Continuing Bonds: Redefining Loss and Connection in Grief Therapy
This training explores the continuing bonds theory, shifting the focus of grief work from "letting go" to maintaining meaningful connections with loved ones who have died. Participants will learn to integrate this approach into their practice, using evidence-based strategies and creative interventions to expand clients' grief narratives beyond loss.
Attendees will gain practical skills in assessing and supporting clients’ ongoing connections through lectures, experiential activities, and case studies. The training covers essential topics such as differentiating types of grief, incorporating cultural and spiritual considerations, and addressing ethical issues in grief work.
By the end of this training, participants will be equipped with actionable tools to help clients find meaning and maintain connections, fostering resilience and emotional well-being in their grief journey. This training is ideal for therapists, counselors, social workers, grief coaches, nurse practitioners and other mental health professionals seeking to deepen their understanding of grief and enhance their therapeutic practice.
Target Audience
All mental health professionals welcome.
Learning Levels
- Beginner and Intermediate, all levels welcome
April 7th-9th, 2025
Hybrid Event - Register to attend in person or virtually!
🚗 Silver Bay YMCA
87 Silver Bay Rd., Silver Bay, NY, 12874
🖥 Live Interactive Webinar
In-person with CE Credits: $847 (meals included, lodging not included)
In-person NO CE Credits: $817 (meals included, lodging not included)
Virtual Training with CE Credits: $747
Virtual Training NO CE: $707
Payment Plan Available: Pay $285 over three monthly installments if registered by January 25th. Contact staff@iadcintensives.com to find out more.
Lodging and Accommodations
(*not included in price) Click here to reserve your room in the William Boyd Hotel. If you would like to book a different room on campus, please call Silver Bay directly.
About the Speakers
Kelly Daugherty
LCSW-R, FT, GC-C, BC-TMH
Grief Specialist and Educator
Kelly is a seasoned social worker with over two decades in the clinical field, is a Fellow in Thanatology, specializing in death, dying, and bereavement. Anchored in Malta, NY, she owns Greater Life Grief Counseling, LCSW, and the Center for Informed Grief, LLC. Kelly co-owns Healing Strides, LLC, where emotional and physical well-being intersects in a unique 7-week program for grieving women. Kelly is also a contributing author of Holistic Mental Health and Brave Kids and the lead author of the collaborative book The Grief Experience: Tools for Acceptance, Resilience, and Connection. She is dedicated to revolutionizing grief support by offering tools and insights to individuals and professionals alike.
Connect with Kelly: https://linktr.ee/kellydaugherty
April Hannah
MS.Ed. LMHC, CPC, RMT, SHP
Grief Specialist and Educator
April Hannah is the founder of Hannah's Healing Wellness Studio and the co-founder of Path 11 Productions, with more than 22 years of experience as a licensed mental health therapist. She is a bestselling author of The Grief Experience: Tools for Acceptance, Resilience, and Connection. As a Reiki Master Teacher, she has taught more than 200 students and performed over 12,000 Reiki sessions since 2005. Her wellness studio in Malta, NY, offers 95-100 classes annually, including Reiki training, sound baths, meditation, and retreats. As a dedicated researcher of consciousness and after-death studies, April has explored life beyond physical existence, producing three documentaries on these topics to offer insights into the mysteries of the human experience and hosting a podcast with over 400 distinguished guests. Her unique blend of clinical expertise, energy healing, and spiritual coaching makes her a trusted guide for those seeking healing.
Connect with April: https://linktr.ee/hannahshealing
Upon successfully completing the training, attendees meet the criteria* to become Certified Grief-Informed Professionals through Evergreen Certifications. To learn more about eligibility for this certification, please click here. *Professional standards apply.
Agenda
No CEs awarded for breaks or lunch.
Schedule: In-Person and Virtual
Day 1- In-Person and Virtual 2 CEs
Speaker: Kelly Daugherty, LCSW-R, FT
Schedule:
4:00 to 4:30: Welcome, Objectives
4:30 to 6:00: Foundations of Grief: Understanding Loss and Introducing Continuing Bonds
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Types of grief and their implications for treatment/intervention
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Differentiate between grief counseling vs. grief therapy
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The process of death, dying and mourning
Description:
This introductory session provides a foundational understanding of grief and loss, exploring key concepts and current models that shape contemporary grief therapy. Participants will gain insight into traditional and evolving perspectives on grief, with a focus on the continuing bonds model, which encourages ongoing connections with loved ones who have died. By examining these concepts, attendees will be prepared to build on this knowledge throughout the training as they integrate new tools and approaches for grief work.
Objectives:
- Identify the key concepts and differences among traditional grief models, including continuing bonds, to establish a comprehensive framework for grief therapy.
- Analyze the impact of continuing bonds on clients’ grief narratives, contrasting it with other grief models to understand its unique therapeutic benefits.
Day 2- In-Person and Virtual 7 CEs
Speakers: Kelly Daugherty, LCSW-R, FT, and April Hannah, LMHC
Schedule:
8:30 AM – 10:30 AM: Grief-Informed Care: Tools and Techniques for Effective Therapy – Kelly Daugherty
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Intake assessment of grieving clients, including assessment for depression and suicide
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Interventions and strategies for grief therapy or counseling
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Boundaries of professional competence
10:45 AM – 12:15 PM: Creative Therapies for Grief: Engaging Clients Beyond Words – April Hannah
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Interventions and strategies for grief therapy or counseling
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM: Break/Lunch
1:15 PM – 2:15 PM: Continuing Bonds: Expanding the Grief Narrative – Kelly Daugherty
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Regret, forgiveness, and reconciliation
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Exploring Religious and Spiritual Bias in Grief Work – April Hannah
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Multicultural and spirituality considerations
4:00 PM- 6:30 PM: Break/Dinner
6:30 PM to 8:00 PM: Rituals in Grief Therapy: Connecting to Meaning- April Hannah and Kelly Daugherty
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Multicultural and spirituality considerations
8:00- Bonfire- In-Person Participants Only
Description:
This day’s sessions provide a comprehensive approach to grief-informed care, emphasizing creative therapies, the continuing bonds framework, and the role of religious and spiritual beliefs in grief work. Participants will learn evidence-based tools and techniques to enhance their therapeutic practices, moving beyond traditional approaches to engage clients holistically. The evening session on rituals will deepen the exploration of meaning-making in grief, offering methods for integrating meaningful practices into therapy.
Objectives:
- Apply core tools and techniques for grief-informed care to address the unique needs of grieving clients across diverse backgrounds and life stages.
- Demonstrate creative therapeutic approaches, such as art, movement, and expressive therapies, to engage clients in nonverbal exploration of their grief.
- Examine the concept of continuing bonds and differentiate it from traditional grief models, assessing how it can reshape clients' narratives and foster resilience.
- Understand the role of religious and spiritual transference and countertransference in the therapeutic relationship.
- Incorporate rituals and symbolic practices into grief therapy to help clients find meaning and connection, tailoring these approaches to fit individual beliefs and values.
- Create a personalized framework for grief therapy that combines informed care, creative techniques, and ongoing connections, enhancing the therapeutic experience for clients managing loss.
Day 3: In-Person and Virtual 5.5 CEs
Speakers: Kelly Daugherty, LCSW-R, FT, and April Hannah, LMHC
Schedule:
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM: Incorporating Quick and Easy Mindfulness Activities in Therapy Sessions – April Hannah
10:15 AM – 11:45 AM: Moving Through Grief: The Role of Body and Movement – Kelly Daugherty
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Lunch
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Grief Across the Lifespan: Continuing Bonds with Children, Teens, and Adults – Kelly Daugherty
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Special considerations for grief and loss across all developmental and life stages
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Ethical considerations, including working with the terminally ill, minors, families and end-of-life decisions
2:15 PM – 3:15 PM: The Power of Sound: A Therapeutic Approach to Grief and Reflection – April Hannah
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Self-care for the grief professional
3:15 PM – 3:45 PM: Closing Ritual
Description:
This day focuses on experiential techniques that enhance grief therapy, including mindfulness, movement, and sound. Sessions will provide practical methods for incorporating these therapeutic tools to support clients in processing grief across the lifespan. By the end of the day, participants will have a versatile toolkit to address grief’s physical, emotional, and sensory dimensions, fostering meaningful connections through continuing bonds. A closing ritual will conclude the day, integrating the concepts learned and allowing for personal reflection.
Objectives:
1. Apply quick and accessible mindfulness activities to help clients manage grief-related stress and find calm in therapy sessions.
2. Demonstrate movement-based techniques that address the physical aspects of grief, helping clients release and process emotions through body-centered activities.
3. Differentiate approaches to continuing bonds therapy for children, teens, and adults, adapting strategies to fit developmental needs.
4. Utilize sound as a therapeutic tool for grief and reflection, learning how to integrate music, ambient sounds, and rhythm to support emotional expression and connection.
CE Information - Earn 14.5 CE Credit Hours including
14.5 Clinical Hour
CE Approvals
In-Person
New York State Education Department's State Board for SW
EngagedMinds Continuing Education 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 #SW-0676.
Association of Social Work Boards
EngagedMinds Continuing Education, #1858, formerly Erena DiGonis, LCSW, PLLC, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 8/25/2024-8/25/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 14.5 continuing education credits.
National Board for Certified Counselors
EngagedMinds Continuing Education has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7455. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. EngagedMinds Continuing Education is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
New York State Education Department's State Board for LMHC
EngagedMinds Continuing Education 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-0284.
New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners
EngagedMinds Continuing Education 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-0117.
Virtual
New York State Education Department's State Board for SW
EngagedMinds Continuing Education 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 #SW-0676.
Association of Social Work Boards
EngagedMinds Continuing Education, #1858, formerly Erena DiGonis, LCSW, PLLC, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 8/25/2024-8/25/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 14.5 continuing education credits.
National Board for Certified Counselors
EngagedMinds Continuing Education has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7455. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. EngagedMinds Continuing Education is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
New York State Education Department's State Board for LMHC
EngagedMinds Continuing Education 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-0284.
New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners
EngagedMinds Continuing Education 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-0117.
DISCLOSURE
Erena DiGonis and planners have no financial disclosures or commercial bias or promote commercial interests during CE activities.
Getting to Silver Bay
By Car:
Cars traveling Northbound on I-87 can take Exit 22 to Get to Silver Bay. Once off the Interstate, follow the road signs leading to Hague/Ticonderoga on 9N.
Southbound travelers should take Exit 24 on I-87. Follow the road signs leading to Ticonderoga/Hague Via Route 9N.
By Bus:
Buses from major cities stop south of Silver Bay in Lake George Village and Glens Falls, New York.
By Air:
Albany, N.Y. and Burlington V.T. airports are served by both commuter and major airlines, with connections from anywhere in the nation.
By Train:
Two Amtrak trains per day stop in Ticonderoga (20 minutes north of Silver Bay) year-round. One departing from Penn Stations in New York City and one arriving at Penn Station in New York City. All trains stop at Albany/Rensselaer station to travel north to Ticonderoga.
100 Saratoga Village Blvd
Suite 21 & 50
Malta, NY 12020
Staff@iadcintensives.com
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