Topic: Helping Grieving Children & Teens

Place: Radisson Martinique on Broadway, Manhattan, NY

Date: February 28, 2007

Time: 8:30am to 4:00pm

Presented by: Rob Zucker, LCSW, M.A.

By Gabriel Rueda - M.A. Counseling PCCF (Pastoral Counseling Center) Flushing, NY

About the Seminar

Wonderful seminar! It was a comprehensive training for mental helpers that have the responsibility of counseling children and teenagers that feel trapped and in horror when encountering trauma, death of a family member or close friend, and grief. This was one in a few of seminars organized in such a good way that made information about this needed area so easily digestible.  Crucial Aspects and strategies were discussed to assist young people through grief and trauma, such as:

• Four psychological tasks of childhood/adolescent grief: (1) Understanding and when understanding is further challenged by complications; (2) Reacting to the loss and trauma (mapping reactions); (3) Commemoration (valuing the loved ones); and (4) Going on (life long process).
• When children/adolescents grieve there are dangers and opportunities at the same time.
• Foundational concepts for understanding death.
• Methods for assisting young people to develop and express a restorative narrative of what they feel and think of the story.
• Targeting emotional, social and academic implications.
• Teaching strategies to potential supporters (e.g. parents or other adult caregivers) at a time when they feel totally unprepared to manage such difficult situation.

If you happen to be one of the parents or caregivers of a child/adolescent that have lost a significant other , there are myths that I would encourage you to avoid. Among them: Children do not grieve; It is only the family's responsibility helping children/adolescents with the loss to the best of their abilities; children/adolescents would get over loss quickly; children should not go to funerals or should always attend funerals; children should be protected from loss; and the only major loss a children can experience is the death of a loved person. As a parent and/or caregiver, it is very important to gain knowledge in this area so you can help your child/adolescent develop a healthy life and improve his/her well-being.

I believe that the PCC Board of Directors have been very wise in providing and supporting counseling staff members to engage in continuing education. It is important to keep updated with all the accessible knowledge in the mental health area.