Grief is widely recognised as one of the most challenging and emotionally painful experiences we may face. Such an intense experience calls for a wide and varied range of methods that allow therapists, counselors, psychologists and social workers to support the individual needs of their clients.  This module introduces Writing for Wellbeing (WFW) as one effective and powerful research-based method to empower clients to integrate and transform their grief.  The bereaved and also many people facing living losses frequently experience a fragmentation of the self, often perceived as a radical change of the self.  Integration of loss requires not only the expression of grief and meaning-making, but also the rebuilding of identity.

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Learners are invited to learn a specific method: Compositionwork WFW, which is derived from the narrative psychology modality of Compositionwork.  It utilizes stones and other natural objects as symbolic representations of different aspects of the self, or so-called I-positions.  Clients are drawn to this metaphorical representation, which opens new and often unexpected insights into their identity and offers a gentle way of navigating painful emotions and distressing losses.  Compositionwork draws on the Dialogical Self Theory (DST) and is inspired by the philosophy of traditional Japanese gardens.  It functions on both the verbal and nonverbal levels.  The fundamental principle underpinning DST is a conceptualization of the self as multi-voiced and dialogical.  Compositionwork WFW fosters internal and external dialogues for identity development.

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Through a combination of discussing the writing of personal grief memoirs, Writing for Wellbeing research, introducing Compositionwork and DST, the experiential Writing for Wellbeing exercise and case illustrations, learners will explore the effectiveness of writing and the metaphorical representation of various identities through natural objects.  This module will provide learners with a specific tool, Compositionwork WFW, to support the expression and integration of grief, emotion regulation, meaning making and in particular identity rebuilding for the bereaved and for people experiencing living losses.

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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

• Identify the key elements of Writing for Wellbeing in general and memoir writing and Compositionwork WFW in particular that provide specific therapeutic benefits for grieving clients;

• Describe the ways Compositionwork WFW can facilitate emotion regulation and support clients and participants in group workshops to rebuild their identity that has been fractured by loss; and 

• Practice Compositionwork WFW as a creative method that facilitates the expression and integration of grief and especially identity development.

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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, Certification in Art-Assisted Grief Therapy, Certification in Grief Therapy for Non-Death Losses or Certification in Grief Therapy for Suicide Bereavement.

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COURSE PACK PROVIDES

• A PDF copy of the presentation slides; 

• Clear instructions for Compositionwork WFW, which learners are free to duplicate for their use in grief counselling and therapy; and

• Guidelines for Free-Flow-Writing and Sharing in a group session

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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

• Introductory

 

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

This program contains the following segments:

• Getting Personal:  Writing a Memoir to Navigate Traumatic Grief (20 min.)

• Writing for Wellbeing:  A Research Study (20 min.)

• Compositionwork and the Dialogical Self:  An Introduction (20 min.) ​

• Experiential Exercise:  Compositionwork Writing for Wellbeing (45 min.) 

• Deepening the Practice:  Sharing and Discussion (30 min.)

• Writing through Grief: Case Illustrations (15 min.)

• Diversifying the Practice:  Alternative Writing for Wellbeing Prompts (30 mins.)

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WEBINAR TIMING

• 4-7pm, PDT, Portland, OR, that corresponds to 7-10pm in Eastern Time, or October 25, 2025, at 7-10am in Singapore Time and 10am-1pm in Australian Eastern Standard 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.