The concurrent session details for ADEC's 2022 Conference are included below.
View each day's sessions:
Thursday, April 21
Concurrent Session I [11:30am - 12:30pm CT]
Homicide Bereavement: A University-Community Approach to Violence Intervention
Presented by: Patricia Bamwine, PhD MA MSW; Chesney Ward, LCSW
This presentation will focus on the development and implementation of a university-community partnership to provide multi-level interventions in a community with increasing rates of homicide loss. The first presenter will review the research and utility of multi-level interventions for traumatic loss. The second presenter will share an overview of a partnership between academics and community stakeholders to address traumatic loss with youth, caregivers, and youth serving professionals. The presentation will conclude with a discussion on how to develop a university-community partnership.
It Takes a School: Supporting Grieving Students and Their Families
Presented by: Kathryn Markell, PhD; Marc Markell, PhD, CT
The death of a loved one is difficult no matter what your age. Young people are often confused and anxious after someone they care about dies. Parents and teachers believe children should discuss grief and loss issues; however, many adults feel that they are unprepared to help grieving children and many teacher-training programs do not address this issue. School may provide especially vital support to students in small or rural districts, where families may have less access to grief groups or counseling. We will describe six strategies that schools, and educators, can use to support grieving children and their families.
Perspectives of a Police Chaplain
Presented by: Suz McIver, MDiv CT
This presentation includes actual death scenarios experienced as a law enforcement chaplain. The goal is to educate and inform bereavement professionals regarding best practices, the ADEC Body of Knowledge, self-care, boundaries, and compassion fatigue. This workshop will set forth case studies with time for group reflection and discussion, questions and comments. Each case includes information about a traumatic death. There will be no pictures of the deceased in this presentation. Numerous situations include a critical incident stress debriefing, and detailed education will be included about this highly specific, structured crisis intervention. Death notification etiquette and response will also be discussed.
The Forgotten Grievers: Explorations of Behavioral Health Workers Grief Following the Death of a Client
Presented by: Caren Franke, MS
Behavioral health workers often work with vulnerable people who experience greater risk of early mortality compared to the general population. Death of a client may contribute to adverse psychological and occupational effects such as mental illness, burnout, and trauma. Although many interventions are available to support the bereaved for familial relationships, interventions are lacking for behavioral health workers after a client dies. This presentation will explore the impact of client death through the perspective of behavioral health workers, how an organization is implementing ways to help workers cope, and the accomplishments and barriers that have been experienced throughout the process.
Childhood Bereavement Prevalence Based on Race and Hispanic Origin
Presented by: Laura Landry, PhD; Michaeleen (Micki) Burns, PhD
The 2021 Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model (CBEM) indicates 7.3% of U.S. youth will experience the death of a sibling or parent before age 18. CBEM results based on race and ethnicity reveal stark differences in a child’s chances of being bereaved when considering race and location. With research demonstrating that childhood bereavement places youth at increased risk for short and long-term difficulties, it is essential that equitable access to comprehensive grief care is available. This presentation reviews trends in the CBEM race and Hispanic origin data, demonstrates how participants can find local results, and provides a call to action.
Living with Uncertainty: A Restorative Approach to Coping with Ambiguous Loss
Presented by: Christine Linnehan, LCPC, BC-DMT, FT
Ambiguous loss is defined as a loss that is marked by uncertainty and a lack of clarity. In this interactive presentation, we will look at ways to help individuals navigate the complex terrain of various kinds of ambiguous loss. Through case examples and experiential practices, we will explore a restorative, trauma and bereavement-informed approach that utilizes the imagination, mind/body strategies, and various forms of creative expression to help restore resilience; develop practical coping and regulation strategies; increase tolerance for ambiguity; and build personal/interpersonal resources. Research on resilience will be addressed as well as ideas for working with different age groups.
Concurrent Session II [1:45pm - 3:15pm CT]
ADEC Viewpoints: A Discussion on Prolonged Grief Disorder
Presented by: Donna Schuurman EdD, FT; Louis Gamino PhD, ABPP, FT; Wendy Lichtenthal PhD, FT; Brook Griese, PhD; Tashel Bordere PhD, CT; Jill A. Harrington, DSW, LCSW; Jack R. Jordan, PhD
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently acknowledged prolonged grief disorder (PGD) in the revised ICD-11 classification system as a distinct mental health condition among disorders specifically associated with stress. After a decade of debate, the latest edition of the DSM-5 also includes which has been historically a controversial new diagnosis: prolonged grief disorder. Within ADEC there are many differing viewpoints regarding the risks and benefits of the new DSM diagnosis of PGD. This panel will consist of clinicians, educators/researchers and advocates from across ADEC who will offer various perspectives and engage in professional dialogue centered around PGD and the new diagnosis.
Teaching that Matters: Giving Thanatology Away: Moving from the Classroom Outward
Presented by: Illene Cupit, PhD; Darcy Harris, PhD, RN, RSW, MEd, PhD, FT; Laura Wheat, PhD, LPC, NCC; Carla Sofka, PhD
This symposium will focus on public death education. Topics will include suggestions as to how social media can serve as a potent venue for promoting informal death education to the public, understandings of diverse ways of approaching death and grief (i.e., suicide in transgender individuals, political grief), and how ADEC can help educate the public on death and grief. Finally, descriptions of public death education offerings such as work with a local hospice, a mortuary science program, organizations that serve seniors, and a local cemetery will be described. Discussion with the audience about “Giving Thanatology Away,” will conclude this symposium.
Where do I put the Sorrow? Nurses, Loss and Grief During the Pandemic
Presented by: Donna Gaffney, MA, DNSc, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN; Nicole Foster, MA, NBC-HWC
The precipitous arrival of COVID-19 disrupted the lives of nurses across the globe. Caring for dying patients takes a toll, no matter our preparation. We listened to nurses tell their stories, individually and in groups, as deaths came with intensity, rapidity, leaving no time to grieve—for their patients, each other or their profession. Our approach is built on self-compassion, grief education, individual/group practices.This presentation will describe specific strategies we offered to nurses, from the more traditional to the creative arts. We’ll also share their grieving and healing rituals, in the workplace and in their personal lives, individually and in community.
Art Therapy in Pandemic Times: Grief Therapists Restore, Retell, and Reconstruct Meaning
Presented by: Sharon Strouse, MA, ATR-BC, LCPAT; Sarah Vollmann, MPS, ATR-BC, LICSW
This presentation introduces participants to an art therapy peer-support group, formed by five clinicians at the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition in response to the COVID 19 pandemic. Presenters will share their use of art therapy and the virtual group process for expression, exploration, containment and transformation. Individual and group thematic trajectories will be examined through the lens of meaning reconstruction and restorative retelling. Case studies will include evocative images created in the group. Participants will have the opportunity to create a collage in response to their own pandemic experience, and additional time for theoretical concept discussions.
Cultivating a Culture of Bereavement-Conscious Healthcare
Presented by: Kailey Roberts, PhD; Jonathan Singer, PhD; William Rosa, PhD; Wendy Lichtenthal, PhD
COVID-19 has crystallized the importance of caring for the bereaved, yet numerous barriers to implementing even basic bereavement care standards exist. One thing that has become painfully apparent is that quality bereavement care begins before a death occurs. This interdisciplinary panel will focus on the concept of bereavement-conscious healthcare, exploring how healthcare teams can be intentional with patient-family care in a way that mitigates negative bereavement outcomes. Ultimately, this panel aims to discuss multilevel approaches to cultivating a culture of bereavement-conscious healthcare to improve support for patients, their families, and clinicians.
Grieving and Healing from Historical Trauma and Losses
Presented by: Lisa Connors, MDiv, MA
This experiential workshop will explore the history of slavery and segregation and the losses associated with culture, heritage, and identity. There will be discussions on how historical trauma and the losses impact African Americans today and their grief journey. It will challenge counselors to become a "voice" and hold space for clients who are still misjudged, mistreated, and misunderstood. This workshop will also explore some ways to help clients grieve and heal from the "pain of the past."
Concurrent Session III [4:00pm - 5:00pm CT]
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Dying Imagery Scale – Revised: Development and Validation
Presented by: Joah Williams, PhD
Many traumatically bereaved individuals experience recurrent death imagery associated with their loved one’s dying moments. This imagery often becomes an important focus of clinical treatment with violent loss survivors. This presentation introduces the Dying Imagery Scale – Revised (DIS-R; Williams et al., 2020), a 15-item measure assessing common forms of death imagery associated with violent dying and its aftermath. Results from the initial psychometric validation study of the DIS-R in two samples of traumatic loss survivors will be reviewed. Findings provide empirical support for Rynearson’s narrative model of traumatic death, and implications for clinical practice will be discussed.
4:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Time heals all wounds, but how? An investigation in the passage of time, grief, and attitudes toward death.
Presented by: Caitlin Reynolds, BS
The cliché- time heals all wounds- is prominent among those who are mourning. However, it is unclear how the passage of time is related to the perception of the loss. Research suggest individuals may use different strategies, like continuing bonds or meaning reconstruction to overcome the loss. This study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the bereavement process. Overall, the model suggested that the bereavement process, especially after a recent loss, appear to shape how individuals perceive death.
Our Health: Our Work: When our Health and Our Mortality Intersect with Thanatology Practice – A Discussion on Self-Disclosure and Ethical-Decision Making
Presented by: Jill Harrington, DSW, LCSW; John Jordan, PhD; Heidi Horsley; William Hoy, PhD
Bereavement professionals' decision-making process has received sparse attention in the literature. Most are guided by professional core values/principles that inform practice, however, thanatologists often face ambiguous situations which create ethical dilemmas in decision-making. With little or no foundational training, many are often confronted with making these difficult decisions independently. One of the least addressed areas in the thanatology practice literature is decision-making and self-disclosure when the bereavement professional is confronted with their own health crisis. This panel will specifically address decision-making with self-disclosure centering around four panelists' own personal experiences with serious and life-threatening illness/injury (Covid-19, Cancer, Serious Injury, TBI).
When the Bond Feels Broken: Complicated Grief, Attachment & the Power of Lament
Presented by: Michelle Caulk, PhD, MLIS, MA; Jennifer McCurrach, Doctoral Candidate, MA
As grief threatens to overwhelm the world, the ancient practice of lament is particularly relevant and necessary today. Those who are suffering often turn to spiritual rituals to obtain meaning-making and enduring connection. Through the presentation, research, and case study, the connections between grief, attachment, and lament will be examined. First, you will learn the connection between complicated grief and how attachment bonds can influence grief. Second, the presenters will describe how lament deepens attachment and eases complex grief. The practical, powerful steps of lament will be discussed in-depth, equipping practitioners to guide patients and clients through their lament processes.
Trans in Life, Trans in Death: Respecting Identity at End of Life & Beyond
Presented by: Laura Wheat, PhD, LPC, NCC; Jennifer McMullen, BS
People identifying as transgender face many difficulties throughout life, including navigating multiple systems that invalidate them. So, what happens at the end of their lives? Some face one final indignity: nonconsensual de-transitioning. This act of disrespecting individuals' identities after death includes using deadnames, pronouns, and clothing not representative of them. Exploring historical and current accounts of injustice, the presenters aim to answer the question: How can I stop this from happening to someone I know? Through research, best practices, and historical accounts, the presenters discuss what providers and individuals can do to respect their loved ones at end-of-life and beyond.
Physician's Experiences with Patients about End-of-Life Conversations
Presented by: Jill Dombroski, HBA, MA
End-of-life conversations with patients can be challenging, and physicians often lack specific education and training to hold these conversations effectively. Further exploration and attention is needed to advance work on this topic to improve end-of-life communication. Thanatology literature practices and training could offer physicians meaningful ways of thinking that could develop the end-of-life support they provide to patients. This study will explore the ‘absences’; that is, the host of theories that may be currently unknown or under-utilized may open novel possibilities for educating physicians and ultimately for improving the quality of the conversations they have with their patients.
Complicated Grief/Mourning and the Evocation of Hope in the Midst of Hopelessness: Tips for the Clinician
Presented by: Douglas Bates, LCSW, LISAC, ACHP-SW, CAGCS, CCTP, APHSW-C, FT
Complicated grief/mourning are normal responses to loss. ALL grief is complicated/but not pathological. Complicated mourning is a behavioral/outward manifestation of complicated grief becoming problematic. Grievers need "companioning" to bear witness to their pain. Grief is anchored in heartbreak. The pain of loss has the power to disconnect us from our souls. When this happens, we lose sight of HOPE. The Evocation Of Hope can be the most important element of healing. Often equated with a promise of a cure, hope is better understood in its broader meanings that involve will/way/wish/action/horizon. Helping clients locate their inherent sources of hope is instrumental.
Friday, April 22
Concurrent Session IV [9:00am - 10:00am CT]
Heart to heart: Attachment as a factor in human development, in love and loss, and in grief therapy
Presented by: Phyllis Kosminsky, PhD, LCSW, FT
As someone who wants to help people faced with significant loss, you’ve spent some time reading about grief and learning about the art and science of grief therapy. This base of essential knowledge is a foundation for the higher order skill set that you will develop through the experience of sitting with and providing support to bereaved individuals. What does such experience teach us? What does an experienced grief therapist know about the nature of change in grief therapy and what attributes of the therapist and the therapeutic relationship are most salient in promoting change and facilitating the healing process?
African American Funeral Choice: The Role of Cultural Customs and Economic Means
Presented by: WILLIAM HOY, DMin, FT
Nearly one in five African Americans lives below the poverty line. Despite this endemic level of poverty among African Americans, this group seems more resistent to low-cost funeral options than many other families. This classic grounded theory study sought to understand from bereaved family members, funeral directors, clergy, and health care professionals what important considerations exist for families as they make funeral choices. Special consideration in the study was given to how low-resource families fund the choices they make that allow these families to honor their loved one's lives in culturally-meaningful ways despite significant financial constraints.
Clinician Self Care: Fiercely Guarding Your Mental Health
Presented by: Melissa Flint, PsyD, FT, CCTP
During this presentation we will hear one story of coming to the realization that selfcare is not a nebulous concept, but rather a moral imperative when working with the traumatically bereaved. We will assess ways to identify vicarious trauma and burnout in ourselves and those we work with, how to check in and support one another as well as ways to prioritize our mental health so that we can be the very best we can be for those we serve. The work we do is heavy. The way we cope with that work can also lead to enormous compassion satisfaction.
Career Change and Non-Death Loss
Presented by: Janet McCord, MA, PhD, FT; Rebecca Morse, MA, PhD; Lory Easton, JD
Part of the identity of any professional person is their role, position, or field. Mid-to-late career changes have become common, often accompanied by the experience of loss of an identity component. All too often, little support is offered for such transitions, nor is the loss acknowledged by colleagues, friends, or family. We will identify the types of professional identity losses including transfers, demotion/promotion, field changes, and retirement (voluntary and involuntary). We will explore suggestions to acknowledge the grief, ways to build new connections, and how to foster healthy professional identities in the midst of changes in title or position.
Loss during sexual identity development: Findings from a narrative inquiry into LGBQ+ college student experiences
Presented by: Nancy Thacker, PhD; Antonio Duran, PhD; Jessica Weise, MEd
This presentation will share findings from a narrative inquiry into the loss experiences 15 LGBQ+ college students faced as they came into their non-heterosexual identities during adolescence and continued to explore their identities during college. Intangible, ambiguous losses of perceived safety, security in roles and relationships, and acceptance are discussed. Additionally, external, tangible losses, such as loss of familial relationships, religious communities, and access to career opportunities are explored. Implications for helping professionals to support the unique forms of grief that accompany these losses are provided, along with implications for theory and research.
COVID-19 Losses and Gains of Teenagers
Presented by: Heather Servaty-Seib, PhD, HSPP; Pamela Malone, PhD, LCSWS; Pamela Malone, PhD, LCSWS
The impact of COVID-19 on adolescents continues to be significant. Many young people have experienced the deaths of those close to them, sometimes multiple deaths. The non-death losses for this age group are myriad, as many important life experiences and milestones have been modified or missed altogether. The presenters review the existing research on the psychosocial impacts of COVID-19 for adolescents and report findings from their current study focused on adolescents’ perceptions of losses and gains associated with the pandemic. An emphasis on loss/gain perceptions suggests direction for facilitating grief and enhancing resilience and possible transformative insights and growth.
Concurrent Session V [10:45am - 11:45am CT]
Trauma-Informed Grief Counseling With Older BIPOC Individuals
Presented by: Jillian Blueford, PhD, LPC, NCC, CT; Charmayne Adams, PhD, LIMHP, NCC
As Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) endure losses throughout the life span, their grief can impede daily functioning and interactions. This is especially true for older individuals (age 65 and over) who have a history of losses and traumatic experiences. These experiences have accumulated to several losses and potential trauma that counselors must be aware of in order to provide competent care. This presentation will cover the common, generational losses experienced by older BIPOC, along with considerations of trauma-informed grief counseling.
Acknowledging and Supporting Ambiguous & Disenfranchised Grief: The Impacts of Incarceration on Family Systems
Presented by: Julianna Willams, MA Ed; Beth Anderson Walker, MA, NCC, LPC-MHSP, LPC
Familial incarceration may cause ambiguous and disenfranchised grief including loss related to attachments, social supports, and resources. In 2019, approximately 6.5 million American adults had an incarcerated family member. Ratios increase significantly among BIPOC communities, particularly with the disparate rates of incarcerated Black men. Statistically, counselors will likely have clients who experience this type of non-death loss. Despite its prevalence in the U.S., the connection between incarceration and grief is seldom made. In this session, presenters highlight the complexity of ambiguous, disenfranchised, and chronic grief caused by incarceration, apply existing grief theory, and propose interventions and advocacy within counseling practice.
A Qualitative Exploration of the Role of Grief on Adjusting to Life with Acquired Physical Disabilities: An Investigation of Perceived Loss and Meaning
Presented by: Xiaolei Tang, PhD, CRC; David Rosenthal, PhD, CRC; Juliana Campos-Paz
This presentation aims to introduce the findings from the qualitative study exploring the grief experiences after the onset and the subsequent adaptation process of an acquired physical disability. By employing the consensual qualitative research methodology, the researchers conducted individual interviews with 10 adults with acquired physical disabilities. The study findings primarily address the impact of disability onset or diagnosis as well as the subsequent adaptation process from the perspectives of disability grief and the contextual changes observed. Implications for health professionals will be discussed. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research will be shared.
Prolonged Grief Disorder in Family Caregivers
Presented by: Christina Zampitella, PSYD, FT; Rebecca Morse, PhD
Reviews the experience of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) with family caregivers of terminally ill family members. Family caregivers are disenfranchised by their community, medical health professionals, friends, and family. This may negatively impact the caregiver's emotional, psychological, physical, interpersonal, and spiritual well-being, leading the caregiver vulnerable to mental health disorders, and difficulties seeking the support they need. This presentation will first survey the differences between uncomplicated grief and PGD. Second, caregiver and care recipient risk and protective factors will be examined. Finally, evaluating what is and what is not helpful in regard to therapeutic treatment and other modalities of healing.
Life Lessons from Death Work: A Child Bereavement Study in the U.K.
Presented by: Jessica Hotchkiss, PhD, LPC, CCLS, NCC, GC-C
Child death and bereavement are a focus in the United Kingdom through dedicated training programs, research, and children’s hospice facilities. The U.K. has more than 50 children’s hospices, while the United States has only three in completed development. Although research on grief and bereavement are prevalent, professionals’ loss experiences, both personally and professionally, are often underexplored. This presentation will outline the findings of a recent qualitative research study exploring the lived experiences of child bereavement professionals in the United Kingdom. Attendees will receive an overview of the study and its findings, including implications for practice, supervision, education, and self-care.
How We Capture Grief: Secondary Losses through a Photographic Lens
Presented by: R. Abby Spilka, MA, CT, LMHC
A bereavement support group that focuses on young adults offers psychoeducation and validation during a radical shift in life experience, including how to navigate secondary losses. To accommodate a cohort that uses a phone for everything from banking to dating, using digital photography as a therapeutic intervention gives young adults the opportunity to express their losses and experiences individually while creating cohesion and facilitating the grief process. Examples of photography from a culturally diverse group that ranges in age from 18-30 will illustrate shared secondary losses the members have encountered, among them identity, “adulting,” and dreams for the future.
Concurrent Session VI [3:30pm - 5:00pm CT]
Normalizing sexuality and intimacy loss- someone has to talk about it
Presented by: Jill Johnson-Young, LCSW
Can you comfortably talk with a couple facing the death of one partner about maintaining and grieving their intimate life as they define it? Do you have the words to provide permission after a death to talk about the loss of a partner and intimacy? Intimacy is a separate and distinct loss that normally falls under "unrecognized" and stigmatized. The research is clear that it is real- and that as providers, no matter our professional role, we do not address it well. We do not recognize it. Join in learning how to do this exceptional work in a safe environment.
Our Work, Ourselves - Reflecting on Our Own Losses as Thanatologists
Presented by: John Jordan, PhD; David Balk, PhD; Chris Hall, MA; Nancy Gershman, LMSW
As thanatologists, we study, write, teach, and help with the dying and bereavement of other people. But what about our own losses? How have our life experiences with death, dying, and bereavement influenced our work? Have they led us into the field? Have they changed how we do the work? Have they changed how we view our own mortality? These important but rarely discussed issues (even within ADEC) will be the focus of this presentation. Three thanatologists will describe the role of personal loses in shaping their work in thanatology. Audience questions, comments, and sharing will be welcome.
Using Ethical Principles to Address Intersectionality in Palliative Care
Presented by: MaryKatherine Clemons, PsyD; Louis Gamino, PhD; Jae Ross, PsyD
Interdisciplinary palliative care teams can strategically utilize mental health professionals in delivery of patient-centered care. The intersectionality of diversity factors can exacerbate ethical dilemmas and complicate decision-making at the end of life. Effective palliative care teams know that good clinical practice requires sound ethical practice. Clinicians need to demonstrate both death competence and a working understanding of the dynamic nature of intersectionality through the lens of cultural humility. In this workshop, case examples from a hospital-based palliative care service will enable attendees to simulate ethical decision-making and exercise cultural awareness while grappling with real life scenarios.
Bereavement Services in Rural Settings: A Panel Discussion
Presented by: Julie Domogalla, MS; Brad DeFord, PhD, MDiv; Carrie Bauer, BSW, MS
As caring professionals in the field of Thanatology, we are called to serve those who suffer in their mourning. There is a marked disparity in the availability of professional bereavement services between urban and rural settings in the United States. The cultural difference between the two settings dictate the need for a different approach to the provision of services. The perspectives of three professionals will guide the participants to explore the quandary between a crisis of inequity in rural bereavement care verses an adaptive understanding of grief support through the lens of the societal differences between the populations.
Compassion-Focused Therapy with Grieving Individuals
Presented by: Darcy Harris, RN, RSW, M.Ed. (Couns.), Ph.D., FT
Compassion-Focused Therapy is of specific interest in situations of loss and grief due its capacity-building effect for clinicians and clients alike. Cultivating a compassionate stance provides clinicians with the opportunity to engage clients with their full attention and presence, allowing openness and receptivity for both the painful and the adaptive aspects of the client’s process. This workshop will provide opportunities to engage in practices that synthesize the application of compassion based approaches to grief therapy.
The Power of Peer-Based Emotional Support
Presented by: Audri Beugelsdijk; Deb Lucey; Carole Hilton; Lois Vinall; Jon Ganues
This panel will examine the efficacy of peer-based emotional support as a therapeutic intervention following loss. Peer support can be defined as ‘‘a system of giving and receiving help founded on key principles of respect, shared responsibility, and mutual agreement of what is helpful’’ (Mead, Hilton, & Curtis, 2001, p. 135). While peer support programs come in many different forms, they always involve people with similar backgrounds providing emotional, social, or practical support to each other (Solomon, 2004). A key underlying assumption of the peer support approach is that due to shared experiences and life circumstances, peers are better able to establish connections of trust and support with those in need (Castellano, 2012). Peer support services may aim, for example, to promote hope, recovery from illness or trauma, improved life skills, psychological well-being, and social integration (Landers & Zhou, 2011). Regardless of the specific program, peer supporters draw on their shared experiences to provide empathic understanding, information, and advice to those they are helping. A central process believed to underlie peer support is social support—the belief that there are people available who are willing and able to provide emotional as well as practical help (Solomon, 2004). Social support can include emotional support, advice and information, practical assistance, and help in understanding events (House, 1981). Social support has been associated with good health and positive outcomes in general, especially when people are confronted with stressful situations (Reblin & Uchino, 2008).
Saturday, April 23
Concurrent Session VII [9:00am - 10:00am CT]
9:00 - 9:30am
Predictive Factors on Professional Caregivers’ Short-Term Bereavement Reactions after Patient Deaths: A Quantitative Analysis
Presented by: Chuqian Chen, PhD
The present study aims to identify predictive factors on short-term professional bereavement reactions after patient deaths. An online survey collected data from 530 Chinese physicians and nurses. Higher total reaction scores and scores in frustration & trauma, guilt, and grief are predicted by professional’s younger age, being in the intensive care unit rather than emergency department, feeling closer to the patient, experiencing the first death in career, finding the death unexpected and the scene uncomforting. They are also related to patient being a minor experiencing more pains, as well as family’s more intense reactions and more blame, understandings, and gratitude.
9:30 - 10:00am
The relationship between parental self-efficacy and bereavement adjustment in widows with young children.
Presented by: Christian Williams, Ph.D., LMHC
The adjustment to widowhood is a complicated experience that impacts every aspect of an individual’s life. This includes transitioning parenting roles to one with sole responsibility for childrearing and increased demands when supporting a child’s grief reaction in the face of one’s own bereavement. A widow’s successful adaption to solo parenting has been linked to increases in psychological functioning for parentally bereaved children. Parental self-efficacy, the confidence that one can parent successfully and handle the problems that their children experience, is associated with adaptive family environments and improved outcomes for children, making its exploration in the context of widowhood important.
Working Together: A Suicide Loss Survivor and Her Therapist
Presented by: John Jordan, PhD; Rebecca Ladd, MA
In this presentation, a mother (Rebecca Ladd) who lost her young adult son to suicide, and her grief therapist (Jack Jordan), with whom she worked for several years, will together describe their journey through her mourning process. The therapist will provide a framework for understanding the clinical tasks needed, and the client will describe what was helpful and not helpful about therapy. She will also discuss some of the changes in her grief that occurred over the course of her sessions. Time will also be allotted for questions and comments from the audience.
The Pandemic and Grief Processing for Children: A Bibliotherapy
Presented by: Eileen Tapper-McKelvey, MS
A bibliotherapy is a story used to elicit a strong emotional response. Storytelling can help a child develop the capacity to articulate feelings and diminish anxiety. As a therapist, the writer of 'When Auntie Died' has had years of experience working with children who experienced death. It is imperative that a young child unpacks their understanding of death. This presentation will provide key concepts and explore how the COVID pandemic has impacted child responses to death. 'When Auntie Died' is a child's resource for coping, processing, and expressing a death event. It's also a guide for anyone working with children.
Interreligious Rituals and Ceremonies in Chaplaincy: Ethics, Culture and Spiritual Politics
Presented by: Terri Daniel, DMin, CT, CCTP
As interreligious chaplains, we are called to provide a spiritual presence for attending to major life events such as birth, illness, death and grief, in addition to supporting clients in prayer, religious observances, life milestones and a variety of sacred practices across a vast spectrum of views and perspectives. This interactive, experiential workshop explores the ways in which we can engage in not only rituals practiced by established religions, but also variations of those rituals that push the boundaries of classical roles and traditions. We will also examine social, ethical and theological questions related to day-to-day interreligious chaplaincy work.
A Light in the Forest: Providing Pediatric Bereavement Support
Presented by: Owaissa Vanderberg, MA, LMHC, LMFT, NCC, CT
This presentation shares one Pediatric Palliative Care Bereavement Specialist’s development of a program for families who have experienced the death of a child, infant, or pediatric patient. Throughout the presentation, evidence-based therapeutic interventions will be cast as ‘shining a light into the forest’ of a family’s grief. All resources shared will be through a family systems and multicultural lens. Information on the impact of working within pediatric EOL, grief, and bereavement fields will be shared with tools offered for increasing professional sustainability. A call will be made for additional collaboration to explore possible best practices recommendations for pediatric bereavement support.
Concurrent Session VIII [11:00am - 12:00pm CT]
When A Parent Dies: A Grief Guide for the Adult Child
Presented by: Jon Hevelone, DMin FT
Parental death is a life changing event. No matter how prepared emotionally or intellectually we believe ourselves to be as grief professionals, we grow by looking at our own experiences of death. We will examine topics like a coming death, a good death, a complicated death, a spiritual and assumptive world view of death, a basket of deaths, and surviving after death. These are ways of seeing the underlying dynamics of anticipated grief, culture, complicated grief, spiritual and assumptive world, secondary deaths, and adaptive resources. All can contribute to optimum healing for the adult child when a parent dies.
Providing Accessible Bereavement Support Following Overdose Loss
Presented by: Laura Vargas, MSW, LCSW
In 2020, over 1,200 individuals died from unintentional overdose in Philadelphia. Overdose deaths are often stigmatized, leading to a more complex and isolating grief experience. Research indicates that timely and effective bereavement support can prevent further traumatization and adverse effects. For many, though, bereavement support can be difficult to access due to factors including cost and lack of awareness of available services. This presentation will describe the ways in which accessible bereavement support for overdose loss has been successfully provided in Philadelphia—a large, diverse city with high rates of poverty and one of the highest overdose death rates.
Planting Seeds: Ayahuasca as a Potential Intervention for Prolonged Grief Disorder
Presented by: Kenneth Breniman, LCSW, C-IAYT
We are currently in the midst of a renaissance of psychedelic research. In spite of a myriad of legal complications and limited research available on ayahuasca-assisted grief therapy, there is preliminary f persuasive data from neuroscience, psychedelic science, and thanatology that compels further study on how this Amazonian tea may provide clinical benefits to persons experiencing Prolonged Grief Disorder. For now, it might be sufficient to plant seeds with the scholar practitioners who seek to improve upon our current and collective understanding of prolonged grief.
Providing Goal Directed Achievable Care While Waiting for a Miracle
Presented by: Cathy Coleman
At the completion of this presentation participants will be able to describe religious beliefs and viewpoints effecting patient and family goals of care. Through a case based presentation, participants will be able to discuss effective communications techniques to build trust and rapport with patients and their loved ones while validating and respecting patient and family values and spiritual-religious beliefs. This presentation is for those with some previous experience with therapeutic communication skills and will build on skills and techniques to bridge the gap between what is clinically achievable and aligns with patients goals of care.
AutismandGrief.org: A New Resource for Bereaved Autistic Adults and their Support Networks
Presented by: Amy Tucci, BA; Kenneth Doka, PhD, MDiv; Cindy Bramble; Lindsey Currin, BA, MSc; Lisa Morgan, MEd, CAS
One in 45 U.S. adults is autistic, according to the CDC, yet little attention has been paid to their grief experiences. Autistic grief is often disenfranchised because reactions to loss frequently differ from neurotypical expressions. With funding from the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation, Hospice Foundation of America this summer will launch autismandgrief.org, a website for bereaved autistic adults; their family and friends; and professionals who provide support: clergy, counselors, healthcare and social service workers, and funeral service professionals. This session addresses grief in autistic adults, how to recognize and support it, and provides a review of the website’s features.
ADEC's Ongoing Mastery and Leadership in Death Education and Counseling: "Perspectives on the Future Evolution of Death Education"
Presented by: Rosemary Gravelle, PhD, MPH, RN; Janet McCord, MA, PhD, FT; Rebecca Morse, MA, PhD; Stephen R Connor, PhD; Sara Moss, MS, CT, LFD
In a keynote address for ADEC's 40th Anniversary, Louis Gamino, past president of ADEC, shared his inspirational thoughts about the future of ADEC's mission and vision. Now that ADEC had reached its midlife stage, Gamino L. (2017) foresaw that ADEC, as the world leader in death education and counseling, should follow the advice of Mahatma Gandhi "Be the change you wish to see in the world." ADEC began its leadership in death education and counselling in 1976 and for 46 years has remained committed to excellence in research, death education and counseling. As an international resource for anyone involved in the care and support of the dying, their loved ones, and the bereaved, ADEC is the logical organization to answer the call for challenges of the current and future needs in death education and counselling. The COVID19 pandemic has brought the urgent international need for Death Education planning and strategizing to provide palliative and hospice care and grief support where it does not exist. The panel for this presentation will discuss the gaps and opportunities for death education and the need for the provision and requirement of death education for professionals in many areas such as health care, counseling, chaplains, funeral services and more. The panel will then discuss the necessary next steps in death education and the future of death education, including supporting the millions of those grieving death and non-death losses in a world thrust unsuspectingly into a pandemic.
Concurrent Session IV [1:30pm - 2:30pm CT]
WandaVision: Trauma, Grief, and COVID-19
Presented by: Sara Tedrick Parikh, PhD; Lydia Golub, PhD; Brianna Hughes, BA; Sulav Bista
WandaVision is unique among superhero media in explicitly focusing on the grief of a woman from a war-torn region of eastern Europe. Wanda Maximoff has experienced the traumatic deaths of her parents, brother, and lover. The show explores themes of dissociation, flashbacks, war violence, longing for the deceased, emotional outbursts, disenfranchised grief, and continuing bonds. Several trauma diagnoses could be considered for Wanda. Although it was produced before the COVID-19 pandemic, the show released mid-pandemic and portrays many issues relevant for pandemic grief, including denial of the reality of the death, absence of the body, and lack of mourning rituals.
Impact of Collegiate Death Education on Attitudes in CoV-19
Presented by: Kaitlyn Reho, MPH, MCHES, MATS; Rachael Nolan, PhD, MPH, CPH, FRSPH, A-CGRS
This presentation discusses findings from a study that (1) assessed the relationship between death attitudes in US young adults pre-and-post exposure to a collegiate 16-week collegiate death education course during the CoV-19 pandemic, (2) assessed differences in death attitudes in students who completed the assessment pre-and-post COV-19, and (3) assessed whether an interaction effect exited in death attitudes and data collection periods both pre-and-post CoV-19. As hypothesized, this study concludes that collegiate death education curriculum is associated with improved death attitudes. It also provides preliminary evidence related to the hypothesized relationship between the CoV-19 pandemic and college students’ death attitudes.
The Shared Death Experience: What Caregivers and Loved Ones Need to Know
Presented by: William Peters, M.Ed., MFT; Michael Kinsella, PhD; Monica Williams, MD
This presentation introduces the shared death experience (SDE): a particular type of end-of-life experience reported by caregivers and loved ones of dying patients. Using video case studies and an analysis of 197 SDE narratives, this presentation offers a typology for the ways SDEs unfold, identifies the historic difficulties in reporting SDEs and highlights the remarkable benefits to SDE experiencers. Emphasis is on the value of effective clinical work when assisting experiencers in processing their SDEs, and we assert the therapeutic imperative to integrate knowledge about SDEs in death education as well as in hospice and palliative care.
Abraham Lincoln: “A Man of Sorrows and Acquainted with Grief.”
Presented by: Harold Smith, DMin, FT
Abraham Lincoln’s experienced griefs during childhood, in adulthood before marriage, during the Springfield years before entering the White House, and during the Civil War are astounding. How did Lincoln accommodate the deaths of parents, two children, a sister, then brothers-in-law and numerous friends during the Civil War? Did, what Rando called, “previously unaccommodated losses,” impact his mourner liabilities? In biblical words he often quoted, Lincoln could have been described as “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” Given Lincoln’s worldwide “iconic” status, an examination of his grief resume may be a valuable resource in grief counseling and/or grief education.
ADEC's Legacy Project
Presented by: Phillip Garrett MDiv, CT; Louis Gamino PhD, ABPP, FT; Tashel Bordere PhD, CT; Laura Wheat PhD, LPC, NCC
ADEC’s Legacy Project is introduced, describing foundational and transformative elements of ADEC’s (1) thanatology pioneers, (2) diversity and inclusion, and (3) students and the future.
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