Traumatic bereavement: supporting children and young people at school or college
A course developed by the UK Trauma Council designed to help young people cope with their expereinces.
About this course
This evidence-based course has been developed by experts from the UK Trauma Council, and is delivered by the Clinical Co-Lead of the Traumatic Bereavement resource portfolio.
Traumatic Bereavement
The way that a child or young person experiences or understands the death - the meaning they make of it - can result in it being experienced as traumatic.
The trauma gets in the way of the typical process of grief and blocks the child or young person's ability to process the loss. This can result in difficulties that can be severe and long lasting.
Traumatic bereavement may be easily missed or misunderstood, meaning that children’s difficulties are not recognised. It is vital that these children are identified and given appropriate help and support.
The global pandemic has resulted in more than 100,000 additional deaths in the UK. Many of these will have been sudden and unexpected. Children and young people may not have been able to visit people who were ill in hospital and may not have had a chance to say goodbye. This, combined with restrictions on normal grieving rituals such as funerals, and less social support, means that there is likely to be many more traumatically bereaved children and young people.
Course overview
This course is for SENCOs, mental health or pastoral leads and for those who have a role in school or colleges directly supporting children and young people’s mental health.
Delivered online, the course will introduce traumatic bereavement, explain how it differs from more typical grief, and explore practical approaches to support children and young people in education settings who may have experienced a traumatic bereavement.
The number of delegates is intentionally limited to ensure that there is time and space for discussions and scope to tailor the content to the specific needs of the group. Anna Freud brings together those with a stake in the mental health of children and young people. Please subscribe to our mailing list to receive a bi-monthly e-newsletter and occasional updates about Anna Freuds training and events.
Beck Ferrari
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Practitioner