Incorporating Religion & Spirituality into Grief Counseling
And while it was once believed that these issues should be left to religious leaders, it’s becoming clearer and clearer that effective grief treatment needs to incorporate clients' spiritual beliefs.
After all, making meaning after loss is intrinsically tied to spirituality and religion…
It’s simply too much of a component of grief counseling for clinicians to shy away from.
That’s why Dr. Christina Zampitella, PsyD, FT, is here to weigh in on the importance of bringing religion and spirituality into your grief treatment, plus key considerations to increase your comfort level talking about these issues.
Christina Zampitella, PsyD, FT is a licensed clinical psychologist, Fellow in Thanatology, and founder of the Center for Grief and Trauma Therapy. She serves as an adjunct professor and international professional speaker, with a particular passion for training and mentoring emerging mental health professionals. Dr. Zampitella is also the host of her podcast Phoenix Rising with Dr. Z.
Her clinical practice, research, course development, and teaching focus on bereavement studies, meaning reconstruction, nature-based therapy, and integrative psychology. She has served as Chair of the Continuing Education Committee for multiple professional organizations and is a faculty member at the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition, where she holds certifications in grief therapy through meaning reconstruction as well as in non-death losses within the meaning reconstruction framework.
Dr. Zampitella previously served as the resident psychologist for Channel 5 News in San Diego and has appeared on NBC News in both California and Delaware. Her work has been featured in Elle Magazine, BuzzFeed, The Huffington Post, The New York Post, and several Delaware publications.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Christina Zampitella is the owner of The Center for Grief and Trauma Therapy and has an employment relationship with National University. She receives compensation as a presenter and receives a grant from Delaware Workforce Training. She receives speaking honorariums from TZK Seminars and eCare. She is the founder and host of Phoenix Rising with Dr. Z. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Christina Zampitella serves on the advisory committee for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors and the National University's Integrative Psychology Bachelor's Degree Program. She is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Delaware Psychological Association. She is a fellow with the Association for Death Education and Counseling.
