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Facilitating Family Adaptation to Loss and Disability I

Provides theoretical constructs for understanding the meaning of loss in maternal and child health, and techniques for short-term counseling that facilitate a healthy grief reaction for the bereaved family. Case studies of typical and atypical reactions are discussed for losses such as perinatal loss (miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, termination of pregnancy for genetic reasons); birth of a child with a genetic condition/birth defect; death of a child with a chronic illness; and infertility. Topics include the psychology of pregnancy; and perinatal loss; phases of grief reaction; the art of facilitating bereavement; practical interventions in the hospital; follow-up counseling and short-term psychotherapy; resources; special needs of family members; gender differences; grandparent and sibling issues; provider issues (counter-transference, self-care, and burn-out prevention). Includes lecture, discussion, role play, video, field trips, and presentations by bereaved parents.