Course Summary

Are you a mental health or other caring / health professional or educator who supports those impacted by significant loss?

This 1-day live online workshop will help mental health or other caring / health professionals or educators apply the cutting-edge science of compassion to the experience of significant life changing loss & grief. Grief is a universal experience, associated with pain and suffering. Yet there have been so many developments in our understanding of grief. Compassion is also a natural quality - and cutting-edge scientific developments in compassion-focused psychology can be applied to support people to cope with grief in an experiential and non-pathologising way. This foundation level course, which is developed and delivered by Dr Belinda Ratcliffe (PhD Clinical Psychologist) and co-facilitated with Rebecca Batman (Education and Devlopmental Psychologist) helps translate the latest research and resources into simple easy to understand concepts that can be immediately applied in professional and personal practice - supporting you to care for yourself, as you care for others, with compassion. The course combines teaching with experiential activities - to support the cultivation of compassion in community.
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1-day 'Live/online Workshop' (pre-register for 30 days access to the live recording)

Participants will increase their knowledge, skills and confidence via teaching, and a range of experiential activites in the following areas:

  • Contemporary approaches to loss and grief - including perspectives from lived experience, continuing bonds theory - moving through outdated models of care

  • The science and art of compassion - flows of compassion for caring professionals

  • Evolutionary and neurobiology of loss & grief

  • How significant loss impacts the psychology of the assumptive world

  • The compassion-focused therapy 3-circle model of emotions - as applied to loss and grief

  • Compassion-focused body-based practices

  • Cultivating a compassionate mind

  • Certificate of participation on completion of quiz within 1 month of the workshop

  • 8 hours of CPD

Event Details

  • Upcoming Date(s)

    Sunday 1st June 2025

  • Time

    9-5pm (AEST)

  • Breaks?

    Yes! Breaks for 10 minutes every hour, and a 1 hour lunch break 12.30-1.30pm (approx!)

Who is the course for?

This 1-day workshop is designed for mental health or other caring / health professionals or educators who want to up-skill in the latest compassion-based approaches to loss and grief. This is a professional course - and may be relevant to those directly supporting those experiencing loss and grief, as well as others who want to grow their personal and professional understanding - this course is not therapy - however it may be therapeutic!

  • Registered Psychologists, including provisional psychologists as well as those with Area of Practice Endorsement (or working towards) in Clinical, Health, Counselling, Educational & Developmental, school psychologists

  • Allied health professionals, including social workers & occupational therapists

  • Nurses, doctors and other relevant Health staff

  • General and Bereavement Counsellors

  • Educators (Primary & High School teachers, lecturers)

  • Palliative care teams, including consultants, death doulas and volunteers across the spectrum of end-of-life experiences

  • Researchers working in relevant areas associated with loss, grief and/or compassion

Instructors

Dr Belinda Ratcliffe (Phd, Clinical Psychologist)

Dr. Belinda Ratcliffe is a highly respected Clinical Psychologist with over 25 years of experience. She holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Sydney's Sydney Medical School and is a former Lecturer in Clinical Psychology. Based in Sydney, Australia, Dr. Ratcliffe is founder of the Emotions Clinic Australia, providing compassionate and evidence-based psychological services to diverse communities. Dr. Ratcliffe is deeply committed to the fields of psychology with a particular interest in neurodivergence. She also has a particular interest in addressing significant loss and grief through a compassion-focused approach. In 2023/2024, Dr. Ratcliffe took a part-time sabbatical to enhance her expertise, studying contemporary approaches to grief and loss internationally. She has also completed extensive training in Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), including specialized applications of CFT for grief and loss, trauma, self-care, parenting, and working with children and young people. She has also trained under Kristen Neff and Chris Germer in mindful self-compassion. Dr Ratcliffe is a committee member for Compassionate Minds Australia, and continues to pursue academic growth as a postgraduate student at TienNan Institute, where she focuses on Applied Mindfulness and Compassion. Her studies and personal practice emphasize the integration of compassion-based psychology with the cultivation of qualities such as loving-kindness, empathetic joy, and equanimity. Internationally recognized as a distinguished trainer, Dr. Ratcliffe is known for her warmth, rigor, and commitment to delivering evidence-based interventions. She is also a multi-award-winning researcher and published author, contributing significant insights to the field of psychology. Dr. Ratcliffe facilitates training across the Asia-Pacific, leads therapy groups, offers clinical supervision, and holds multiple influential roles in both business and academia. Her work is driven by a deep motivation to embody and promote compassion in all aspects of her professional and personal life.

Countdown

You must pre-register to attend. Participants who pre-register will have access to live recording for 30 days

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FAQ

  • Are sessions recorded?

    Yes. We encourage participants to attend live. However, we understand that, due to time differences, it may not be possible for you to attend all of this training live with us. With that in mind, the workshop will be recorded, and you'll have access to the recordings for 30 days after the course ends, to watch in your own time.

  • I recently experience a significant personal loss - is it Ok for me to attend?

    This is a personal decision - however, we recommend participants to complete this course, at least 12 months from their initial experience of significant loss.

  • What theory is this workshop based on?

    The content and activities draw upon science-based principles from the theoretical application of compassion-focused therapy to grief and loss (Harris, 2023) and includes elements from interpersonal psychotherapy, continuing bonds theory, dual processing model of grief, mindful self-compassion, acceptance and commitment therapy, positive psychology and contemplative traditions, including Buddhist psychology.

  • Can I get person advice or advice about my specific situation?

    We warmly welcome general discussion, sharing and theme-based questions in response to content, activities, and experiential learning. As this course is for general education, we encourage participants to seek personal therapy or clinical supervision for specific personal or case-based support.

  • Can I claim CPD for this course?

    This course would be considered CPD for most health professionals. Please check with your registration/accreditation body to see if this program is appropriate for your CPD.

  • Personal well-being

    Due to the universal nature of loss and grief, this training experience may bring up challenging memories or feelings. If you have a history with a serious mental health condition or other concerns you think may impact your ability to take this course, please contact your healthcare professional to determine if this course is right for you. This course is not a substitute for mental health care, personal therapy or medical treatment. Personal safety and emotional wellbeing are the foundation of self-compassion training and you are primarily responsible for your own safety.

  • This is a foundation course - do you offer ongoing compassion practice training?

    Yes! - we have a monthly practice group for caring health and education professionals which includes a live 75 minute session (recorded if unable to attend live) and a private FB community. Times for live sessions vary to accommodate various time-zones. Compassion is best cultivated in community - we gather to learn, share and practice the art and science of 'being' the quality of compassion in our personal and professional lives. The sessions usually include training in a compassion-focused technique or concept, guided imagery and/or a skills-based experiential activity and small-group reflection and discussion. This group is only available to participants who have completed this course (or other recognised training in compassion) and further information will be made available for interested participants at the end of this workshop. For those who are interested in further or deeper training in different areas/theories/topics covered in this course, we provide a list of helpful options by external organisations.

  • Can I get a refund?

    We are committed to providing high-quality educational courses and programs to our participants. We understand that circumstances may arise where individuals are unable to complete or continue with a paid course they have enrolled in. To ensure fairness and transparency, we have established the following refund policy for our paid courses: If this course is cancelled 14 days prior to the start date will receive a full refund. Cancelled 5-13 days prior to the start date will be subject to a 10% cancellation fee. Cancellations made less than 5 days prior to the start date will be subject to a 20% cancellation fee. No refunds are available once the course has began. Please note this course is recorded to watch up to 30 days later, so participants who are unable to attend live will be able to watch the recordings at a time that suits them.