Working with Complex, Prolonged Grief:
Addressing Crisis of meaning and Existential angst
online via zoom over four half-days
2024 workshops completed – next workshop Feb/Mar 2026 (date TBC)
This 2 day existentially-informed workshop may be taken as stand-alone CPD or as part of an accreditation pathway*
Grief is experienced in a range of ways, it’s ongoing, doesn’t stop and is part of life’s journey. But sometimes grief has the power to significantly challenge the griever’s ability to function in their daily life, even after a lengthy stretch of time. This has become known as complex grief or prolonged grief in which painful emotions are so long-lasting and severe that the griever has trouble coping with their changed reality and day to day life becomes a continual struggle.
In this experiential workshop we will explore modern notions of complex and prolonged grief while considering how to work therapeutically with clients in a way that facilitates growth and a re-engagement with life.
Some of the contributing stressors we will be looking at are:
- The way the death or loss occurred
- Experiences of trauma for the grieving person
- Attachment and nature of the relationship with the deceased or what has gone
- Former losses and life changes
- Current support network
- Life stage and grieving style
- Culture, faith and beliefs
- Additional stressors in the griever’s life, not directly connected to the death or loss
By combining theory, practice knowledge and the therapeutic ‘self’ of the therapist, our aim is to increase your ability to work with clients whose lives have become significantly disrupted by their experience of change, loss and/or death.
You will leave this 2 day workshop with:
- An enhanced understanding of love and fear as part of grief
- Ways to explore, measure and work with risks and resilience factors
- An increased capacity to support clients as they search to make sense of their loss
- The what, when and how of offering invitations to ‘live life’ after a loss or death
Facilitator: Dr Greg Roberts PhD, BSW (Hons), MAASW
Greg Roberts introduces this workshop as part of an existentially-informed series that is designed for practitioners wanting to develop their skills in the field of grief, loss and bereavement. The series is designed for both practitioners who are new to this field of practice and those that are experienced and wanting to add to their professional development in specific areas of grief, loss and bereavement. Other workshops in the Grief, Loss & Bereavement series include:
- Stepping into the Heart of Grief and Loss – Working Beyond Models (introductory workshop): workshop details here
- Grief and Trauma – Safe and Effective Ways of Working with Sudden and Unexpected Loss, Death: workshop details here
- Grief Across The Life Span – Children, Adolescents, Adults and Older Age: workshop details here
- Anticipatory and Non-Finite Grief – Supporting Clients through Terminal/Chronic Illness, Injury and Disability: workshop details here
*Accreditation Pathways
Completing the five 2-day Grief and Loss workshop series – which encompasses face-to-face workshop hours, readings and successful completion of two assessments – fulfills the grief and loss training component required for certification with:
Grief Australia – formerly Australian Centre for Grief & Bereavement (Australian certification)*
See full information on Grief Australia certification here
Association for Death Education and Counselling (International certification)*
See full information on ADEC certification here
*notes: Meeting the training criteria for ADEC entitles you to sit their certification exam. Certification is fee-based for both ACGB and ADEC
Greg Roberts PhD, BSW (Hons), MAASW
Greg is a Doctor of Philosophy (Grief and Bereavement) and an accredited Counsellor and Social Worker with specialisation in the field of grief, bereavement and trauma. He founded a suicide bereavement support group in 2004 and co-founded the Suicide Prevention Awareness Network (SPAN) in Victoria. Greg is the Manager of Client Care Volunteers for Peninsula Home Hospice and the Founder and Director of the Grief & Trauma Support service in Geelong, Victoria.
ONLINE via ZOOM
Date: 2024 workshops completed. Next workshop Feb/Mar 2026 (date TBC)
Time: 9.30am to 12.45pm AEST each day (15 minute breaks each session are accommodated)
Location: online via zoom (registrants will receive an invitation to participate and all the details they require in advance of the date)
Cost: $480 (Early Bird flat rate)
CPD Hours: 12
note to registrants:
if you have registered for other CEP online workshops the registration form will show checked boxes for those. That is your personal record, so please just check the box for this registration – you do not need to uncheck the others.
