David Kessler On Grief and Grieving

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David Kessler, MA, RN, FACHE Related seminars and products

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David Kessler is one of the world’s foremost experts on grief and loss. His experience with thousands of people on the edge of life and death has taught him the secrets to living a happy and fulfilled life, even after life’s tragedies.

He is the author of six books, including his latest bestselling book, Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief. He co-authored two books with Elisabeth Kubler Ross, Life Lessons and On Grief and Grieving, updating her 5 stages for grief. He also co-wrote, You Can Heal Your Heart with Louise Hay. He authored Visions Trips and Crowded Rooms: Who and What You See Before You Die. His first book, The Needs of The Dying received praise from Saint (Mother) Teresa.

David’s personal experience as a child witnessing a mass shooting while his mother was dying in a hospital helped him begin his journey. For most of his life, David has taught physicians, nurses, counselors, police, and first responders about the end of life, trauma, and grief. However, despite his vast knowledge of grief, his life was turned upside down by the sudden death of his twenty-one-year-old son.

David’s volunteer work includes being a founding member of Project Angel Food, a well-known and loved non-profit organization. He currently serves on the board of The Farrah Fawcett Foundation which provides cancer research, patient assistance, and prevention efforts. He also serves as Specialist Reserve for the Los Angeles Police as well as having served on the Red Cross’s disaster services team.

He has a new online model of grief support called Tender Hearts with over 25 groups each as well as one of the most respected Grief Certification programs. He is the founder of www.grief.com, which receives millions of visits yearly providing helpful resources to over 167 countries.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: David Kessler is the is the co-founder and President Emeritus of Project Angel Food. He is a published author and receives royalties. David Kessler receives a speaking honorarium and recording and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: David Kessler is a board member for the Farrah Fawcett Foundation. He is a team member of the Health Care Executives of Southern California, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Red Cross.

Additional Info

Program Information

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Target Audience

• Counselors
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Nurses
• Case Managers
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Chaplains/Clergy Hospitals
• Palliative Care Services
• Other Mental Health Professionals

Outline

• Treatment strategies
• Tools for normalizing anticipatory grief for the patient/client

• Tools for preparing for the loss
• Interventions for coping enhancement for funerals
• The forgotten grievers
• Learn the truth about children going to funerals and open caskets

• Simplifying the model
• Murder, multiple losses, sudden death, suicide
• Alzheimer’s

• Delayed
• Disenfranchised
• Ambiguous
• Inconclusive
• Complicated
• Average response
• Resilience

• Learn alternatives to forgiveness
• Understand when it works and why it doesn’t
• Learn techniques your client can use to actually find forgiveness

• Understand how grief of suicide is different
• Learn techniques for releasing feelings of responsibility
• Tools for healing grief after suicide

• Help understand how we hold grief in our body
• Learn techniques your client can use to get in touch with residual grief in the body
• Understand the ways the body remembers

• How we often re-traumatize ourselves in grief
• Learn the difference between releasing grief and replaying traumatic events
• How vicarious trauma can affect the clinician

• Learn how positive psychology can be used in healing grief
• Understand why clients may treat themselves harshly in grief
• Learn new ways to decrease suffering after a loss

• Learn why pet loss is just as significant as other losses
• Understand why clients may not reveal loss of a pet
• Learn new ways to help with feelings of exaggerated responsibility

• Learn how to take care of ourselves when being surrounded by loss
• Understand why we sometimes over identify with clients
• Understand if it’s helpful to self-disclose about the clinicians loss

• Learn what to say and what not to say
• Understand proven strategies that will help clients heal themselves while not getting lost in others’ grief
• Tools for normalizing anticipatory grief for the patient/client

• Bullycide
• Anniversaries
• Holidays – the seen and unseen
• Birthdays

• Shootings/hurricanes/earthquakes and terrorist acts
• Techniques for approaching horrific crime and/or disaster scenes
• The impact of natural vs. manmade disasters

Objectives

1. Analyze the dynamics of different types of grief and the healing processes associated with each.
2. Specify age appropriate grieving milestones that occur across the lifespan.
3. Articulate the somatic response to grief and identify how to manage residual grief in the body.
4. Determine why children are often the “forgotten grievers” and identify strategies for helping this population.
5. Analyze the efficacy of positive psychology interventions in treating grief.
6. Ascertain the relationship between traumatic events and grief as it relates to the healing process.