The Grief Academy

THE MASTERCLASS SERIES

These longer, in-depth sessions will include an extended Q+A section for attendees to pose their questions to the experts.

February 6th (18:00-19:15)

Julia Samuel: What I’ve learned about grief from working with bereaved people

In our opening session, Julia Samuel will share the key things she’s learned about bereavement during her remarkable career supporting people who are grieving. As one of the UK’s leading psychotherapists, Julia has written three bestselling books about grief: GriefWorks, This Too Shall Pass and Every Family Has a Story. In her podcast, Therapy Works, she invites listeners into her therapy room as she talks to both known and unknown voices about some of life’s biggest challenges.

This session will offer a unique window into the lived experience of grief, and what Julia has learned about bereavement from working with people from all walks of life.

March 20th (18:00-19:15)

Professor Katherine Shear: When grief is complicated

Professor Shear is widely recognised for her work on the subject of complex and prolonged grief. She is the founding director of the Center for Prolonged Grief at Columbia University which works to disseminate information about grief and adaptation to loss as well as prolonged grief disorder and its treatment. Professor Shear’s work includes more than 330 peer reviewed publications. She has developed several widely used assessment instruments and a group of instructional materials for prolonged grief disorder therapy. If you or somebody you work with is experiencing complex or prolonged grief, this session will offer invaluable insight and wisdom.

March 26th (18:00-19:15)

Dr Dennis Klass: Continuing Bonds Theory: When relationships transcend death

Dr Dennis Klass has been active in the study of death, dying, and bereavement since 1968 when he was an assistant in the famous Death and Dying Seminar led by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. He is also the originator of the influential Continuing Bonds model of grief, which he’ll be discussing with students of The Grief Academy.

Continuing bonds theory works towards normalising a continuing relationship with loved ones even after they’ve died. It focuses on how we contend with sudden losses or extended and anticipated deaths of a loved one suffering from a terminal illness. It also encourages embracing our changed lives as we work through issues of guilt, abandonment, and anger triggered by our loved one’s death.

April 11th (18:00-19:15)

Dr Kathryn Mannix + Dr Rachel Clarke: How to support people towards the end of life

This will be a profound conversation between two leading lights in palliative and end of life care. They will discuss their experiences of providing care at the end of life, what people fear most (and how to help them feel less afraid), advance care planning and anticipatory grief.

Dr Rachel Clarke is a palliative care doctor, journalist, activist and bestselling author Dear Life: A Doctor’s Story of Love, Loss & Consolation and Breathtaking: The UK’s Human Story of Covid.

After a happy career in palliative medicine for 30 years, Dr Kathryn Mannix took early retirement to campaign for better public understanding of, and preparation for, dying. She has written two bestselling books on the subject: With the End in Mind and Listen: How to Find the Words for Tender Conversations.

April 16th (18:00-19:15)

David Kessler: How to start healing after a bereavement

David Kessler is one of the world’s foremost experts on grief. His experience with thousands of people on the edge of life and death has taught him the secrets to living a fulfilled life, even after life’s tragedies. David co-authored On Grief and Grieving and Life Lessons with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and in his groundbreaking new work, Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief, David journeys beyond the classic five stages to discover a sixth stage: meaning. Based on hard-earned personal experiences, as well as knowledge and wisdom earned through decades of work with the grieving, he introduces a critical sixth stage.

David will be offering students of The Grief Academy a window into his clinical practice to look at the practical and effective ways we can begin to heal after a bereavement and how we can support others with this process.

April 30th (18:00-19:15)

Prof Robert Neimeyer + Carolyn Ng: Finding meaning in loss

Robert Neimeyer is Director of the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition. The author of over 500 articles and book chapters, Robert is currently working to advance a more adequate theory of grieving as a meaning-making process, both in his published work and through his professional workshops. He will be joined by his colleague and Associate Director of the Portland Institute, Carolyn Ng.

May 7th (18:00-19:15)

Julia Samuel: Life after loss – how bereavement changes who we are

In our closing session, Julia will discuss the fundamental ways grief can transform who we are and how we live our lives. Research shows that grief is a unique kind of loss that leaves a void in our lives. In many cases, it can also trigger new beginnings, including a different, yet enduring relationship with the person who died. In many ways, we are never the same after being touched by grief.

This session will offer a unique window into the lived experience of grief, and what Julia has learned about bereavement from working with people from all walks of life