(HS Bidwell Smith 150666 2026) Estrangement and Grief: Clinical Interventions for Ambiguous, Disenfranchised, and Complica...

Course overview

Estrangement - from parents, adult children, siblings, or extended family - is one of the most complex and misunderstood forms of grief clients experience. Often invisible and socially unacknowledged, estrangement can leave individuals grieving someone who is still alive, while simultaneously managing shame, self-doubt, loyalty conflicts, and chronic uncertainty. Join therapist and best-selling author Claire Bidwell Smith as she draws on nearly two decades of grief-focused clinical work to explore estrangement as a form of ambiguous and disenfranchised loss. This training will help clinicians understand the emotional, relational, and identity-level impacts of estrangement, recognize why these losses often remain unresolved, and apply practical, compassionate interventions to support clients navigating estrangement with greater clarity, self-trust, and emotional integration.