The loss of a loved one commonly challenges a griever’s sense of purpose, meaning, and identity as well as adaptive meaning-making processes. These challenges sometimes contribute to and are even indicative of prolonged grief reactions. Grief experts have therefore long-argued the value of focusing on “meaning” in therapeutic pursuits.

This webinar will describe application of a manualized therapeutic approach, Meaning-Centered Grief Therapy (MCGT), for bereaved parents. MCGT is a 16-session, one-on-one, cognitive-behavioral-experiential-existential intervention that highlights four core concepts, helping the bereaved to recognize:

1. Their ability to choose their attitude in the face of suffering
2. Their ability to connect to sources of meaning in their lives
3. Their ability to choose how they construct meaning about different life events, including the death
4. Their ability to remain connected to the deceased

A randomized controlled trial comparing MCGT to supportive psychotherapy in parents bereaved by cancer demonstrated the promise of MCGT, particularly for parents with higher levels of prolonged grief symptoms, resulting in improvements (moderate to large effect sizes) on parents’ sense of meaning, prolonged grief symptoms, depression, anxiety, hopelessness, continued connection to the deceased child, and functioning at work and with daily activities. Drawing on this research, examples of exercises that may facilitate meaning-making processes and may enhance a sense of meaning will be described, with opportunities for experiential exercises and discussion of applications of MCGT.

Learning Objectives:

• To identify meaning-making challenges that bereaved parents commonly face.
  
• To describe the core principles of Meaning-Centered Grief Therapy.
  
• To describe exercises designed to facilitate meaning-making in bereaved parents.

About the Presenter:

Wendy G. Lichtenthal, Ph.D., is Director of the Bereavement Clinic and an Associate Attending Psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and Assistant Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM). She completed her clinical psychology internship at WCM and a postdoctoral research fellowship in psycho-oncology at MSK, where she was Chief Research Fellow. As a licensed clinical psychologist, her clinical work focuses on bereaved individuals and breast cancer patients utilizing a variety of psychotherapeutic approaches, with an emphasis on cognitive-behavioral and existential therapies. She was a recipient of the International Psycho-Oncology Society Kawano New Investigator Award and the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) Research Recognition Award for her research, which focuses on developing psychosocial interventions to assist with prolonged grief and meaning-making in grieving populations and strategies for identifying the bereaved in greatest need. Her published research on bereavement has been supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Cancer Institute, and the National Institute of Nursing Research. She has been a member of the ADEC Scientific Advisory Committee and Grief Counseling Standards Task Force.

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Accreditation Statement
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Amedco LLC and The Association for Death Education and Counseling. Amedco LLC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physicians (ACCME) Credit Designation Statement
Amedco LLC designates this live and enduring material for a maximum of 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurses (ANCC) Credit Designation Statement
Amedco LLC designates this activity for a maximum of 1.50 ANCC contact hours.

Psychologists (APA) Credit Designation Statement
This course is co-sponsored by Amedco and The Association for Death Education and Counseling. Amedco is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Amedco maintains responsibility for this program and its content. 1.50 hours.

The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for Counselors: AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, ME, MO, NC, ND, NH, NE, NJ, NM, NV, OK*, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI, WY
MI:No CE requirements
*OK:Accepts APA credit for live, in-person activities but not for ethics and/or online courses.
The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for MFTs: AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, MD, ME, MO, NE, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NV, OK*, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WY
AL MFTs:Credits authorized by NBCC or any other state licensing agency will be accepted.
MA MFTs:Participants can self-submit courses not approved by the MAMFT board for review.
The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for Addictions Professionals: AK, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IN, KS, LA, MD, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NY (held outside NY ONLY), OK*, OR, SC, UT, WA, WI, WY
The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for Social Workers:AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, ID, IN, KY, ME, MN, MO, NE, NH, NM, OR, PA, VT, WI, WY

Social Workers (AWWB Credit Designation Statement
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Amedco is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Amedco maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 1.50 GENERAL continuing education credits.

The following state boards accept courses offering ASWB ACE credit for Social Workers:AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NV, OH, OK*, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WI, WV*, WY
*OK:Accepts ASWB ACE for live, in-person activities but not for ethics and/or online courses.
*WV:Accepts ASWB ACE unless activity is held live in West Virginia.
The following state boards accept courses offering ASWB ACE credit for Counselors: AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, MA, MD, ME, MO, ND, NE, NM, NH, NV, OK*, PA, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI, WY
AL: Activities without NBCC approval may be approved upon receipt of documentation prior to the activity BEFORE the event. No approvals afterward by the board.
No CE requirement.
The following state boards accept courses offering ASWB ACE credit for MFTs: AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, IA, ID, IN, KS, MD, ME, MO, NC, NE, NH, NM, NV, OK*, PA, RI, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI, WY
AL MFTs:Credits authorized by NBCC or any other state licensing agency will be accepted.
MA MFTs: Participants can self-submit courses not approved by the MAMFT board for review.
MI:No CE Requirement.
The following state boards accept courses offering ASWB ACE credit for Addictions Professionals:AK, CA, CO, CT, GA, IA, IN, KS, LA, MO, MT, ND, NM, NV, OK, OR, SC, WA, WI, WV, WY

NY Board for Social Worker Credit Designation Statement
Amedco SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0115. 1.50 hours.

New York Board for Mental Health Counselors (NY MHC) Credit Designation Statement
Amedco is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0061. 1.50 hours.

New York Board for Marriage & Family Therapists
Amedco is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists. #MFT-0032. 1.50 hours.

New York Board for Psychology (NY PSY) Credit Designation Statement
Amedco is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0031. 1.50 hours.

ADA Statement
ADA accommodations will be made in accordance with the law. If you require ADA accommodations, please indicate what your needs are at the time of registration. We cannot ensure the availability of appropriate accommodations without prior notification.

Grievances
If you would like to file a grievance, complaint or have questions, please contact ADEC at adec@adec.org.