Ordinary People: Family Systems and Grief in Clinical Practice
Grief and family systems interact in ways that are often invisible until the pressure becomes unbearable — and understanding that interaction is essential for effective clinical work with bereaved families. This 1-hour continuing education course uses the Jarrett family's story in the film Ordinary People as a clinical lens for examining how grief disrupts family homeostasis, activates attachment systems, generates conflict where there was previously cohesion, and demands adaptive responses that families are often not equipped to make. You will apply Bowen family systems theory, attachment-based approaches to grief, and current research on complicated grief and family resilience to a rich, clinically instructive case study. Applicable for clinicians working with individuals, couples, and families navigating loss.
1
CE Hours
3
Modules
15
Quiz Questions
1
Est. Minutes
What you'll learn
- Apply family systems concepts including differentiation, triangulation, homeostasis, and intergenerational patterns to clinical assessment and treatment planning with grieving families.
- Identify at least five ways that family systems dynamics influence grief and bereavement, including differential grief responses, role reorganization, communication patterns, and boundary changes.
- Describe evidence-based approaches to working with grieving families, including family grief therapy techniques and integration of individual and systemic interventions.
- Analyze the role of attachment patterns, emotional availability, and family communication in shaping bereavement outcomes for surviving family members.
- Evaluate clinical decision-making processes when working with families experiencing complicated grief reactions, including assessment of family functioning and treatment modality selection.
Who it's for
LPCs, LMHCs, LCSWs, LMFTs, Psychologists
Approval & credit
CounselorReady is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP #7760). This course awards 1 NBCC-approved CE hour; a certificate is issued on completion. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CounselorReady is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.