GREENSBURG, PA- The Seton Hill College Graduate Art Therapy Program will co-sponsor “Changing the Language of Grief: A New Century’s Challenge” on Thursday, May 9th 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. on the Seton Hill College campus. The Comprehensive Bereavement Program of Latrobe Area Hospital will co-sponsor the event.

This one-day seminar will provide a new perspective on working through grief by challenging old myths about grief and exploring how alternative expressive therapies can help create a new language of hope. It is designed for bereavement coordinators, hospice and end-of-life care nurse and staff, art therapists, social workers, counselors, school counselors, clergy and the bereaved.

The morning workshop will discuss various coping styles and the factors that may influence them. Attendees will discover how temperament, character and personality affect grieving styles. The afternoon will offer four breakout sessions from which to choose, These workshops will allow participants to take their level of understanding to a deeper level. Participants will learn how to utilize expressive therapies to better experience the healing journey that individuals face following a loss.

Keynote Speaker Dr. Darcie D. Sims, CGC, CHT is the co-founder and president of Grief Inc., a grief management and consulting firm in Louisville, KY. She is a bereaved parent, a nationally certified grief counselor, a certified pastoral bereavement counselor and a licensed psychotherapist and hypnotherapist and is the author of five books including Why Are the Casseroles Always Tuna?. An internationally recognized speaker, Sims presents workshops, keynotes and training programs all over the world on grief-related topics.

Sims served as coping editor for Bereavement Magazine for 12 years, director of the national board of directors for The Compassionate Friends, the national board of directors for the Association for Death Education and Counseling, and was on the national board of trustees for The National Catholic Ministry to the Bereaved. Funding for the keynote speaker was made possible through the generosity of The Kennametal Foundation.

5.5 credit hours of continuing education are provided through co-sponsorship of the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, a PA-approved provider of social work continuing education. These credit hours satisfy requirements for LSW renewal. For more information on social work continuing education, call 412-624-3711. 5.5 credit hours of continuing education are provided by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). Seton Hill College is recognized by the NBCC to offer continuing education for National Certified Counselors and adheres to NBCC Continuing Education Guideline. CEU certificates are $5.

Cost for the seminar is $45 for professionals/ individuals and $25 for students. Prepaid lunch tickets for the Seton Hill cafeteria are available for $4.50. For more information on the seminar, please contact Nina Denninger, associate professor of art therapy and director of the art therapy program at Seton Hill, at 724-830-1047 or denninger@setonhill.edu or Amy Meade in the Community Relations Department at Latrobe Area Hospital at 724-537-1526 or AMeade@lah.com.