Foundations of Grief-Informed Practice

This session provides an overview of the history of grief, loss and bereavement, and the evolution of clinical and societal understanding in this area. Participants will examine how historical and cultural shifts in the bereavement landscape have informed contemporary approaches to care.

The session explores the major theoretical frameworks influencing the field, from early stage-based models to contemporary, evidence-informed approaches. It also examines the impact of grief across five domains of functioning: emotional, physical, cognitive, social, and spiritual. Participants will develop a shared foundation of grief literacy and death literacy applicable across inpatient and community practice settings. This includes the ability to recognise common grief responses presenting in individuals and their significant others, and to apply this knowledge with greater clinical confidence, appropriate language and compassion in day-to-day practice.

Learning Outcomes 

Upon completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Examine how historical and cultural shifts in the bereavement landscape have shaped contemporary grief care practice and policy.
• Apply key theoretical frameworks of grief and bereavement to in patient and community practice settings.
• Translate grief literacy and death literacy concepts into practical strategies to enhance workforce capacity.