Counseling Grieving Children and Teens
Overview
This presentation will provide an overview of the most widely accepted theories which describe how children grieve at different developmental stages. Intervention strategies will be shared that have been based on over 25 years of clinical practice with grieving children individually, in groups, and in camp settings. These interventions have demonstrated success with children who have both natural grief responses and those who may additionally experience PTSD, depression, or anxiety reactions. We will also look at the important ways in which the grievers’ culture informs the expression of their grief and their mourning behaviors. Lastly, we will look at the unique ways in which the global pandemic is impacting youthful grievers and their grown-ups.
Learning objectives
- Describe the Four Tasks of Mourning and how children of different psychosocial and cognitive stages of development process their grief
- Identify 5 common emotions that all grievers experience regardless of age
- Discuss 3 strategies for how to explain suicide and overdose to children less than 12 years of age
- Describe 3 signs a child might exhibit that would suggest that they need trauma-focused therapy prior to grief counseling or grief camp
- Identify 3 interventions that you could use with a grieving client during your next session using art or play techniques
Professional credit
- This activity offers the following types of credit: APA
- 1.5 CEs are available.
- Additional details can be found in the activity document for this resource.