Grief and loss are common therapeutic themes even though not always identified as such, particularly when non-death related. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and her five stages were long held up as the standard model for working through grief and loss. Fortunately, “one size fits all” models no longer are the standard. We will discuss new ways to describe the impact of grief on our clients, including discussions on resilience and complicated grief. Our focus will also be on the importance of tailoring our interventions to the individual. We will watch clips from theatrical films to illustrate and expand on the issues, including those of “reel” therapists working with grieving clients.

Objectives:

Describe therapeutic approaches for different grieving styles

Describe current research on resilience and posttraumatic growth and how this impacts our work with grieving clients

Learn how to identify complicated grief

Identify and experience a variety of counseling strategies and creative interventions, including visual arts and film

Explore how the therapist’s experience with loss can impact the therapeutic process and related ethical considerations.