What Will Learn?

This course provides an overview of the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of complicated grief. It covers the latest research on the causes, symptoms, and effects of complicated grief as well as evidence-based interventions for helping individuals who are struggling with this condition. The course also provides a comprehensive look at how to develop a treatment plan that is tailored to an individual’s specific needs. Participants will gain a better understanding of how to create a supportive environment for their clients and learn strategies for helping them cope with their loss.

This course is part of the Accelerated Doctoral in Grief Counseling program at AITU. The aim of this course is to provide students with a working understanding of the dynamics of “complicated” grief and how to facilitate this process through counseling. Clients with complicated grief may feel that the bereavement process has taken over their lives, gone on unaltered for a long time, and/or led them to feel “stuck in time.” Conversely, complicated grief may present as muted, absent or “blank” reactions to loss. This may actually sustain problematic, emotional dynamics of denial and displacement that can in turn facilitate a host of issues (from depression to addictions). This course will provide you with an understanding of these topics and the skills needed to approach them therapeutically within the context of counseling. It is a 6-hour semester course that should be completed within 6 weeks.