Self-Paced Course Overview

All losses have some element of ambiguity. However, for those who experience losses such as awaiting the return of a missing person, caring for someone with dementia, or a family member absent to work or addiction, the lack of uncertainty about wether the person is gone forever or will be present again, adds a constant anxiety and uncertainty to grief. What's more, multiple losses over and above the lost relationship tend to accumulate, often over long periods of time and may result in grief and overload. Such ongoing loss when coupled with a lack of closure can become overwhelming.

The ambiguity and lack of clarity around the losses often means that the grief is unrecognised and unaddressed, support is not forthcoming, and healing rituals are not used to assist with a sense of 'closure' Those experiencing ambiguous loss often struggle with their situation. They can find it difficult to cope, and almost always find it impossible to move on with their lives. The family support system is an important focus of working with ambiguous loss and a fundamental goal of care is to build resilience in the face of ongoing loss.

Drawing from the work of leading theorists, researchers and clinicians in ambiguous loss, this short -course offers insights, concepts and clinical strategies to assist clients deal with this particularly challenging form of loss and grief.

Learning Outcomes

• 1- Identify elements that constitute the various forms of non-death and ambiguous loss, taking into account culture and diversity.
• 2- Recognise the ongoing emotional impact of ambiguous and non-death loss on the grieving person and their families.
• 3- Appraise a variety of strategies that can be employed to support individuals at various points along the grieving trajectory. 
• 4- Assess the role that resilience plays in ambiguous, non-death loss and post-traumatic growth.

Presenter Bio

Presenter Name: Margaret Sealey

Margaret Sealey (PhD) is a Counsellor, educator, researcher and thanatologist who has worked with vulnerable populations in health settings (palliative care and oncology in particular) for 20 years. During this time she worked at various hospices, the Cancer Council WA, Motor Neurone Disease WA and Alzheimer’s Australia WA supporting clients and family members facing life-limiting illness and dementia.

With a previous background as a Registered Nurse, she has undertaken a Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) and postgraduate studies in Counselling. Her PhD research developed a bereavement risk assessment model for use in palliative care using action research.

Margaret is Certified in Thanatology: Death, Dying and Bereavement, a member of the Association of Death Education & Counselling (ADEC), the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement (ACGB), and Palliative Care WA (PCWA). She is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (MAPS), the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), providing education in grief, loss and dementia to people affected by the loss as well as the workforce sector. Presently she is a lecturer in the Discipline of Counselling at Murdoch University. 

Self-Paced Course Details

Date

Intake Starts: Monday 29 August 2022

Intake Ends: Sunday 25 September 2022

Registration will remain open until Friday 2nd September 2022

Prices

• Member $295.00
• Non-Member $345.00

Post-Purchase Information 

• Once you have enrolled, you will receive an automated confirmation email 
• The Thursday before the course starts, you will receive a welcome email and access to our learning platform along with your credentials. 
• During the intake period, you will have access to the module and are required to complete the course content and online assessment before the end date. 
• For any further information, please get in touch with [email protected] 

Cancellation and Refund Policy

The Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement reserves the right to cancel education programs that do not achieve minimum participation, in which case ACGB will refund all fees.

Registration cancellations will not be accepted unless made in writing to the Centre. Cancellations made more than thirty (30) days before the event date will be refunded less 25% of the registration fee to cover administration costs.

No registration refunds will be made after this date. Please note: The total invoiced amount will still be payable in the event of non-attendance on the day.

Terms and Conditions 

1. Intellectual Property 

ACGB's program and program content are copyrighted. Its use and dissemination are restricted and unauthorised duplication is prohibited. A copy of the course presentation will be available after the course and is for personal/non-commercial use only. The content is not to be modified or republished in any way without the prior consent of ACGB and the presenter. Any breach of copyright, including the recording of the presentation or any unauthorised use of the material, may lead to legal action. 

2. Links and Material From the Course

Course's and the follow up email may contain links that lead to external websites to ACGB. ACGB have no control of these websites and ACGB makes no representations about the accuracy of the information contained on these websites. ACGB is not liable for the content on these websites. The presenter may also provide further reference materials for your use after the course. These may include (but are not limited to):

- A copy of the course slides
- Journal articles
- Templates or other documents

All course-related materials remain copyrighted of ACGB and the presenter. They must not be distributed to any third party at any time or in any form without written permission from ACGB. 

3. Registration

Viewers agree to use the product under the purchase agreement terms, which restrict number of viewers based on registration type. 
Individual Registration:
Provides one person, the registrant, access to the course or recording for personal viewing only. 

Multi-viewer (Group) Registration
To organise multi-viewer registration, you must contact the Centre via email: [email protected] or phone 03 9265 2100. Groups purchasing multi-viewer and individual registration will need to provide first and last name and an email address of all those who will be participating in the course.