66th Annual Conference

Saturday, February 21

Afternoon Workshops

1:30 - 4:00 P.M.

Workshop 92

Memorializing Farewell: Endings and Anniversary Reactions

Chairs:                

Jeffrey V. Mendell, M.D., M.P.H., CGP, Medical Director, Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, Allegany County Health Department, Cumberland, Maryland

Marsha Vannicelli, Ph.D., CGP, FAGPA, Associate Clinical Professor, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Salient aspects of termination and loss, in particular related to anniversary reactions, will be elucidated. A structured experiential format will help participants to experience the impact and explore the meaning of good byes past and anticipated, highlighting the impacting of memorializing, whether through formal tradition or merely by the recognition of absence as the anniversary of the loss approaches.

experiential-sharing of work experiences-demonstration-didactic

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to:

1. Enumerate the complicated feelings associated with endings and anniversary reactions.

2. Describe salient aspects of termination grieving and loss as it relates to their own personal experience.

3. Describe the work that gets done as individuals and groups are faced with the task of saying goodbye.

Course References:

1. Lothstein, L (1993). Termination processes in group psychotherapy. In H. Kaplan & B. Sadock (EDS), Comprehensive Group Psychotherapy, Philadelphia: Willaiams and Wilkins. pp 115-124.

2. Schermer V.L. & Klein R. (1996). Termination in Group Psychotherapy from the perspectives of contemporary object relations theory and self psychology. International Journal of Group Psychotheraphy 46 (1) 99-115.

3. Vannicelli M. Commentary on Therapist Initiated Termination. International Journal of  Group Psychotherapy 2005;55:311-15.

4. Vannicelli, M. (1992).Removing the final patient roadblock: Termination. In Removing the roadblocks: Group Psychotheraphy with substance abusers and family members. NY:Guilford Press.