Understanding & Supporting Grieving Youth: A Scientist-Practitioner Approach – MMHPI – Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute

Understanding & Supporting Grieving Youth: A Scientist-Practitioner Approach

Given that a “one-size-fits-all” approach to grief support is typically ineffective, a critical task for professionals is to effectively decide which type of grief support (e.g., peer support and/or individual therapy) and practice elements are most appropriate based on the unique needs and strengths of the children they serve. This task has become even more important, albeit more challenging, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Significant environmental risk factors associated with the pandemic have infringed upon children’s adaptive grieving, including the inability to say goodbye to a dying loved one, imagining or hearing about the person’s suffering, and difficulties obtaining much-needed social support due to social distancing. Using multidimensional grief theory as a foundation, this workshop will describe specific bereavement-related challenges that youth typically face after the death of a loved one. We will discuss the ways in which adverse grief reactions may be amplified following the pandemic and review evidence-based practice elements that can support grieving youth.

  • Date & Time: September 10, 2021, 9:00am-12:00pm CST
  • Speaker: Julie Kaplow, PhD, ABPP
  • Audiences: clinicians working with grieving youth
  • Series: Children’s Bereavement Center of San Antonio