Unspoken Pain: Witnessing the Silent Wounds of Disenfranchised Grief

Decades of grief literature underscore the role of emotional and relational support in facilitating healing in the wake of grief. Unfortunately, social and relational systems do not always provide this support and may even outright dismiss an individual’s grief experience, thus increasing the likelihood that disenfranchised grief will develop. Disenfranchised grief, characterized by the invalidation, minimization, or lack of acceptance of death and non-death losses, is prevalent in clinical work. Losses linked to suicide, homicide, and miscarriage are commonly associated with disenfranchised grief; however, the span of disenfranchised death and non-death losses is much more significant. For example, losses in identity, safety and security, home and country, and health or mobility are non-death losses that are often minimized socially, culturally, and relationally.

Despite the prevalence of disenfranchised grief among clients, the concept is not typically covered in counseling graduate training programs, leading to inaccurate assessment and treatment. In this course, learners will identify the different types of disenfranchised grief, emphasizing the newly expanded typology related to oppression, marginalization, and discrimination. This typology suggests that marginalized and minoritized individuals/populations experience multiple levels of disenfranchisement, compounded by intergenerational trauma, resulting in grief inequity. With this expanded view, clinicians can develop a more comprehensive and accurate conceptual framework of clients’ death and non-death losses. In this 2-hour continuing education webinar, strategies and treatment modalities for disenfranchised grief will be explored.

This 2-hour introductory level continuing education webinar is designed to help mental health professionals:

1. List the six typologies of disenfranchised grief.
2. Discuss the relationship between disenfranchised grief and marginalized and minoritized populations.
3. Identify treatment modalities optimally suited to address disenfranchised grief.

Statement of program material's accuracy, utility, and risks: This workshop presents innovative content bridging decades of empirical grief and loss research with emerging research on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Due to the content, some participants may experience a strong emotional reaction. Participants should consider their personal grief journey when registering.

Declaration identifying any potential conflict of interest and/or commercial support: The presenter has no conflicts of interest/commercial interests to declare.

If you have any questions or would like information regarding disability accommodations, please contact GoodTherapy here.

Continuing Education (CE) Information

2 CE contact hours will be provided by GoodTherapy for attending this web conference in its entirety. 

GoodTherapy is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC-approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC requirements.

GoodTherapy.org, provider #1352, 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 as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. GoodTherapy.org maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 3/30/2022 – 3/30/2025. Social workers completing this course receive 2 continuing education credits.

GoodTherapy is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. GoodTherapy maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

GoodTherapy, LLC 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-0395. GoodTherapy, LLC 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-0022 and for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0031.

To receive CE credit hours for an archived event, you will need to complete a survey as well as a 12 or 15-question exam, verifying that you listened to or watched the event in its entirety. Archived CE events generally are considered "homestudy" by licensing boards.

Registration Information

Premium and Pro Membership with GoodTherapy includes access to this web conference at no additional cost, as well as other member benefits such as a profile listing in GoodTherapy's Therapist Directory. Not yet a member? Sign up for a Premium or Pro Membership, here.

Just want CE credits? Sign up for a monthly or annual CE Subscription with GoodTherapy to get unlimited access to our CE Program, including this event, other live CE web conferences, and hundreds of hours of homestudy courses.

Mental health professionals who are not members can attend this live web conference for $30.95 or access the homestudy recording for $15.50. Sign up here to purchase this CE course and earn a CE certificate.

If the event is canceled by GoodTherapy, registrants who purchased the event will be notified and the charge for the event will be refunded

If you have any questions or would like information regarding disability accommodations, please contact us.

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