Working with Complex, Prolonged Grief

Working with Complex, Prolonged Grief:
Addressing Crisis of meaning and Existential angst

online via zoom over four half-days

Thur 15 & Fri 16 and Thursday 22 & Fri 23 OCTOBER ( 2nd course for 2026)

This 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
Grief and the Body – Working Holistically with Loss and Bereavement: 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 holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Grief and Bereavement) and is an accredited Counsellor and Social Worker, providing counselling, supervision and education with a focus on grief, bereavement and trauma. Greg brings a strong interest in holistic approaches to the many and varied challenges in life. As an educator and trainer, he adopts an inductive and experiential approach, with the intention of creating a learning dialogue between himself and participants. Greg co-founded the Suicide Prevention Awareness Network (SPAN) in Victoria and is the Founder and Director of the Grief & Trauma Support service, based in Victoria, Australia.

ONLINE via ZOOM

Date: Thur 15 & Fri 16 and Thursday 22 & Fri 23 OCTOBER 2026 (2nd course for this year)
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 (flat rate – payment is due 21 days before start of the workshop or earlier*)
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.

* If payment is not received on or before 21 days before the workshop, your place will be offered to someone else