103 | When Grief is Complicated: Evidence-based Strategies to Tackle the Multifaceted Nature of Grief

Psychologists, licensed mental health professionals, and ministry leaders understand how different the course of a person’s grief journey can be and how it is dependent on so many variables including the level of attachment and frequency of contact. In this workshop, attendees will examine significant components in such as the role relationship of the person who died (spouse, parent, child, sibling, or friend) to the griever, how those role losses are typically manifested, and the evidence-based research of the complicating factors that accompany the death, such as the differences with a sudden, anticipated, disenfranchised, traumatic or suicidal death. Furthermore, other factors such as multiple deaths in a relatively brief time period, and the individual life circumstances of the griever (e.g., financial, education level, spiritual values, type and stability of employment, suitability of living arrangements, and the number, age, and relationship with children) can also impact the grief felt by the client. The evidence-based research on each of these factors will be discussed with regard to the recommended treatment approaches and strategies, along with special attention to spiritual interventions for Christian clients, to help achieve the goal of a healthy journey through grief and to avoid a clinical diagnosis of prolonged grief disorder.