Death and Loss: Grief as an Experience Not an Event

Death is the other side of life. It will touch all of us at some point in life, and likely many, many times. Sometimes when talking about death, we use the language of current popular psychology and self help and speak of “letting go” and “finding closure,” phrases that often feel empty to our clients, and sometimes even to ourselves as professionals.

In this interactive training, conducted by Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP, we will look at death, loss and grief not as an event, but as an experience and demonstrate how experiential methods can support the process of healing, emotional restoration and transformation.

The experiential approach – using psychodrama, Family Constellations, mindfulness, art making and simple ritual – promises to create a greater sense of awareness and understanding within our clients and ourselves.

In this training, you will learn:

• How to employ experiential explorations with people who are ill, are facing the death of a beloved one, have recently suffered a loss or are otherwise contemplating the meaning of life and death.
• How death impacts the larger family system, according to the philosophy of Family Constellations.
• Ways to hold space for death, pain, suffering with mindfulness practices.
• How death and loss of past generations can haunt the current generations and how to dissipate this dynamic.
• How to use meaningful ritual to bring emotional resolution to loss.

Who will benefit

This training is designed for mental health professionals and professional helpers, including social workers, marriage and family therapists, licensed counselors, addictions counselors, physicians, nurses, creative arts therapists, massage therapists and bodyworkers, alternative health practitioners, life and wellness coaches, hospice workers, funeral directors, educators, clergy, clinical supervisors, administrators, youth leaders, group leaders, graduate students and others interested in experiential psychotherapy and experiential learning.

Tuition

Tuition is $85 for the all-day training if registered by Sept. 17, $105 after. It includes the program, six CE credits and psychodrama hours, handouts and healthy snacks.

As always, there will be options to address personal work and bring case studies forward for feedback and action supervision.

How to register

There are two ways to register:

• Register online with your credit card here.
• Send check to Karen Carnabucci at 313 W. Liberty St. Suite 251, Lancaster, PA 17603.

CE and psychodrama credits

Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP, and Companions In Healing are approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors to offer continuing education for social workers, marriage and family therapists and professional counselors according to Pennsylvania Board Approval #SWPR-004002.

These training hours also may be counted towards the Certified Psychodramatist credential as approved by the American Board of Examiners In Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy.

Training hours may be counted towards certification approved by the International Society of Experiential Professionals.

You may be able to submit this certificate for credits in another helping discipline or in another state. Please contact your respective state board for information.

Lunch

Please bring your own lunch or expect to go out for a 45-minute lunch break. No refrigeration will be available.

What to bring

• Your lunch unless you are planning to purchase your lunch from a nearby eatery.
• Your notebook and pen, if you wish to take notes.
• Water bottle.
• Coffee, if you must have it!
• Any special foods or snacks that you may need.
• Business cards, brochures or other materials for the sharing table.
• Your curiosity and questions.