When a Family Hurts in a World Changed by COVID-19

Presenter: Dr Fiona Pienaar

The COVID-19 global pandemic continues to have incalculable financial and economic impacts as well as significant ongoing challenges to individuals’ and families’ mental health and well-being. This interactive webinar provides evidence-based global insights into what we need to be aware of and how to best support the individuals and families we interact with, while also looking after our own mental health and well-being.

Key Learning Points:

• Emerging evidence - Impacts of a Pandemic
• Children, young people, and families - What to be aware of
• Support skills, tools, and strategies
• Empowering families - Building up resilience in the face of loss
• Considering the future - Evolving needs and alternative outcomes
• Recognising red flags
• Thinking about ourselves - Self-care first

Dr Fiona Pienaar has had a career in education, research and mental health; both clinical and operational. With a life journey spanning South Africa, NZ and the UK, she has recently been involved as Chief Clinical Officer in setting up a digital service in the UK called Shout Crisis Text Line.

When Helping Others Hurts

Presenter: Liese Groot-Alberts

To be effective and stay healthy in our professional roles we need to take care of ourselves first. Physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual nurturing is important and must be combined with self-reflection and self-awareness. This combination prevents burnout and compassion fatigue and will enable you to be more effective in facilitating meaning, healing, and hope in others.

Key Learning Points:

• True empathy and compassion and their impact
• Self-care needs and responsibilities of professionals
• Causes of compassion fatigue, overload, and burnout
• The difference between self-nurturing and self-awareness
• The practice of self-reflection and self-awareness when working with people dealing with loss, grief, and trauma.
• The indicators to look for and developing a personal early warning system.
• A recovery plan for you/your team member to heal from burn out or compassion fatigue.

Liese works internationally as a public and keynote speaker, palliative care educator, presenter of loss, grief and bereavement training and clinical supervisor for healthcare professionals. Her passion is working with difference and finding strength and hope in connectedness.

'Making the Difference' Online Training Module

Presenter: The Grief Centre

The course is designed to help participants support clients or staff who may be facing a difficult life situation, significant change, or any form of loss and grief. Participants will be asked to reflect on their own role and apply the content to their work.

This training consists of four modules:

Module 1: The Impact of Difficult Life Situations

• The nature and impact of difficult life situations, change, loss, and grief
• Common reactions that occur and influencing factors
• Ways people cope - helpful and unhelpful

Module 2: What Does Good Support Mean?

• What support can you offer?
• Support needs that people have
• Identify support priorities

Module 3: Providing Good Support

• Empathy versus sympathy and listening and empathy skills
• Handling difficult conversations and being with a crying, anxious or angry person
• When reactions are delayed or complicated
• Respecting boundaries and accessing extra support

Module 4: Strategies for Self-Care

• Strategies for self-care as you support others - working sustainably

At the Grief Centre we offer a variety of services to assist those who are grieving. They include counselling, support groups, brochures, books and articles. We also offer training and professional supervision to those who are working with individuals and families who are suffering from grief and loss.