0097 - Traumatic Bereavement

Course Description

Hours: 12

When a death is sudden, unexpected or violent, trauma often acts as a "gatekeeper", interrupting the natural fluidity of mourning. Traumatic bereavement is not merely the presence of two separate experiences; it is a complex, bidirectional interaction where the trauma response and the mourning experience become inextricably linked. This intersection can create an overwhelming sense of fragmentation, where the intrusive nature of the death event obstructs the bereaved person's capacity to orient themselves within their new reality.

This Professional Development course explores the physiological and psychological impact of traumatic death, including how evocative cues become embedded within neural pathways, creating a state of high autonomic arousal that challenges the adaptive process of grieving. Moving beyond traditional, linear frameworks, we will utilize non-death-phobic, grief-literate language to examine the recent inclusion of Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) in the DSM-5-TR and its implications for clinical practice in Canada.

Participants will gain a robust understanding of trauma-integrated support, moving from "informed" care to active, skilled intervention that prioritizes nervous system stabilization and the reconstruction of meaning.

Learning Objectives
By the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to identify and apply best practices regarding:

• Complex Mourning Dynamics: Differentiating between integrated and traumatic bereavement.
• Neurobiology of Sudden Death: Understanding the impact of trauma on the grieving brain.
• Assessment and Prolonged Grief Disorder: Understanding the DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria for Prolonged Grief Disorder.
• Stigmatized Death: Supporting individuals through deaths involving suicide, homicide or overdose.
• Trauma-Integrated Intervention: Clinical modalities for treating the intersection of grief and trauma.
• Ceremonies and Rituals: Using ceremonies to support post-traumatic integration.
• Sustaining the Clinician: Strategies for vicarious resilience and ethical self-attunement.

Notes

Time Zone: All listed class times are held in ET (Ontario, Canada)

For more information contact the Faculty of Social Work Professional Development office:

Email: fswprofessionaldevelopment@wlu.ca
Remote: 548-889-5128

Cancellations and Transfers
Be sure to carefully review our cancellation and transfer information before registering.

Website: wlu.ca/fswpd

Applies Towards the Following Certificates

• Death, Dying and Bereavement Certificate : Death, Dying and Bereavement Certificate
• Trauma Certificate : Trauma Certificate