How Children Understand Death, How We Can Support Them In Their Grief

The issues faced by grieving children and adolescents are many, whether the death was anticipated in some way or tragic and sudden. This training will provide information on how children’s understanding of death evolves developmentally and provide useful insights into having difficult conversations with children about death.

Interventions utilizing the creative arts along with practical suggestions on how to engage grieving children will be the main focus of this virtual training.

Participants will have the opportunity to engage in a rich dialogue to increase their understanding of this important topic.

5 CEs available to NYS LMHCs, LMFTs, LCSWs, LMSWs, NYS Licensed Psychologists NYS LCATs, and NYS Licensed Psychoanalysts provided by Hudson Valley Professional Development, LLC upon successful completion of this virtual training.

Objectives:

At the conclusion of this activity, participants will be able to:

1. Identify the unique ways in which young people understand death developmentally

2. Identify common themes that are relevant to grieving children

3. Identify ways to assist grieving children that have experienced a stigmatized death

4. Understand how to properly utilize therapeutic interventions with grieving children

In accordance with the NY State Department of Education guidelines, in order to receive continuing education contact hours, a participant needs to be present for the duration of the workshop/training. Therefore, participants who arrive late or leave the event early will not be granted a certificate of completion.

​Cancellation Policy: Refunds will be provided for cancellations made in writing up to the day before the event.

Accommodations and Accessibility: HVPD welcomes participants with diverse abilities. Please contact us at info@hudsonvalleyprofessionaldevelopment.com to request accessibility accommodations. Accommodation requests are considered in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Maria Georgopoulos, LMHC, FT, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Fellow in Thanatology, whose work focuses on grief, loss, and trauma. She obtained her Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Development and received additional clinical training through The Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy’s Psychoanalytic Training Program and The Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute.

Formerly the Director of Bereavement Services at Calvary Hospital, she was responsible for overseeing 33 bereavement support groups across three sites in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Manhattan that serve hundreds of adults, children, and teenagers each year; led a team of 8 bereavement counselors and spearheaded Calvary’s efforts to expand their professional learning programs in the New York area. She also worked with grieving families at The American Red Cross of Greater New York after 9/11.

Ms. Georgopoulos values raising awareness about death and dying in our communities. To support this endeavor, she has taught as an adjunct professor, contributed chapters in various publications for the Hospice Foundation of America and participates in different committees with the Association for Death Education and Counseling and the National Alliance for Children's Grief. She has worked with countless individuals experiencing trauma and loss over the length of her career, conducts trainings and seminars for mental health professionals nationally, and maintains a private practice in New York.