Foundations in Grief Therapy

This course is designed to prepare social workers for clinical work with bereaved families. We emphasize the idea that grief therapy focuses importantly on active listening linked to interventions that provide validation, support or guidance. We provide a way of understanding grief using an attachment theory model that explains a big-picture framework for understanding grief and adaptation to loss. The centerpiece of the course is a presentation of an approach to grief therapy derived from our efficacy-tested treatment for complicated grief and incorporating attention to self-care, racism, ethical obligations and dilemmas and using peer or experienced supervision in doing grief therapy.