Navigating Tomorrow’s Loss

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Handouts

Speaker

Erica H Sirrine, PhD, LCSW, FT Related seminars and products

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Dr. Erica Sirrine is a licensed clinical social worker with over 25 years of experience in the field of death, dying, and bereavement. She earned a PhD in social work and has been awarded the distinction of Fellow in Thanatology by the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Dr. Sirrine has conducted and published research on grief and bereavement, including a study on college student experiences of loss amid the COVID-19 pandemic that was published in OMEGA: Journal of Death and Dying and featured in TIME magazine. She maintains a blog on grief and is the author of Sammy’s Story, an anticipatory grief counseling book for young children experiencing the serious illness of a parent.

Dr. Sirrine has extensive expertise providing individual and group therapy to children, adolescents, adults, and families experiencing illness and loss. She has implemented numerous interventions and programs aimed at improving the emotional health of clients and currently serves as the director of social work at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Dr. Sirrine frequently presents seminars on bereavement and loss throughout the United States and is known for her interactive and engaging workshops.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Erica Sirrine has employment relationships with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. She receives royalties as a self-published author and a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Erica Sirrine is a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, the Association of Pediatric Oncology Social Workers, the National Alliance for Children’s Grief, and the National Association of Social Workers.

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Objectives

1. Apply knowledge of anticipatory and preparatory grief to clients experiencing impending losses.  
2. Employ creative legacy-building and anticipatory grief interventions for children, adolescents, adults, and families. 
3. Facilitate developmentally appropriate conversations about illness, death, and loss to promote healthy coping. 

Outline

Introduction  

• Overview of Anticipatory and Preparatory Grief  
• Importance of Understanding Their Constructs  
• Risks and Limitations 

Anticipatory and Preparatory Grief: Concepts and Applications  

• Definition and Characteristics  
• Application to Death and Non-Death Losses  

The Role of Sustained Hope at End-of-Life  .

• Definition and Significance  
• Impact on End-of-Life Experience  

Anticipatory Grief Reactions Across Age Groups  

• Children, Adolescents, Adults  

Engaging in Sensitive Conversations About Anticipatory Grief  

• Importance of Communication  
• Tips for Discussing End-of-Life Matters  

Preparing for Memorial Services and Return to Normal Life  

• Supporting Attendees B. Strategies for Reintegrating into Daily Life  

Legacy-Building Interventions and Meaning-Making  

• Definition of Legacy-Building B. Techniques for Promoting Meaning-Making  

Conclusion  

• Summary  
• Application of Strategies in Practice 

Target Audience

• Psychiatrists   
• Psychologists  
• Counselors   
• Social Workers  
• Marriage and Family Therapists   
• Nurses   
• Physicians  
• Other Mental Health Professionals