Culturally Responsive Grief Counseling

Credit

Speaker

Ciara Dennis-Morgan, PhD Related seminars and products

Minority Behavioral Health Group

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Ciara Dennis-Morgan, PhD, serves as clinical director at Minority Behavioral Health Group in Akron, Ohio. Dr. Dennis-Morgan has over 15 years of experience in working with children, adults, couples, and families with a variety of issues including grief, anxiety, trauma, marital issues and more. She earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University and completed her APA accredited internship at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Her current research involvement and interests are in the areas of cultural competency, spirituality, trauma, yoga, intimate partner violence and African centered theory and treatment.

Additional Info

Program Information

You will have access for 90 days after the program for review. For live CE credit, you must watch the live webcast in its entirety at its scheduled time and complete the CE quiz and evaluation within one week. Please note that this requirement may vary by credit type. Please see detailed credit information for specific requirements for each credit type.

Please note: There will be a 70-minute lunch and two 15-minute breaks; one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Lunch and break times will be announced by the speaker and at their discretion. A more detailed schedule is available upon request.

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

Objectives

1. Analyze how culture shapes grief experiences, including coping styles and grief trajectories across different cultural settings.
2. Modify appropriate grief disorder assessment instruments for diverse populations.
3. Evaluate how culturally grounding practices and rituals can support culturally attuned clinical care.
4. Apply culturally sensitive principles when implementing grief interventions with minorities, refugees, and other vulnerable groups.
5. Utilize expressive and somatic interventions with grieving clients to help them process the loss of a loved one.
6. Analyze practice guidelines regarding common ethical challenges in grief work including boundary crossings.

Outline

Understanding Grief Across Cultures

• Definitions, myths, and misconceptions about grief
• Common responses
• Diagnostic considerations
• Cultural variations in grief expression
• Intersectionality: how identity shapes grief experiences
• Reflecting on personal biases and experiences with grief

Grief Assessment and Measurement

• Grief assessment tools
• Assess complicated or prolonged grief
• Adapt assessment approaches for diverse populations
• Evaluate grief in special populations

Evidence-Based Therapeutic Interventions

• Individual, group, and family therapy approaches
• Trauma-informed strategies for grief work
• Integrate somatic and expressive techniques
• Teach adaptive coping and resilience-building
• Research, risks and limitations
• Case studies

Culturally Grounded Practices and Rituals

• Culturally specific mourning practices
• Incorporate rituals into therapy ethically and effectively
• Support clients in honoring cultural and spiritual traditions
• Navigate cultural differences and client preferences

Ethical Considerations

• Professional boundaries while providing grief support
• Documentation and risk management
• Vicarious grief in clinicians
• Navigate cross-cultural ethical dilemmas

Self-Reflection and Clinical Skill Integration

• Reflect on personal grief and its impact on clinical practice
• Build cultural humility as a clinician
• Integrate cultural responsiveness into cohesive care
• Practical exercises and case applications

Target Audience

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