Virtual-Complicated Grief Following Coronavirus

Identifying and Stabilizing the Hidden Sources of Mental Health Trauma During the Post-Pandemic Years. (2 day certification course)

Description: COVID-19 impacted everyone psychologically in different ways, and for some the greatest mental health challenge to manage will be from complicated grief following complex trauma. The losses people are facing are significant. Death by disease, or loss of loved one to suicide. Debt, financial ruin, recession, failing business, job loss to layoff or companies filing for bankruptcy, relapse to drugs/alcohol/addiction, relationships shattered by betrayal, lost friends who moved to find work, all complicated by a lost sense of ‘normal’ life.

What is a counselor to do in providing answers to those facing overwhelming loss and significant sorrow during these traumatic times?

Not since the Great Depression has our country faced such challenges, which fit an often-overlooked clinical diagnosis “Prolonged Grief Disorder" in ICD11 or “Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder” in DSM5.

Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder is a severe and persistent grief and mourning reaction, full of overwhelming stress, loss, deep sadness, and inconsolable grieving. Characterized by longing for the deceased or persistent preoccupation with the deceased accompanied by intense emotional pain (such as sadness, guilt, anger, denial, blame, difficulty accepting the death, feeling one has lost a part of one’s self, an inability to experience positive mood, emotional numbness, difficulty in engaging with social or other activities as described by the World Health Organization). DSM5, includes a condition of Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder (PCBD) codable as a “severe and persistent grief and mourning reaction” in “Other Specified Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorder” 309.89 (F43.8). Guidelines for this diagnosis include the occurrence of a “persistent and pervasive grief response characterized by longing for the deceased or persistent preoccupation with the deceased accompanied by intense emotional pain (e.g. sadness, guilt, anger, denial, blame, difficulty accepting the death, feeling one has lost a part of one’s self, an inability to experience positive mood, emotional numbness, difficulty in engaging with social or other activities)”. Additionally, provisional criteria for PCBD are provided in Section III, “Conditions for Further Study.” It is expected unresolved complex grief from pandemic related trauma will ripple across every level of society leading to multiple psychological and physical reactions, especially for young children and the elderly.

Before COVID-19 the Center for Disease Control recorded approximately 2 million deaths annually in the USA with the life expectancy at 78.6 years. Based on the figures that each individual death affects from 8-10 family members, it is calculated there are 16 to 20 million new mourners each year. Some estimates show as many as one in three bereavements result in self-destructive or pathological patterns of grief. This data would indicate potentially, 5-6 million new cases of complicated mourning annually. These statistics may not consider others touched by the death including neighbors, friends, co-workers, students, or others outside the immediate family. Considering these affected individuals and the complex trauma COVID-19 is creating, the ripple effect of complicated grief could be much worse.

Every counselor must guide clients in managing sadness from loss, but not every counselor is skilled in guiding clients through the emotions of complicated grief after traumatic loss. Gaining new skills for evaluating and guiding persons through their own grief map after experiencing traumatic loss will be a technique counselors can use every day in work with clients. This two day certification course is designed for counselors and caregivers who work with people experiencing complex grief and distressing loss following a major traumatic event like the COVID-19 pandemic.

CE Broker Tracking #: 20-875786

This event is sponsored by FMHCA, an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider. FMHCA NBCC Provider# 2058. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  FMHCA is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. This course is approved by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling, LMHC, LMFT, LCSW – FMHCA CE Broker #: 50-748

Learning Objectives- after two days of intensive training the participant will be able to:

1. Identify the characteristics of COVID-19 trauma and complicated grief.
2. Identify normal and pathological grief responses from COVID-19 and other traumatic losses like suicide.
3. Understand how to build a grief map to guide clients through their individual losses.
4. Describe factors that may help or hinder the traumatic grief process and lead to other mental health disorders or self-destructive behavior.
5. Review techniques to utilize in guiding people grieving complicated traumatic loss and identify resources for linking them to continued care.

“Complex grief affects every human. Going deep into your own grief journey as a counselor will prepare you to help more people than you could imagine. This course is an emotional healing experience designed to equip you to help others heal from grief.” -Dwight Bain, LMHC, NCC"

This training is taught by Dwight Bain, an ICISF.org certified crisis response trainer who worked at Ground Zero after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and has equipped thousands of counselors with rapid psychological recovery skills. Dwight describes this course as the most useful he has ever found to rapidly manage complex grief and loss, both for practitioners and for their work with clients facing complex grief and trauma. Dwight Bain helps people rewrite their story through strategic change. He is a trusted media source quoted by - the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, MSNBC, and many more. You may have seen him on television or heard him on radio since he has been interviewed on hundreds of stations about finding creative ways to solve stress. Dwight’s skill as a communicator led Toastmasters to select him as the best public speaker in central Florida. He has challenged thousands of audiences toward positive change at organizations like Disney, Toyota, the United States Army, and the United Way. He is a best-selling author about creating positive change through books, blogs, podcasts and has been quoted in over 20 books. Dwight is a lifelong resident of Orlando where he lives with his wife Sheila and an assortment of pets. After 30 years together they always have suitcases packed ready for their next adventure. His purpose is to help you figure out a better way to solve problems, so grab a pen and get ready to map out creative ways to solve complicated situations with our speaker today.