Diana Sebzda – PESI – Pet Loss Grief Counseling Trained Professional

Speaker: Diana Sebzda, LPC, FT
Duration: 6 Hours 21 Minutes
Format: Audio and Video

Description

The grief that accompanies a pet’s death can be overwhelming. Guilt inducing decisions surrounding euthanasia are common; and friends and family may minimize the loss, isolating the griever and prolonging their symptoms.

When grieving pet owners feel like they can’t go on, they can find themselves in need of a mental health professional. But clinicians with training specific to pet loss can be difficult to find…

This seminar will allow you to add a new dimension to your practice as a Pet Loss Grief Counseling Trained Professional and fill a critical gap in the therapeutic landscape!

In just one day, you’ll get detailed guidance on how you can skillfully work with clients grieving the loss of their pet and confidently handle the specific issues that arise in pet loss grief work.

Discover how you can:

• Help clients grieve openly for the loss of their pet without fear of judgement or having their loss minimized
• Skillfully work through anticipatory grief with clients who have pets with a terminal diagnosis
• Diminish the guilt associated with euthanasia
• Guide clients in grief rituals that honor their pet and help move them forward in bereavement

Plus, upon completion of this webcast you’ll get a displayable certificate of recognition that you can instantly print, letting clients know that you’ve taken the time and effort to get specialized training on this specific area of counseling and support.

Don’t wait to add these valuable skills and strategies to your therapeutic toolbox…

Speaker

Diana Sebzda, LPC, FT, is the director of bereavement at the Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center where she provides both individual counseling and support groups for those coping with grief, anticipatory grief, and pet loss.

In addition to 17 years of grief counseling experience, Diana also has over 15 years of experience as a veterinary technician where she’s witnessed the impacts of pet loss firsthand.

Diana has been published in Healthy Pet Magazine and is a Fellow in Thanatology (FT) with the Association for Death Education and Counseling (where she is co-chair of their Pet Loss Networking Group). She is also a member of the Traumatic Loss Coalition of New Jersey, the American Counseling Association, and the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement. Diana earned her MA degree in Applied Clinical Psychology from William Patterson University.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Diana Sebzda is a counselor with BetterHelp.com. She receives compensation as a speaker and consultant. Diana Sebzda receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Diana Sebzda is a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, Traumatic Loss Coalition of New Jersey, and the national Coalition for Grieving Students.

Objectives

1. Investigate how pet loss grief is often minimized by others and determine how this can impact a client’s symptomology.
2. Apply psychoeducation approaches with clients to help normalize the grief experienced following the death of a pet.
3. Demonstrate to clients how mourning rituals can be used to help them better cope with the loss of a pet.
4. Formulate a plan to help clients better understand the nature of disenfranchised grief so they can grieve the loss of a pet without fear of judgement.
5. Evaluate how the complex decisions involved in saying goodbye to a pet, including euthanasia can lead to guilt and self-blame in clients.
6. Integrate expectations about anticipatory grief and end of life issues into sessions with clients to help them better prepare for an upcoming loss.

Outline

Client Grief Education:
How Pet Loss Grief Differs from Other Grief

• How pet loss is often minimized by others
• Why typical support systems may be unavailable
• Unrealistic expectations about the grief process

The Role of Attachment in Pet Loss Grief:
Why Understanding Pet Bonding is Key to Compassionate Counseling

• History of the human animal bond
• Three types of pet bonds counselors need to know
• The economics of pet bonds
• Cultural and familial norms of pet relationships

The Disenfranchised Grief of Pet Loss:
Strategies to Help Clients Grieve Without Fear of Judgement

• How to help clients understand the nature of a disenfranchised grief
• Strategies to help clients externalize grief thoughts and feelings
• How to find like-minded supports for clients
• Techniques for educating clients and others on what is appropriate in grief

Anticipatory Grief:
Helping Clients with Pets Nearing the End

• Understanding anticipatory grief
• The role of pet parent and caregiver
• How to help clients develop a trusting relationship with their veterinarian
• Palliative care vs. Hospice care issues

Euthanasia in Pet Loss Grief:
Effective Interventions for Anger and Guilt

• Strategies to help clients cope with anger, guilt and regret
• Teach clients to use a caregiver journal to name and express feelings
• Positive self-talk exercises to help clients heal

Mourning Rituals to Help Clients Cope with Pet Loss

• Role of religion and belief in spirit
• How clients can make a special place to honor and remember pets
• The role of the veterinarian or pet memorial park
• Continuing bonds to provide comfort and support
• Use linking objects exercises to reduce the impact of loss

Group Therapy:
How to Create and Lead Pet Loss Support Groups

• Group types — closed or open, self-help or educational
• Implementation and marketing strategies for your group
• 3 ways to quickly build trust and rapport with group members
• How to ensure group safety

Target Audience

• Counselors
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Physicians
• Nurses
• Case Managers
• Chaplains/Clergy
• Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners
• Thanatologists