Supporting Bereaved Clients with Complex Needs

 
Working with the bereaved is both challenging and rewarding; even when we are at the top of our game and clients come with the capacity and willingness to engage with their grief. It is especially challenging working with bereaved clients who have a pre-bereavement history of life complexity and complex needs. This can result, for therapists in differing levels of anxiety and self-doubt about our own suitability to work with these clients and the realisation that often there are no alternatives.  What to do when the buck stops with you?

This workshop will introduce practitioners to current theories of grief and loss and explore what to do when there is an overlap for the client with complex needs. Workshop participants will engage with practical skills and tools to work with these clients and ways to address their needs. We will use case studies to explore the reality and multiple challenges in prioritizing, engaging and planning  effective ways to work with this population.
 
At the conclusion of the workshop, participants will be able to:

•     Identify current theories and evidence based practice in the field of grief and loss
•     Understand the symptoms and experiences of the bereaved and the bereaved with complex needs.
•     Recognize and engage with clients’ states and traits using a strengths perspective to maximise adaptive grieving
•     Understand the impediments and issues for this bereaved population.
•     Identify ways to prioritise what to work with, and how best to work with these clients and all interested parties
•     Incorporate ways to engage with the clients and other agencies involved.
•     Determine when and where to refer; who to turn to for support and how to keep yourself and your client safe.
   
   
  
  

The Presenter- Anita Hoare

Anita has a Masters in Counselling and Human Services from La Trobe University, a Masters in Social Work from Federation University and a Graduate Certificate in Bereavement Counselling from the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement, with whom she currently works as a trainer and assessor. She is a Certified Bereavement Practitioner, a registered educator and clinical supervisor. She is training to be a supervisor for Lifeline.  She has experience with individuals using face-to-face, telephone and Skype sessions.

Amongst her areas of specialisation are grief and bereavement counselling with specific expertise in Complicated Grief Therapy (CGT).  She trained in CGT with Dr M. Katherine Shear, at the Centre for Complicated Grief, Columbia University in New York. She was there for 3 months in 2016, which provided her with a unique learning experience and higher level of familiarity using this protocol.

She is also trained in Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy, a 16-session protocol for anxiety and depression. This is an efficacious treatment widely practised in the National Health Service in the United Kingdom.

She is a member of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), PACFA, AASW and the Loss and Grief Practitioners’ Association.

Prices

Cancellation and Refund Policy

The Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement reserves the right to cancel education programs that do not achieve minimum participation, in which case all fees will be refunded.
Registration cancellations will not be accepted unless made in writing to the centre. Cancellations made more than thirty (30) days prior to the event date will be refunded less 25% of the registration fee to cover administration costs. 
No registration refunds will be made after this date. Please note: The full invoiced amount will still be payable in the event of non-attendance on the day.