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Digital Seminar

Certification Course: The Ultimate Grief Treatment Toolbox: Over 60 Interventions to Promote Healing & Hope Among Grieving Children, Adolescents & Adults


Speaker:
Erica H Sirrine, PhD, LCSW, FT
Duration:
6 Hours 41 Minutes
Language:
Presented in EN, subtitles in EN and FR, handouts in EN and FR
Copyright:
Aug 13, 2025
Product Code:
POS049530
Media Type:
Digital Seminar - Also available: Live Webinar



Description

Grieving clients have some of the most heartbreaking stories that we see as clinicians. Your client’s world has been toppled following the loss of a loved one, and in addition to missing that person, your client is now questioning what they know about themselves and the world. Paralyzing grief has made even the simplest tasks difficult for them, and you’re overwhelmed because nothing that you do seems to help.

Watch Dr. Erica Sirrine, Ph.D., LCSW, FT, as she walks you through over 60 interventions that you can use to help your grieving clients find hope and heal. Drawing on her expertise as a bereavement counsellor and educator, Dr. Sirrine blends remarkable case studies with creative intervention strategies for an engaging and unforgettable workshop that will arm you with the skills you need to be an effective therapist for grieving clients.

Whether your client is experiencing feelings of premature grief due to the anticipated death of a loved one, pain and loss following a divorce, or feelings of disbelief and shock following a traumatic death, this workshop will prepare you to skillfully intervene.

Attend and discover:

  • Over 60 interventions to help clients mourn, reconcile their losses & discover hope
  • Assessment & treatment techniques for children, adolescents & adults
  • Session topics & treatment approaches for individuals, groups & families
  • Strategies to treat clients dealing with anticipatory grief
  • Techniques & ideas for facilitating bereavement groups & grief camps

Best of all, upon completion of this live training, you’ll be eligible to become a Certified Grief Informed Professional (CGP) through Evergreen Certifications. Certification lets colleagues, employers, and clients know that you’ve invested the extra time and effort necessary to understand the complexities of grief counselling. Professional standards apply. Visit www.evergreencertifications.com/CGP for details.

Purchase today to discover the ultimate grief treatment toolbox and revolutionize your treatment of grieving clients!


CERTIFICATION MADE SIMPLE!

  • No hidden fees – PESI pays for your application fee (a $99 value)!
  • Simply complete this live event and the post-event evaluation included in this training, and your application to be a Certified Grief Informed Professional through Evergreen Certifications is complete.*

Attendees will receive documentation of CGP designation from Evergreen Certifications 4 to 6 weeks following the program.

*Professional standards apply. Visit www.evergreencertifications.com/CGP for professional requirements.

Credit

Program Information

Planning Committee Disclosure - No relevant relationships

All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.



Canada Credit - *

NOTE: Tuition includes one free CE Certificate (participant will be able to print the certificate of completion after passing the online post-test (80% passing score) and completing the evaluation). Instructional methods will include PowerPoint, didactic lecture, and others.

Continuing Education Information:  Listed below are the continuing education credit(s) currently available for this non-interactive self-study package. Program content is reviewed periodically per accrediting board rules for currency and appropriateness for credit. Credit approvals are subject to change. Please note, your licensing board dictates whether self-study is an acceptable form of continuing education, as well as which credit types are acceptable for continuing education hours. Please refer to your licensing board's rules and regulations. If your profession is not listed, please contact your licensing board to determine your continuing education requirements and check for reciprocal approval. 
For other credit inquiries not specified below, please contact info@pesi.com or 800-844-8260 before purchase.

Materials that are included in this course may include interventions and modalities that are beyond the authorized practice of your profession.  As a licensed professional, you are responsible for reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice in accordance with and in compliance with your profession's standards.  

For Planning Committee disclosures, please see the statement above.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography. Evergreen Certifications is owned by PESI, Inc.


Canada Credit - ---

Earn up to 6.25 CE hours. Please see below, for more details, as credit amounts vary by jurisdiction and profession. 


Canada Credit - Canadian Counsellors and Psychotherapists

PESI, Inc. is approved by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association to offer continuing education for counsellors and psychotherapists. PESI, Inc. maintains responsibility for the program. This self-study activity is approved for 6.0 credit hours.


Canada Credit - Social Workers - National ASWB ACE

PESI, Inc., #1062, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: January 27, 2023 - January 27, 2026. Social workers completing this course receive 6.25 Clinical continuing education credits.

 

Course Level: Intermediate Format: Recorded asynchronous distance. Full attendance is required; no partial credits will be offered for partial attendance.

 

Canadian Social Workers: Canadian provinces may accept activities approved by the ASWB for ongoing professional development.


Canada Credit - Canadian Psychologists

PESI, Inc. is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. PESI, Inc. maintains responsibility for the program. This program is approved for 6.0 self-study continuing education hours. Full credit statement at: www.pesi.com/cpa-statement


Canada Credit - Other Professions

This self-study activity qualifies for 6.25 continuing education clock hours as required by many national and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Save your activity advertisement and certificate of completion, and contact your own board or organization for specific requirements.



Handouts

Speaker

Erica H Sirrine, PhD, LCSW, FT's Profile

Erica H Sirrine, PhD, LCSW, FT Related seminars and products


Dr. Erica Sirrine is a licensed clinical social worker with over 20 years of experience in the field of death, dying, and bereavement. She earned a PhD in social work and has been awarded the distinction of Fellow in Thanatology by the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Dr. Sirrine has conducted and published research on grief and bereavement, including a recent study on college student experiences of loss amid the COVID-19 pandemic that was featured in TIME magazine. She maintains a blog on grief and is the author of Sammy’s Story, an anticipatory grief counseling book for young children experiencing the serious illness of a parent.

Dr. Sirrine has extensive expertise providing individual and group therapy to children, adolescents, adults, and families experiencing illness and loss. She has implemented numerous interventions and programs aimed at improving the emotional health of clients and currently serves as the Director of Social Work at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Dr. Sirrine frequently presents seminars on bereavement and loss throughout the United States and is known for her interactive and engaging workshops. A former university dean and professor, she has been distinguished as “Professor of the Year” and the National Association of Social Workers Heartland, Florida Unit’s “Social Worker of the Year.”

 

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial: Dr. Erica Sirrine has employment relationships with Southeastern University and St. Jude Children's Hospital. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.

Non-financial: Dr. Erica Sirrine is a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, the Council on Social Work Education, the National Alliance for Grieving Children, the National Association of Social Workers, and Baccalaureate Program Directors.

 


Additional Info

Program Information

Access for Self-Study (Non-Interactive)

Access never expires for this product.

For a more detailed outline that includes times or durations of time, if needed, please contact cepesi@peesi.com.


Questions?

Visit our FAQ page at https://www.pesicanada.ca/faq or contact us at https://www.pesicanada.ca/contact-us.


Objectives

  1. Analyze the differences in the clinical presentation of depression as compared to bereavement.
  2. Evaluate developmentally appropriate grief symptomology across the lifespan and assess for clinical concerns.
  3. Design individualized therapeutic interventions for bereaved children, adolescents, adults and families using various modalities.
  4. Assess continuing bonds after death and their relevance to clinical practice with bereaved clients.
  5. Demonstrate how to create a support group for bereaved children, adolescents, and/or adults with corresponding therapeutic activities.
  6. Employ therapeutic techniques to address client grief associated with other forms of loss including divorce, chronic illness, military deployment and termination of parental rights.

Outline

Types of Grief & Their Implications for Treatment
  • Grief vs. mourning
  • Depression & bereavement: A distinction
  • Secondary losses after death
  • Non-death losses
  • The problem with “getting over it”
  • Misconceptions about grief & mourning
  • Limitations of the research & potential risks
Assessment: Intake Considerations for Grieving Clients
  • Grief & coping models
  • Factors that influence the mourning process
  • Assessment of continuing bonds
  • Loss line: The ultimate assessment tool
  • Normal vs. complicated grief vs. prolonged grief
  • Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder
Assessment of Grief & Loss in Children & Adolescents
  • How children, adolescents & adults cope differently
  • Considerations for different age groups
  • ”De-code” the meanings of behaviors
  • Six common questions following a death
  • ”Things we want adults to know about our grief”
  • Signs of concern/red flags
Interventions & Strategies for Anticipatory Grief
  • Normalize the dying process & grief experience
  • Model healthy mourning behaviors
  • Spot opportunities for memorialization
  • Provide death education & practical support
  • Strategies to prepare children & adults for the funeral

OVER 60 INTERVENTIONS TO PROMOTE HEALING WHEN IT’S TOO HARD TO TALK

Therapeutic Games

  • Preschool/Early Elementary
    • Doll house scene depiction
    • Puppets & stuffed animals
    • Sand tray therapy
  • Youth
    • Therapy ball
    • Shades of feelings
    • Card games
  • Youth & adults
    • Constructive use of punching bags/pillows
    • Topic starters
    • Questions games
    • Group sharing: Cards, web of feelings
  • …and more
Art with Children, Adolescents & Adults
  • ”I Am” board
  • Colors of grief
  • Support circles
  • Memory peacock
  • Photo flower pot
  • Clay/Play-Doh
  • Photography
  • Memory boxes & stones
  • …and more!
Poetry, Writing & Music Interventions for All Ages
  • Bibliotherapy
  • Journaling
  • Poetry: “I am” exercise
  • Letter writing
  • Remembrance music
  • Song/rap writing
  • Sticky note regrets
  • …and more!
Memorialization Rituals
  • Candle-lighting
  • ”I remember” book
  • Online memorial page
  • Rice paper/balloon release
  • Memory patio stones
  • Tree planting
  • …and more!
Interactive Activities for Healing as a Family
  • Web of feelings
  • Labyrinth with reflection stations
  • Memorial service
  • ”Broken to whole”
  • Bibliotherapy for families
  • Holiday activities: Memory ornaments & stockings
  • …and more!
Grief & Loss Support Groups for Children, Adolescents & Adults
  • Grief camps for kids
  • Support group considerations
  • Family involvement
  • Curriculum & session topics (for individual therapy too!)

Target Audience

  • Social Workers
  • Counsellors
  • Psychologists
  • Chaplains/Clergy
  • Marriage & Family Therapists
  • Nurses
  • Thanatologists
  • Case Managers
  • Physicians
  • Other Mental Health Professionals
  • Child Life Specialists

Reviews

5
4
3
2
1

Overall:      4.8

Total Reviews: 30

Comments

Amanda W

"Great training! So helpful. I really enjoyed it."

Lynn O

"This was an excellent seminar. I thoroughly enjoyed it. "

Katie H

"Can't say enough good things about this training or Dr. Erica Sirrine. She was so incredible in her knowledge, interaction, and delivery throughout this webinar. I wish I could take every CE and certification course from her!"

Lisa C

"One of the best workshops I've been to in a long time; and, I have very high standards. THank you Erica! "

Jennifer S

"This training was amazing and taught me so much. I am excited to continue my education and work with individuals that are grieving. "

Caroline F

"Erica was fabulous and such a wealth of knowledge! "

D’Janero C

"Dr. Erica is absolutely amazing!!!! I learned things that I never would've though about or imagined. "

Jeannine S

"I enjoy Pesi Seminars! The speakers are so knowledgeable and the program is very organized! Thank you!"

Marla H

"One of the best trainings I have attended!!!!!"

India H

"This was the best PESI course I have attended. I learned SO MUCH and the presenter was great! She was very engaging and I walked away with so much practical knowledge that I can utilize in my practice. I enjoyed it so much that I plan to watch the full recording again to make sure that I capture all the wonderful information that was provided. "

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