Training: Complicated Grief

Complicated Grief

Wednesday 23rd October 2013
Leatherhead Food Research Centre
Leatherhead KT22 7RY

This course which is suited to professionals and individuals working with bereaved children and young people who would like to know more about how to support them. Participants will receive the necessary course handouts and a certificate of attendance. Julie Ellison,Training Development Facilitator for Child Bereavement UK , will be facilitating the training please read a short biography below for further details.

What is meant by traumatic or complicated grief?

The term “complicated” refers to factors that interfere with the natural process of grief. Children suffering from traumatic grief may have experienced a sudden death as a result of an accident, a murder or manslaughter or a suicide. For children with complicated grief, the grief dominates their life rather than receding into the background and they can often get ‘stuck’. How is a traumatic grief different from the normally experienced, how can professionals who work with children respond to it?

This course aims to:

• Provide a better understanding of what a traumatic grief is
• Provide an increased understanding of the impact this type of grief may have on a child and their family
• Provide an increased knowledge of how to communicate with children who are experiencing traumatic grief

Julie Ellison is the Training Development Facilitator for Child Bereavement UK with responsibility for development, organisation & delivery of CBUK courses and co-ordination of their facilitator base.

She has been involved with bereavement counselling in the voluntary sector for more than 20 years and continues to work for Cruse Bereavement Care as a trainer and supervisor; heading up her local child counselling team in South East London. She has previously been a member of the Cruse National Training Committee. She is a volunteer for the Candle Project based at St Christopher’s Hospice which provides bereavement support for children and young people. She assisted in the development of FAB (Family Activity Breaks) an Armed Services project designed to support bereaved military children and families. She is a contributor to the book ‘Brief Interventions with Bereaved Children’ Oxford (2010).

Julie Ellison was a Detective Inspector in the Metropolitan Police Service and retired in October 2011 after 30 years service. She has vast experience regarding the investigation of serious crime such as murder and rape, as well as child protection and witness care. Between 2001 and 2006 she was attached to the MPS Family Liaison Advisory Team and was involved in the response to all major disasters affecting British citizens during that time – including 9/11, Bali and the Tsunami. During this time she worked closely with the Department of Media, Culture & Sport and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Following the 7/7 London Bombings she had responsibility for the construction of the Humanitarian Assistance Centre.

If you have any questions regarding the course or would like to book, please do not hesitate to contact us on Training@jigsawsoutheast.org.uk or 01342 313 895.

Book early as places are limited (25).