Course Overview 

A client sits across from you describing the end of a marriage, a diagnosis that rewrote their future, a career they walked away from, or a relationship with a parent that quietly went silent years ago. They are not grieving a death. They may not use the word loss at all. So it gets treated as anxiety, as depression, as an adjustment problem, and the work focuses on lowering symptoms while the grief underneath stays untouched.

Grief extends far beyond the death of a loved one. Divorce, infertility, chronic illness, career changes, retirement, estrangement, and significant life transitions all carry real loss. Because these experiences are so often overlooked as grief, treatment can help a little and then stall, leaving clients with the sense that something deeper was never reached.

This introductory course helps you reach it. 

About This Training

The Grief We Don't Name is a practical, introductory course for clinicians who don't specialize in grief but see it constantly, whether they name it that way or not. You'll learn to recognize non-death losses, tell grief apart from the clinical presentations it often hides behind, and respond with grief-informed interventions you can use in your very next session.

This is not a lecture on the stages of grief. It's a grounded, clinically useful look at how loss actually shows up in the room, and what to do when it does.

What You Will Learn

Together we'll expand the definition of grief beyond death and explore the many non-death losses clients carry, including the disenfranchised grief that so often goes unwitnessed. You'll learn to differentiate grief from depression, anxiety, and adjustment difficulties so you can treat what's actually there rather than only the symptoms on the surface.

From there we move into the work itself: the companioning model as a way of being with grief, expanding the window of tolerance, and supporting the client's nervous system through loss. We'll look at meaning-making and the slow work of living into a new normal, and get honest about what to do when your interventions aren't landing.

We'll also turn toward you. Grief work asks something of the clinician's own nervous system, and we'll name the common stuck points therapists hit so you can stay grounded and present in the work.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this training, participants will be able to

• Identify common non-death grief and loss
• Differentiate grief from depression, anxiety, and adjustment difficulties
• Apply grief-informed interventions to non-death losses
• Utilize nervous system-based strategies, such as expanding the window of tolerance, to support grieving clients

Who This Training Is For

This training is designed for mental health professionals who regularly work with clients moving through significant life change and want to feel more confident naming and treating the grief inside it. If you've ever sensed that a client's stuckness was about something you didn't yet have language for, this is for you

No prior grief specialization is needed. This is an introductory-level course.

Training Format and CE Information

• Format: Live virtual training via Zoom
• Length: 2 hours 15 minutes (2.0 CE hours)
• Instructional Level: Introductory and Foundational
• CE Credit: 2 CE hours

Meet Your Instructor

Shea Wingate, LCSW, Certified Grief Professional

Shea Wingate is the owner of Wingate Counseling, a private practice specializing in grief counseling for people experiencing the death of a loved one and other significant non-death loss. She is a licensed clinical social worker and certified grief professional in Tennessee and Ohio, as well as a speaker and content creator dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding of grief through education and advocacy.

Drawing from both her clinical practice and her own experiences with profound loss, Shea is passionate about helping therapists develop confidence in working with grief. Her trainings help clinicians apply grief-informed interventions in everyday clinical settings for both death and non-death loss. Through speaking engagements, professional training, and educational content, Shea is committed to equipping clinicians with skills they can integrate into their practice and confidence in using compassionate grief work interventions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need prior experience in grief work to take this training?

No. This is an introductory-level course designed specifically for clinicians who don't specialize in grief but regularly encounter clients navigating significant life change. You'll leave with practical skills you can use right away, no grief background required. 

How many CE hours does this training provide?

 This training provides 2 NBCC CE hours. To receive credit, participants must attend the full session live and complete the program evaluation.

Is this training live, and what platform is it held on? 

Yes, this is a live, interactive training held via Zoom. You'll receive access details after you register. 

Will the training be recorded or available on demand?

 An on-demand version will be available separately at a later date.

What is your cancellation or refund policy?

View more on our Policies Page

Who is this training for?

This training is for licensed mental health professionals, including counselors, therapists, and social workers, who want to feel more confident recognizing and treating non-death losses such as divorce, infertility, chronic illness, retirement, estrangement, and major life transitions.