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Webinar

F25-700 Holding Space for Grief: Mind-Body Practices for Clients and Clinicians

Total Credits: 3 Category I CEs

Categories:
700 Professional Growth & Development |  New
Instructor:
Christina Simmons, LCSW-C LICSW LCSW
Course Levels:
Intermediate
Duration:
3 Hours 15 Minutes
Target Audience:
Social Workers, LCPCs, and Psychologists
Dates
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Description

This training integrates principles from mind–body medicine and attachment-informed grief therapy to equip therapists with effective strategies for addressing various dimensions of grief and loss. Emphasis is placed on assisting apathetic clients, those experiencing prolonged grief, understanding cultural perspectives on death and dying, applying mind–body techniques, and implementing self-care practices to prevent therapist burnout.   

 

This workshop is in accordance with and compliance with the NASW Standards with a focus on service, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, competence, and social workers’ ethical responsibilities to clients, in practice settings, as professionals, to the social work profession, to the broader society. 

This workshop is in compliance with the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners’ COMAR 10.42.03.06.A(5) and with the District of Columbia Board of Social Work 17-70-7008.4.   

Instructor

Christina Simmons, LCSW-C LICSW LCSW Related Seminars and Products

Christina graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she obtained a Bachelor of Social Work Degree. Christina graduated summa cum laude from the University of Maryland School of Social Work. She graduated with a Master of Social Work, concentrating on clinical mental health. Christina is currently pursuing a PhD in mind–body medicine, specializing in integrative mental health, integrative and functional nutrition, and clinical hypnosis.    

Throughout the course of her career, Christina has worked in the following areas: child welfare, domestic violence, clinical mental health, medical social work, and substance abuse. Christina has worked in the following settings: departments of social services, nonprofits, outpatient mental health centers, hospitals, and federal qualified health centers. These experiences led to the development of her own private practice, in which she gives special attention to marginalized populations in a therapeutic environment.   

Christina speaks and presents about mental health, domestic violence, homicide, trauma, child abuse/neglect, self-care, and trauma-informed care. Christina focuses on healing from traumatic events using integrative, mind–body approaches. As a social worker, she also supervises and trains other social workers seeking independent licensure. Currently, she is expanding her knowledge of healing from trauma through current training in somatic experiencing.     

She has completed the following training programs:  

  • Advanced Trauma Treatment Level 1 from The Ferentz Institute   

  • Advanced Trauma Treatment Level 2 from The Ferentz Institute   

  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) from Rivers Edge Institute   

  • Internal Family Systems from Frank Anderson   

  • Professional Training Program in Mind-Body Medicine from Center for Mind-Body Medicine   

  • Advanced Training Program in Mind-Body Medicine from Center for Mind-Body Medicine   

  • Decolonizing Therapy for Black Folk from Kindred Wellness  

  • Basic Pranic Healing Level 1 from Institute for Inner Studies   

  • Advanced Pranic Healing Level 2 from Institute for Inner Studies   

  • Pranic Psychotherapy from Institute for Inner Studies  

  • Somatic Experiencing from Somatic Experiencing International    

Christina is a wife, a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, and the proud daughter of a Vietnam Veteran. She’s passionate about healing, social justice, mental health, and mental wellness.  

Agenda & Learning Objectives

AGENDA:

8:50 am – 9:00 am Log on 

9:00 am – 10:30 am 

Understanding Grief and Loss:  

  • Examine grief through mind-body and attachment theory perspectives.  

  • Discuss the impact of attachment styles on grief responses.  

Engaging Apathetic Clients:  

  • Explore underlying causes of apathy in the context of grief.  

Supporting Clients Stuck in Grief:  

  • Identify signs indicating clients are experiencing prolonged or complicated grief.  

  • Apply attachment-informed grief therapy interventions to assist clients in processing their loss  

  • Facilitate meaning-making and narrative reconstruction to help clients integrate their loss into their life story.  

10:30 am – 10:45 am BREAK  

10:45 am – 12:15 pm  

Cultural Considerations in Death and Dying:  

  • Explore how cultural backgrounds influence beliefs and practices surrounding death and mourning.  

  • Develop cultural humility to enhance sensitivity and effectiveness in grief counseling.  

  • Incorporate culturally appropriate rituals and practices into therapeutic interventions when appropriate.  

Mind-Body Techniques for Grief Processing:  

  • Introduce mind-body spirit techniques for processing  

  • Roles of acceptance, ritual, and forgiveness in grief processing  

Preventing Therapist Burnout:  

  • Recognize signs and symptoms of burnout specific to grief counseling.  

  • Develop a personalized self-care plan that includes regular mind-body practices to maintain emotional resilience.  

12:15 pm Adjournment 

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Upon the completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Comprehend the multifaceted nature of grief and loss through the lenses of mind–body medicine and attachment theory.    

  • Identify and implement strategies to engage apathetic clients and support those experiencing prolonged grief.    

  • Recognize and respect diverse cultural attitudes toward death and dying in therapeutic settings.    

  • Apply mind–body techniques to facilitate clients’ emotional processing and healing.    

Bibliography & References

BIBLIOGRAPHY & REFERENCES

Kosminsky, P. (2022). Attachment informed grief therapy. The Handbook of Grief Therapies, 91. 

Russ, V., Stopa, L., Sivyer, K., Hazeldine, J., & Maguire, T. (2024). The relationship between adult attachment and complicated grief: A systematic review. OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying, 89(4), 1293-1319.  

Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2022). An attachment perspective on loss and grief. Current opinion in psychology, 45, 101283. 

Duncan, S., & Pond, R. (2024). Effective burnout prevention strategies for counsellors and other therapists: a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 1-30. 

Peterson, A., Borsellino, P., Davidson, R., Ezeanolue, E., Lagasca, G., Diaz, J., Batra, K., & Weisman, A. (2024). The Effectiveness of Mind-Body Intervention on Psychological Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Pilot Pre-Post Interventional Study. Healthcare, 12(11), 1125. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12111125 

Trnka, R., Krtek, A., & Lorencova, R. (2024). Bridging realms: Western client perspectives on psychotherapy inspired by Indigenous healing. Explore (New York, N.Y.), 20(6), 103059-. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2024.103059 

Singh, R. (2022). Medicine Versus Religion: A Religio-Cultural Study of Death and Dying in Contemporary Kashian Society. Journal of Religion and Health, 61(6), 4903-4912. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-020-01136-y 

Course Completion & CE Information

Category I Maryland BSWE Requirement

The Office of Continuing Professional Education at the University of Maryland School of Social Work is authorized by the Board of Social Work Examiners in Maryland to sponsor social work continuing education programs. This workshop qualifies for 3 Category I Continuing Education Units. The Office of Continuing Professional Education is also authorized by the Maryland Board of Psychologists and the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors to sponsor Category A continuing professional education. 

 

ASWB Information 

University of Maryland School of Social Work Office of Continuing Professional Education, #1611, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 2/11/2024-2/11/2027.  

To receive ACE credit, full attendance is required; no partial credits will be given for partial attendance. 

 

Certificate Access

To access the evaluation and certificate, click on the orange certificate button in your CPE account. Once you complete the evaluation, access to the certificate will be available.  

Live Interactive Webinars (Cat I) and Live Webinars (Cat II) - Allow up to 30 minutes post-training for attendance to be verified, then you will be able to access the evaluation and certificate. 

In Person Trainings - Please allow five (5) business days post-training for attendance to be verified, then you will be able to access the evaluation and certificate. 

 

Please refer to the tab "Live Interactive Webinar Policies & FAQs" for UMSSW Office of CPE policies regarding all live interactive webinar related matters. Contact our office at cpe@ssw.umaryland.edu for more information.  

Evaluation

Participants will have access to the evaluation after attendance has been verified. Evaluations will be available for one (1) week after the workshop has ended.  

After one (1) week, participants will no longer have access to the evaluation and will have to contact CPE about reactivation.

Target Audience

Social Workers, LCPCs, and Psychologists

We welcome anyone interested in the topic!

 

Live Interactive Webinar Platforms

LIVE INTERACTIVE WEBINAR PLATFORMS

The Office of Continuing Professional Education hosts Live Interactive Webinars through Zoom. This platform offers a high quality and user-friendly webinar platform for our registrants.

System Requirements:

  • Operating Systems: Windows XP or higher; MacOS 9 or higher; Android 4.0 or higher.
  • Internet Browser: Google Chrome; Firefox 10.0 or higher.

Our system is not compatible with the Safari web browser.

  • Broadband Internet Connection: Cable, High-speed DSL and any other medium that is internet accessible.

**Please have your device charging at all times to ensure that your device does not lose power during the webinar.

Course Interaction Requirements:

To participate in Live Interactive Webinars, you MUST have a device that allows you to view the presentation on screen and hear the instructor at all times. We do not allow participants to call-in from their phones or mobile devices and solely listen to the presentation. Participation in Live Interactive Webinars is mandatory.

Our webinar policies can be found on our website by clicking here.

Webinar Policies & FAQs

Click The Link to View The Webinar Policies & FAQs

https://umbsswcpe.ce21.com/Page/live-interactive-webinar-procedures-policies-4129

 

 

Code of Conduct

The Office of Continuing Professional Education at the University of Maryland School of Social Work adheres to the NASW Code of Ethics. This policy is to ensure that the training environment for social work professionals remains respectful, productive, and conducive to learning. Disruptive behavior that interferes with the learning process, disrupts the training experience for others, or undermines the integrity of the program will not be tolerated.

 

Expectations for Participant Engagement:

In alignment with the NASW Code of Ethics and the University of Maryland Baltimore Code of Conduct, participants are expected to demonstrate professionalism, which includes respecting confidentiality, maintaining a collaborative and respectful tone, and contributing positively to the group dynamic. Disclosures made during the training (e.g., case studies or personal reflections) must be handled with care and in accordance with ethical and legal guidelines.

All participants in the training program are expected to:

  • Engage actively in the learning process and show respect for the opinions and contributions of others.
  • Demonstrate professionalism in both attitude and behavior, maintaining respect for instructors, peers, and the training environment.
  • Maintain open communication by expressing concerns or disagreements constructively and respectfully.
  • Follow the guidelines and expectations provided by instructors and facilitators.
  • Support a collaborative learning environment where all participants feel valued and safe to contribute.

 

Instructors and CPE staff reserve the right to dismiss participants who do not adhere to ethical/professional principles and standards. If removed, CEs will be adjusted to reflect the time attended, unless otherwise specified. 

ADA Accommodations

If you are requesting ADA accommodations, please contact our office via email at least two weeks prior to the workshop date. Requests after that date may not be fulfilled.  

Our email address is cpe@ssw.umaryland.edu.  

Late Fees and Refunds

The base price is $70, which includes CE credit.  

Cancellations: **ALL cancellations will be subjected to a $35.00 administration fee.**  To be eligible for a refund or CPE account credit, cancellations must be made at least 24 hours before the workshop. 

For more information, please read the general policies on our website.  

 

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