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Course description

Most therapists handle simple grief and loss all the time. But complex bereavement, such as disenfranchised grief, ambiguous loss, or multiple losses, comes with unique clinical challenges Pre-existing mental health diagnoses add another level of complexity. This course provides ways to identify complex bereavement, and differentiate it from trauma, stress, depression, or PTSD. Common causes of complex bereavement will be clearly identified, along with potential grieving “stuck points.” Participants will learn a forward-moving strategy for approaching complex grief, and come away feeling confident and well-prepared to manage cases of complex bereavement.

Learning objectives

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Differentiate between depression, trauma, grief, and complex bereavement

  • Identify at least six factors that contribute to development of complex bereavement

  • Apply a forward-moving, goals-aligned approach to treatment of complex bereavement that can be customized for each client

  • Describe at least three specific tools that can be implemented for management of complex bereavement

Course outline

1. General elements of the grief and loss experience

a. Emotional, physical, and spiritual

b. Existential, sociological, economic, collective

2. Process of grieving

a. Compatible with multiple theories of grief treatment

b. Acceptance

c. Experience pain

d. Adjustment

e. Refocusing/integration

3. Defining and differentiating simple grief from complex bereavement

a. Simple grief

b. Depression vs. trauma vs. grief

4. Factors contributing to complex bereavement

5. Treatment objectives

6. Tools

References.pdf

Instructor

Gretchen Kubacky, PsyD

Dr. Kubacky is a California Licensed psychologist (PSY 21917), health psychologist, and certified bereavement specialist with over a decade’s worth of experience helping people move out of deep pain, depression, and anxiety, and into a healthier, happier life. With over 25 years of experience as a healer, Dr. Kubacky has developed a unique, integrative approach to health and healing that incorporates both the mind and body.

Additional Information

Format and Length:

Recorded video format (non-interactive). Total running time 90 minutes. Progress is saved after each lesson section so you can complete the course in multiple sittings. Please note that if you leave the course in the middle of a video, quiz, or survey section you may be required to start that section from the beginning.

Topic Area:

Clinical Practice 

Instructional Level:

Intermediate 

Completion Requirements:

To obtain your CE certificate, you must attend the full duration of the course, complete a satisfaction survey, and obtain a score of 80% or higher on a course completion quiz. Learners are expected to complete the quiz within a reasonable number of attempts, and may be blocked from completing the course and receiving their certificate if unable to do so. Credit will not be provided for partial attendance. Your CE certificate will be issued automatically in your SimplePractice Learning account following completion of all course requirements.

Completion Quiz and Course Evaluation:

The course completion quiz and course evaluation will be made available within 24 hours of the live event.

Who Should Attend:

Psychologists, counselors, masters or doctoral level clinical social workers, and marriage and family therapists.

Publication and Review Dates:

Course Published: March 7, 2022

Financial Support Statement:

SimplePractice pays course presenters for their teaching. There is no other financial support for this course.

Conflict of Interest Statement:

There is no potential conflict of interest or outside commercial support for this course.

Refund, Grievance, and Accommodations Policies:

Customers who register and are unable to attend may request a full refund of their purchase price less a $15 administrative fee within 3 days after submitting payment for the course, as long as there are more than 7 days remaining prior to the event. Within 7 days of the event or more than 3 days after purchase, payment is non-refundable. Customers who do not attend live will be enrolled in a recorded version of this course. Enrollments are non-transferable. Click here to see our policies on attendance, grievances, and accessibility, and other frequently asked questions. Click here to contact us or submit a grievance. 

Contact Information:

For any inquiries related to subject matter guidance, correction, grading, comments, or problem resolution please contact us.

System Requirements:

Please ensure your device meets our system requirements. 

Continuing Education Approvals:

SimplePractice is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. SimplePractice maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course provides 1.5 hours of continuing education (1.5 CE credits) for psychologists.

SimplePractice has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6961. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. SimplePractice is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

SimplePractice has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6961. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. SimplePractice is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

SimplePractice, #1749, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Simple Practice maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 07/06/2021 – 07/06/2024. Social workers participating in this course will receive 1.5 continuing education credits in the Clinical topic area.

SimplePractice is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LPCCs, LCSWs, and LEPs (CAMFT CEPA provider #145276). SimplePractice maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course meets the qualifications for 1.5 hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

SimplePractice is approved as a Rule/Statute Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling. Note that we do not automatically report CE completion to CE Broker at this time, so certificates of completion must be manually uploaded. Click here for more information.

SimplePractice LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0582. 

SimplePractice LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0030.

SimplePractice LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0091.

SimplePractice LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0206.

This course is not part of our continuing education program approved through NAADAC.