Anticipatory grief is the feeling of loss or grief before the death of a loved one or before someone’s own death. It’s a natural response to a life-threatening illness or terminal diagnosis. Anticipatory grief can be intense and overwhelming. However, it can also be protective, allowing people to move through difficult emotions and prepare for loss.  Grief takes many forms, and one of those is anticipatory grief. This unique grief experience challenges clinicians to increase their knowledge of this phenomenon of grief by supporting clients relationally and clinically. This webinar will explore types of anticipatory grief and common emotions. Symptoms, assessment, and clinical areas of focus will be discussed. Learn about recommended counseling steps, therapeutic interventions such as life review, the patient dignity inventory, and dialectical approaches for anticipatory grief.

Upon completion of the webinar, participants will be able to:

• Define anticipatory grief and identify at least three key emotional and cognitive experiences.
• Explain person-centered methods of supporting individuals with anticipatory grief.
• Employ at least five clinical recommendations and interventions for supporting clients with anticipatory grief.