approaches often fall short in helping clients navigate the unique emotional, cognitive, and physiological challenges of traumatic grief.

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This module provides a comprehensive overview of traumatic grief following a sudden or unexpected death. Learners will explore how traumatic grief differs from typical bereavement, review the latest research, and examine how individuals commonly present both in the acute aftermath and in the long-term adaptation process.  Emphasis is placed on recognizing the intersection between trauma and grief responses and understanding how these dynamics influence therapeutic engagement and treatment planning.  Through experiential exercises from Dr. Levin’s recent Traumatic Loss Workbook, learners will have the opportunity to practice interventions they can directly use with clients to foster safety, identify and name difficult emotions, and support ongoing relational and meaning-making processes.  The module concludes with additional tools and practical strategies for treating traumatic grief, followed by discussion and Q&A to integrate key concepts into learners’ clinical work.

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Note:  This 3-hour CE module focuses on topics related to psychological practice, education, or research other than application of psychological assessment and/or intervention methods that are supported by contemporary scholarship grounded in established research procedures.

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Differentiate between typical bereavement and traumatic grief following a sudden or unexpected death;

• Describes the acute and long-term psychological, emotional, and physiological responses commonly seen in clients experiencing traumatic grief; and 

• Summarize three new interventions to support clients living with traumatic grief.

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Note:  Attendance of this Live Online Training session confers credit of 1 Practicum Module required for Certification in Grief Therapy as Meaning Reconstruction or Certification in Grief Therapy for Suicide Bereavement.

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COURSE PACK PROVIDES

• A PDF copy of the presentation slides; 

• Copies of assessments that can be used for traumatic grief including the Prolonged Grief Disorder Scale and an Assessment of Traumatic Grief Symptoms from the Traumatic Loss Workbook; and

• Copies of three exercises from the Traumatic Loss Workbook:  1) Creating Safety and Comfort, 2) Calling Out the Unknown; and The Grief Roommate and Companion with instructions that can be used with clients.

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TARGET AUDIENCE

• Psychologists, social workers, counselors, art / music / expressive arts therapists, pastoral care personnel, healthcare professionals, bereavement volunteers

• To qualify for the 3 CE Credits, please kindly note that:

  • Full attendance of the entire session is required to receive CE credits.  No partial credit is awarded.

  • You are required to complete a CE quiz after the session.  An overall score of 75% or higher within three attempts is required to obtain CE credits.

  • The certificate of CE credits will be issued to you upon your submission of a participant evaluation form.

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INSTRUCTIONAL LEVEL

• Intermediate

 

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

This program contains the following segments:

• Overview:  Traumatic Grief Following Sudden or Unexpected Death (30 min.)

• Treatment Review:  Evidence-based and Emerging Approaches (15 min.)

• Client Responses:  Acute and Long-term Reactions to Traumatic Grief (15 min.) ​

• A Devastating Loss:  Case Study (15 min.) 

• Stocking Your Therapeutic Toolbox:  Assessment Strategies and Interventions (20 min.)

• Giving It a Try:  Experiential Exercises (60 min.)

• Closing:  Additional Tools and Discussion (25 mins.)

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WEBINAR TIMING

• 9am-12pm, PST, Portland, OR, that corresponds to 12-3pm in Eastern Time, 5-8pm in Greenwich Mean Time and 6-9pm in Central European Time.

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Note:  The Zoom link and learning materials will be emailed to the registrants in due course.

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Disclosure Statement

This recorded module is not supported financially by a manufacturer of any commercial product and there is no sale of any product or publication during the live training session.  There is no known conflict of interest for this CE module or the presenting faculty.