Grief and Trauma in Clinical Practice: Tools & Strategies for Evidence-Based Care

Grief touches every client at some point, yet many mental health professionals receive little formal training in how to address it. This training bridges that gap by equipping clinicians with evidence-based approaches to work skillfully with grief and trauma in clinical practice.

When grief intertwines with trauma, the challenges multiply—leaving clients vulnerable to misdiagnosis, ineffective interventions, and unresolved pain. This two-part, 6-hour on-demand webinar with Carrie Traher, PhD, FT, MEd, RSW, CCC, provides a clear, evidence-based framework for working confidently and compassionately with grief and trauma in clinical practice.

Dr. Traher is a nationally recognized thanatologist, psychotherapist, and co-editor of The Routledge International Handbook of Child and Adolescent Grief in Contemporary Contexts. She brings academic expertise, clinical experience, and international recognition to her teaching. Known for her engaging, research-informed style, she helps therapists turn complex theory into practical strategies they can apply immediately.

Understanding Grief in All Its Forms

Part 1 of this course explores foundational thanatological theory and contemporary models that move beyond outdated stage-based approaches. You will learn:

• How grief literacy and death literacy expand therapeutic conversations about loss.
• The difference between grief support, grief counselling, and grief therapy—and why role clarity matters.
• How to recognize grief in death-related contexts and also in non-death losses such as divorce, illness, or identity shifts.

By strengthening your grasp of grief theory, you will feel more confident and culturally sensitive when guiding conversations about loss.

The Intersection of Grief and Trauma in Clinical Practice

Part 2 of this course builds on the foundation established in Part 1 to examine how grief and trauma interact in clinical practice. Dr. Traher highlights the overlapping yet distinct responses to trauma and loss. She also shares current neurobiological findings and emphasizes the role of somatic regulation.

Participants gain evidence-based tools for assessment and intervention, including:

• Strategies for identifying co-occurring grief and trauma in clients.
• Approaches that support emotional regulation and psychological integration.
• Reflective questions and case examples that bring theory into practice.

Interactive elements, including small-group discussions, help you apply these insights directly to your work.

Build Confidence and Clarity

By the end of this grief and trauma in clinical practice training, you will integrate grief theory into treatment planning with confidence. You will also be able to apply evidence-based interventions and respond compassionately to clients navigating complex loss. Whether you are a social worker, counsellor, therapist, psychologist, or psychotherapist, this course equips you with both the knowledge and confidence to address grief and trauma in clinical practice.

1. Differentiate between contemporary theoretical models of grief and outdated stage-based frameworks to enhance clinical understanding of bereavement.
2. Define and distinguish grief-related responses from trauma-related responses in clinical assessment and treatment planning.
3. Describe the neurobiological underpinnings of grief and trauma, and how somatic dysregulation may manifest in clients experiencing co-occurring symptoms.
4. Apply grief and death literacy concepts to improve therapeutic conversations around both death-related and non-death losses.
5. Identify and utilize evidence-based assessment strategies for grief and trauma presentations in clinical practice.
6. Integrate theoretical knowledge with clinical interventions to support clients experiencing grief and/or trauma through case formulation and treatment planning.

This training offers 6 hours of direct contact (not counting breaks or lunch). It is the participant’s responsibility to check with their individual state boards/regulatory body to verify CE requirements for their license to practice.

Attendees of the original live broadcast receive instructions on how to obtain their Certificate of Participation at the end of the course and in the “recording ready” email, which is sent 1-2 days after the live course has ended.

Attendees watching the previously recorded/on-demand version must complete a Post-Webinar Quiz with a passing grade of at least 80% to verify their attendance and receive their Certificate of Participation.

Note: The course recording is available only after the live broadcast has ended.

The Certificate of Participation includes:

• Name of participant.
• Title of training.
• Name of presenter plus their credentials.
• Number of hours of training.
• Date of training.
• Confirmation of 100% attendance at the original live broadcast OR a passing grade of at least 80% on the recorded on-demand version post-course quiz.

Get details about CE credits for Canadian and non-US international participants.

Get details about CE credits for US participants.

Please check with your regulatory body/organization to ensure that this certificate is sufficient proof for you to claim CE credits.