Webinar: Responding to Community Loss while Supporting Our Own Grief
Virtual Event
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
iCalendar
Central Standard Time
NFDA Webinar (1 CE Hour)
Free for Members
All times are U.S. Central Time
Empathy Unleashed – A Journey into Self-Care and Support for Funeral Service Professionals
In recent years, words and phrases such as “work-life balance,” “self-care,” and “burnout” have been used increasingly, both within the public at large and within funeral service. However, funeral service professionals often experience disenfranchisement of their own grief experiences amidst the emotionally intensive work they do in supporting those who have lost loved ones in the community they serve. Given the unique nature of high-stress work undertaken by deathcare professionals as well as recent attention to the importance of self-care for these professionals, it is essential that the personal grief experiences of funeral directors be validated and supported interpersonally and intra-professionally. This session will assist attendees in considering the impact of their living losses and death losses on their work-life balance; in validating and enfranchising their personal grief experiences; and in developing helpful, research-supported responses to navigate their grief with empathy and self-care. Dr. Murphy will also demystify realities versus myths surrounding many of these terms, as well as generate discussion on how funeral service professionals can support one another in their grief experiences.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand the distinctive challenges faced by deathcare professionals due to the high-stress nature of their work and the impact it can have on their personal well-being.
- Develop an awareness of the interconnectedness of personal and professional life, considering the impact on work-life balance of funeral service professionals.
- Gain insights into research-supported responses for dealing with grief, highlighting evidence-based approaches to enhance emotional well-being.
Presenters:
Dr. Sara Murphy, PhD, CT is a death educator, Certified Thanatologist (Association for Death Education and Counseling), and suicidologist with over fifteen years of scholarly, pedagogical, and professional experience in the field. She is a faculty member at the University of Rhode Island and affiliate faculty in the Thanatology Graduate Program at Marian University. Publicly, Dr. Murphy conducts diverse and dynamic professional development and educational workshops and seminars on specialized topics of death, dying, and bereavement nationwide for businesses, schools, and professional organizations. Dr. Murphy is also a suicide and bereavement consultant, an expert witness on disenfranchised grief and on suicide, and a contributing writer for the National Funeral Directors Association.
Approved for 1 CE hour by APFSP and by most state and province licensing boards.