When grief awashes a family, whether because of death, divorce, illness, adoption, or any other loss of expectation for the future, each individual’s needs and experience with grief may come into conflict with the other’s. Clinicians, therapists, and helpers are often invited into the sacred space of the grieving family, honored with caring for and supporting the adults and children.
In this six-hour conference, using both experiential and didactic experiences of learning, we will look at the neurobiological unpinnings of grief, normalizing everyone’s response as a manifestation of a heroic nervous-system reaction. Children often demonstrate confusing and challenging behaviors that could be understood as a grief response. We will examine behaviors through the lens of nervous system regulation, bringing understanding for the behavior as well as ideas about how to support parents and caregivers in managing these behaviors.
Attendees will be invited to explore their own capacity for holding the intensity of grief within a family, considering ways to cultivate a strong holding space for all parts of a grieving family. As clinicians and helpers, we are called to the difficult yet important role of seeing and caring for each individual’s unique response, allowing families to lean into outside connections & resources, ultimately strengthening their capacity to be with one another. We will engage in playful ways for adults and children to maintain connections to one another, cultivating their most important resilience factor: relationship.
Throughout the conference, common challenges in grieving families will be addressed, including:
- When is it OK to be happy?
- How do I support my child when I’m consumed with grief?
- How do we grieve together when we are having different experiences?
- How do I talk to my child about this loss and grief?
- We are all grieving at a different pace- what’s wrong with me? (or my child?)
Upon completion of the session participants will be eligible for 6 CEU hours for LMFT, LPC, LMSW and LCSW. The conference is conviently located with parking provided. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided as well as snacks and refreshments.
Welcome Reception - Robyn Gobbel, LCSW
The Austin Center for Grief & Loss - Loewy Family Commons
2413 Greenlawn Pkwy., Austin, TX 78757
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Wine and Cheese Reception
RSVP at info@austingrief.org