Grief Certification for Professionals
Join Claire Bidwell Smith, author of Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief
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Become a Certified Provider in the Grief Resource Directory
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Expand your scope of practice with 15 hours of live in-depth instruction
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Gain practical strategies for working with individuals and groups
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Join Claire’s Conscious Grieving Network– an exclusive online community for professionals
“With wisdom and grace, Claire Bidwell Smith navigates the mysteries of grief to show us that there is great meaning and even magic to be found in exploring the unknown.” — Maria Shriver
Do you find yourself feeling called to work in the field of grief and loss? I would like to invite you to explore conscious grieving as a path towards conscious living. Step into the world of grief with me and let me show you how meaningful this work can be.
In recent years our world has experienced unprecedented loss and the demand for grief support is higher than ever. Professionals everywhere are being called on to help people process grief and loss, but because education in this field is lacking, people are continuing to struggle. From the length of time we grieve, the emotions we experience, and the far-reaching ramifications of loss, this work is often misunderstood and overlooked. Help broaden the scope of available grief support by joining me for my upcoming comprehensive grief training program.
Grief and loss are always with us, but how we choose to engage with this inevitable part of life is up to us. This program is designed to create a space for participants to consciously explore their own grief along with the grief of those they choose to serve. Educating yourself in the realm of death, dying, and grief is more meaningful and transformative than you can imagine and this experience will serve you both personally and professionally. Allow yourself to explore conscious grieving as a means for conscious living.
Join renowned grief expert Claire Bidwell Smith, for a comprehensive certification program that will deepen your understanding of the grief process, explore complex topics related to death, and help you gain the confidence and skills to guide clients through difficult loss.
Claire Bidwell Smith has been a therapist specializing in grief for over a decade. She comes to the work from the deeply personal place of losing both parents at a young age. In her work in both hospice and private practice, Claire has worked with thousands of people grieving all kinds of losses. Through one-on-one sessions, retreats, groups, online programs, and teaching, Claire has developed a broad understanding of what it takes to guide someone through the grief process.
This program will help you:
- Develop a deeper understanding of the grief process
- Gain practical strategies for working with individuals and groups
- Expand your scope of practice to include complex and cumulative grief
- Learn important details about end-of-life planning and how to help clients navigate death
- Explore grief as a potential area of expertise
- Interact with other mental health professionals in a supportive community
What to expect during the six-week virtual training:
- 90-minute live teaching sessions with Claire via Zoom
- 60-minute live case study sessions with Claire via Zoom
- Self-guided exercises for deeper insight and mastery
- Ongoing community & interaction with fellow trainees on an immersive learning platform
- Access to video recordings of all Zoom sessions during and after the training
Who should apply to this program?
Mental health counselors and graduate-level mental health professionals seeking to deepen their understanding of the grief process or who want to explore grief as a potential area of expertise are encouraged to apply. Coaches are also welcome to submit an application. Death is something that affects everyone, everywhere. Claire will provide the tools needed to support your clients through the journey of loss.
Become a Certified Provider in the Grief Resource Directory:
We are excited to offer a new online directory to anyone seeking support for grief. All participants who successfully complete the Grief & Loss Certification Program with Claire Bidwell Smith are automatically listed on the Grief Resource Directory. This directory provides potential clients a list of mental health professionals with grief-related specialties and allows you to promote yourself as a graduate of the Grief & Loss Certification Program. We can’t wait to add your name to this important resource!
The Grief & Loss Program includes:
- Listing as a Certified Provider in the Grief Resource Directory
- Live online instruction with Claire Bidwell Smith, LCPC
- Access to recordings of all sessions
- Self-guided exercises for reflection and mastery
- Downloadable anxiety workbook for use with clients (pdf)
- Certificate of completion (pdf)
- Digital badge for use on your website or social media (jpg)
- Ongoing access to an interactive online community
- 15 CE hours (CE hours apply to the live training sessions only. See note below for more info)
Details:
- Online Program fee: $2400
- Early Bird pricing: $2000
- Flexible payment plans available
- $20 application administrative fee
- Please allow 5 business days for notification of application approval
- A payment link for the program will be emailed once your application is approved
- Submit initial payment within 7 days of application approval to guarantee your spot!
- Price shown is for the 6-week online training
Update: In-Person Training
The Spring 2024 training will take place May 16 – 18 in Los Angeles! More details coming soon. Join the waitlist to be the first to know when more information is available.
Have a question? Email support@clairebidwellsmith.com
* A note about CE hours: The live training sessions with Claire Bidwell Smith are the only component of this program that qualifies for CE hours. All homework exercises and interactions outside of the 15 hours of live training are for supplemental enrichment and do not qualify for CE hours. A course evaluation must be completed at the conclusion of the program in order to receive a certificate of completion.
In order to qualify to be a certified provider in the Grief Resource Directory, participants must complete the 15 hours of live training AND submit all self-guided exercises within 14 days of the conclusion of the program.
Individuals who complete the Grief & Loss Program are invited to join Claire’s exclusive online community.
The Conscious Grieving Network is an online platform where mental health professionals can connect with one another to share expertise, present cases, and build community. Each month, Claire will host a live online workshop where she will dive deep into a specific topic or interview guests from a variety of backgrounds and professions. All graduates of the Grief & Loss Certification training are invited to join this subscription-based platform!
Claire Bidwell Smith is a therapist specializing in grief and the author of three books including Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief. Led by her own experiences with loss, and fueled by her work in hospice and private practice, Claire strives to provide support for all kinds of people experiencing all kinds of grief. In addition to having given dozens of talks on loss, Claire has written for and been featured in many publications including The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, MSNBC, CNN, Oprah Magazine and Psychology Today. She is the host of Lemonada Media’s popular New Day podcast. Learn more about Claire’s work at www.clairebidwellsmith.com
Topics and Objectives
- Analyze the clinical implications of bereavement symptoms contributing to the development of complicated grief.
- Establish how clinicians can better recognize grieving clients who mask symptoms of anxiety and depression.
- Explore the connection between grief and anxiety and the implications for grief treatment.
- Assess the clinical importance of targeting anxiety to improve treatment outcomes.
- Evaluate how the reduction of guilt related to the death is an important aspect of treating grief.
- Characterize how techniques that help clients make amends with lost loved ones can help them overcome guilt driven anxiety.
- Apply mindfulness as an effective strategy to help client manage their symptoms.
- Investigate how narrative approaches can be used with clients to help them cope with loss.
- Specify how personal narratives and grief recovery letters can be utilized in the treatment of grief and anxiety.
- Communicate how clinicians can prepare themselves to work with anxiety in a variety of grieving client populations.
- Identify grief causes, symptoms, reactions
- Understand various timelines for grief
- Explore where the traditional 5-stage model fails
- Evaluate how the reduction of guilt related to the death is an important aspect of treating grief
- Make amends to overcome guilt-driven anxiety
- How narrative therapy can help clients to overcome guilt post-loss
- How to measure intensity and duration & identify symptoms
- Strategies to normalize and explore anger
- Recognize clients who use anger to mask other symptoms
- The link between grief and anxiety
- Anxiety, loss and life’s unpredictability
- Awareness techniques – identify where fear starts in the body
- Continuing bonds model as a way to alleviate grief symptoms
- Ways to honor and maintain connection to loved ones
- How grief extends through a lifetime and how to carry the loss and loved one with you
- Identify and evaluate issues that arise for clients who are facing end of life either for themselves or family members
- Identify and understand treatment for anticipatory grief
- Personal narratives to overcome anxiety and death
- Sudden deaths, violent deaths, and chronic illnesses
- Loss of partner or child
- Children’s grief strategies
- Research limitations and treatment risks
“The grief certification program with Claire was the perfect complement for me to add more clinical skills around grief to my lived experience. The training was a beautiful combination of teaching theory, actual interventions you can use immediately with clients, and consultation with Claire and others in the group.” — Theodora Blanchfield, AMFT, Grief & Loss Program Graduate
“I cannot imagine a better grief therapist than Claire Bidwell Smith. She has the ability to wrap her deep psychology background and understanding of frameworks for dealing with grief in an intimate and soft discussion that makes the client feel incredibly well supported. Perhaps as a result of her own losses, she becomes a partner in going through the process of grief with the person experiencing deep loss, and not just a medical professional. As a result, she has significantly advanced my ability to brave the storms of grief and even to see some of the beauty that it yields as well. I am forever indebted.” — Jaime, Los Angeles
“Claire was really the only person that truly understood how deeply my parents’ deaths affected me. She helped me through my Dad’s sudden death this past year. And also guided me on how to grieve my Mom’s death from cancer many years ago….when I was just a little girl, only 7 years old. Claire has been a Godsend and I truly feel that she is a huge part of why I have made it through this difficult year. I have learned so much about myself through my sessions with her and she helped me feel like I wasn’t alone.” — Krystal, Alberta, Canada
FAQ's
We require all participants who wish to earn CE hours to take part in the live Zoom sessions. However, all sessions will be recorded and posted to the online learning community within 48 hours after the live session. Please notify the program manager at support@0d1302b67a.nxcli.io if you are unable to attend a live session.
- Up to April 12, 2023 – 100% refund less $150 admin fee
- April 12th through Week 1 of program start– 50% refund
- Past Week 1 of program start – no refund
This program is intended for mental health counselors seeking to expand their knowledge and skills regarding grief and death, but all are welcome to apply. We encourage you to carefully read the program objectives before submitting an application.
CE Hours: Participants must attend all twelve online sessions and complete a course evaluation in order to receive a certificate of completion.
Certified Provider: Requirements for CE hours PLUS submit weekly homework exercises.
Claire Bidwell Smith, LCPC
2328 20th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405
Grief and Loss: A Comprehensive Training Program has been approved by NBCC for NBCC credit. Claire Bidwell Smith, LCPC is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. NBCC Approval No. SP-4202.