Optional Breakout 11:30-12:30 pm

Presenter:  William J. Koehler, PhD, LCSW

Grieving in the Closet will offer participants an opportunity to peer through the keyhole of the closet door into the experiences of those in the LGBTQ+ community who are often forced to grieve in silence. From there, the facilitator will help providers know how to gently open the closet, sit with the grieving and bring the light of hope into their darkness. Participants will learn how to empower those in the LGBTQ+ community to heal and reemerge into a life after their loss.

 

Learning Objectives

  1. Grapple with the impact of historical and systemic trauma and loss endured by the LGBTQ+ Communities.
  2. Understand the complexity of grieving and mourning loss in queer culture.
  3. Reframe the unique experiences of grief and loss among LGBTQ+ folx from a resilience and post-traumatic growth perspective.
  4. Be equipped to create and hold safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people to share their lived experiences, thus empowering those who have been grieving in silence to progress along their healing journey.