LIVE WEBINAR | Non-death losses: Understanding living loss, chronic sorrow and ongoing grief

Non-death losses: Understanding living loss, chronic sorrow and ongoing grief

with Dr Darcy L. Harris

Who should attend this webinar?

Anyone who works in a professional care role or supports people experiencing loss and grief. This webinar is relevant to counsellors, social workers, psychologists, health and mental health professionals, educators, chaplains, hospice and palliative care providers, volunteers, and others working with individuals, families and communities affected by loss.

Overview

Grief is an intricate and universal human experience that extends far beyond the realm of death, and we often struggle to acknowledge the vast spectrum of losses that individuals may face throughout their lives. Individuals grieve not only the death of loved ones but also the loss of relationships, core roles, health, dreams, and other significant aspects of their lives. Of poignant relevance is our aging population and the losses that occur as we age, as well as the losses experienced by those who provide care to elders.

Grief that accompanies non-death losses can be felt as a living loss, where the individual lives with the loss and its implications for the rest of their life. The grief that accompanies non-death losses differs from grief that results from death losses in many significant ways as well, often resulting in both the loss and its accompanying grief not being acknowledged, resulting in lack of support and isolation for those affected.

This session will explore the unique features of grief that occurs in response to non-death losses, as well as suggest potentially helpful ways to support individuals through these loss experiences. Special attention will be given to the clinical and social implications for those who experience a wide range and variety of non-death losses

Key learning points

• Identify the construct of the assumptive world and how it relates to grief.

• Define the terms nonfinite loss, ambiguous loss, tangible/intangible loss, and chronic sorrow, and identify the unique features associated with each.

• Discuss the differences in grief that occur in non-death losses versus death losses.

• Differentiate between the experience of chronic sorrow that accompanies ongoing losses versus clinical depression.

• Discuss clinical implications and support for individuals who experience ongoing grief and chronic sorrow.

• Identify a clinical framework for supporting individuals who are experiencing grief after non-death loss.

About the presenter

Darcy L. Harris, R.N., R.S.W., M.Ed. (Couns.), Ph.D., FT, is Professor Emeritus of Thanatology at King’s University College/Western University in London, Canada. Dr. Harris developed the Thanatology degree programme at King’s University College. In addition, she is a faculty member of the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition, dedicated to training in grief therapy. She developed the Certification in Non-Death Loss and Grief Track for the Portland Institute. She has been involved in clinical practice for over 30 years, specialising in issues related to change, loss and transition.  

She currently serves on the board of directors for the International Work Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement, and she has served on the board of directors for the Association for Death Education and Counseling, as well as St. Joseph’s Healthcare in London, Ontario. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the Robert Fulton Center for Death and Education and Bioethics (CDEB) Founder’s Award, the Association for Death Education and Counseling Death Educator Award, the ADEC Scholarship Award, and the King’s University College Excellence in Teaching Award. Her scholarship has introduced cutting edge topics in the field, such as the theory of non-death loss and grief to the field of grief therapy, the exploration of social justice issues in areas related to grief and loss, political grief, and the implementation of compassion-based approaches into grief therapy.

She is the co-editor of Routledge Publishing Company’s Death, Dying and Bereavement series and an internationally recognised speaker, author and clinician in the field. In addition to numerous journal articles and chapters, her books include Counting our Losses: Reflecting on Change, Loss, and Transition in Everyday Life; Grief and Bereavement in Contemporary Society: Bridging Research and Practice; Principles and Practice of Grief Counseling; The Handbook of Social Justice in Loss and Grief: Exploring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Non-Death Loss and Grief: Context and Clinical Implications; and Compassion-Based Approaches in Loss and Grief.  

FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK:

https://education.griefcentre.org.nz/course/non-death-losses0826