Overview:
This presentation aims to help mental health professionals further develop education and skills to help bereft individuals heal after many types of losses (e.g., death, relationships, jobs, homes, and physical health). Surprisingly, clinicians are rarely trained or informed about theories and topics related to death and loss in their graduate programs, leaving them inadequately qualified to navigate and support bereaved persons in integrating their losses into the narrative of their lives.
This is particularly unfortunate because so many clients struggle with mental health issues, and often prevents transformative loss growth. This presentation will introduce the concept of normative grief, prolonged grief disorder, mediators to consider when conceptualizing assessment, the impact of culture and spirituality in the grieving process, and provide several interventions that can be used with bereaved individuals.
Objectives:
- Describe the definition of normative and prolonged grief disorder
- Examine the impact of mediators in assessing an individual’s grieving process
- Provide information on how culture and spirituality impact the grieving process
- Utilize several interventions to use with bereft individuals.
Scope and Limitations Disclosure:
This course does not cover the assessment of suicidal or homicidal ideation, drug or alcohol abuse, treatment planning, trauma, vicarious traumatization, burnout, self-care for therapists, or theories of the grieving process. These topics fall outside the intended scope of this program and will not be discussed in detail.
Course materials are only available to enrolled students.
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Christina Zampitella Psy.D., FT
Christina Zampitella Psy.D., FT is a licensed clinical psychologist, Fellow of Thanatology, and founder of The Center for Grief and Trauma Therapy. She often works as an adjunct professor and professional speaker and especially enjoys training emerging mental health professionals. Dr. Zampitella is the host of her podcast, Phoenix Rising, with Dr. Z. She focuses her clinical practice, research, course development, and teaching on bereavement studies, nature-based therapy, and integrative psychology. She served as the chair of the Continuing Education Committee for several professional institutions and is an advisory board member of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. She is the former resident psychologist for Fox 5 News in San Diego and often appeared on NBC News. She has been featured in Elle Magazine, BuzzFeed, The Huff Post, New York Post, and several Delaware publications. Dr. Zampitella happily lives with her husband, three-bonus sons, and three cats in Delaware.
National Approvals
eCare BHI, as the accredited and approved sponsor, maintains responsibility for all the programs and must abide by each board’s continuing education guidelines.

Professional Counselors — The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
E Care Behavioral Health Institute has been approved by NBCC as an approved Continuing Education Provider. ACEP No. 6703. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC are clearly identified. E care Behavioral Health Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Addiction Professionals — NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC)
E Care Behavioral Health Institute is officially on file with NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) as an Approved Education Provider. They are formally known as NAADAC Provider #139138. Please note that E care Behavioral Health Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.

Social Workers — Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
E Care Behavioral Health Institute, #1706, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. E Care Behavioral Health Institute maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 06-03-2020 – 06-03-2026.

CE Broker
CE Broker is a continuing education tracking system in which licensees track their compliance and report their completed CE hours credit (CE Broker Tracking #50-33336)
State Approvals
States that Accept ASWB-ACE Approved Providers |
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Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut |
Delaware | District Of Columbia | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois |
Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland |
Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska |
Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio |
Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee |
Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin |
Wyoming |
States that Accepts NBCC Approved Courses: |
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Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut |
Delaware | District Of Columbia | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Indiana |
Iowa | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Missouri | New Hampshire | New Jersey |
New Mexico | Ohio | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota |
Tennessee | Texas | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | Wisconsin |
- Nevada CPC’s and MFT’s accept ASWB-approved training
- North Dakota Board Of Counselor Examiners LAPC and LAPCS accept ASWB approved training
- Rhode Island Board of Mental Health Counselors and Marriage & Family Therapists MHC’s accept ASWB approved training
- Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council LPC and LPCS accept ASWB approved training
- Utah Division of Professional Licensing – CMHC’s accept ASWB approved training
- Washington State Department of Mental Health MHC’s accept ASWB approved training
- Wisconsin Council on Mental Health LPCS accepts ASWB-approved training
States that Accept NAADAC Approved Providers |
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Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | Delaware | Hawaii | Indiana |
Kentucky | Maine | Massachusetts | Minnesota | Montana | Nevada | New Jersey |
New Jersey | New Mexico | North Carolina | North Dakota | Oregon | Rhode Island | Tennessee |
Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wisconsin | Wyoming |
States that Accept APA Approved Providers |
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Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Delaware | District Of Columbia |
Florida | Georgia | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas |
Kentucky | Louisiana | Maryland | Massachusetts | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri |
Montana | Nebraska | New Jersey | New Mexico | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma |
Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | Tennessee | Utah | Vermont | Virginia |
Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming |