GRD 1207: Advanced Seminar in Complicated Grief: Understanding the Psychology of Trauma

The aim of this course is to introduce students to important concepts concerning psychological trauma and its consequences and treatment. Psychological trauma can take many forms and be caused by single events or chronic conditions. Course topics include the anatomy, etiology and consequences of traumatic experience, relevant clinical diagnoses (such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Acute Stress Disorder, Dissociative Disorders), and therapeutic intervention with traumatized populations. Unfortunately there are many circumstances in which grief and trauma overlap, such as when a client’s loss occurs in violent or sudden circumstances or when the relationship with the deceased was marked by traumatic features. Understanding the psychological response to trauma is therefore crucial to mastering effective interventions with complicated grief.

Textbooks

Herman, J. (1997). Trauma and recovery. New York: Basic Books. ISBN: 0465087302

Armstrong, C. M. (2011). Transforming Traumatic Grief: Six Steps to Move from Grief to Peace After the Sudden or Violent Death of a Loved One. Artemicia Press.ISBN-10: 0983499918 ISBN-13: 978-0983499916