Sins of the Parents: Self-Care for Survivors in the Context of the Aging of Abusive Parents

  • October 03, 2018
  • 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
  • University of Washington, School of Social Work, Rm 305A/B
  • 4

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Laura Brown, PhD is a clinical and forensic psychologist in private practice in Seattle. A speaker and author on feminist therapy theory, she has developed her expertise in trauma over numerous decades of clinical practice. In this Clinical Evening Meeting, she will share insights into the challenges common to survivors of childhood abuse and neglect who find themselves dealing with abusive elders and the death of their abusive parent. Dr. Brown will tell us about the “Death of hope” and how it applies to this kind of complicated grief for survivors. Dr. Brown has written two recent books related to this special topic, Not the price of admission: Healthy relationships after childhood trauma and Your turn for care: Surviving the aging and death of the adults who harmed you.


Objectives

  • Identify two challenges common for survivors dealing with abusive elders.
  • Understand the concept of the "Death of hope" as it applies to clinical manifestations of complicated grief for survivors whose abusive parent has died.

About the Presenter

Dr. Laura Brown, a clinical psychologist in Seattle, has spent her career working with survivors of childhood trauma. A recipient of many awards for her work in trauma treatment and feminist therapy, she is the author of 11 books, including Feminist Psychotherapy, and dozens of articles and chapters. She founded the Fremont Community Therapy Project and is a therapist, trainer, consultant and supervisor.

Dr. Brown brings her vast experience working with survivors of childhood trauma together with her definition of cultural competence, to help therapists strengthen their understanding of themselves and their clients. She defines cultural competence as the therapist’s capacity to be self-aware in regards to her or his own identities and cultural norms, the therapists abilities to be sensitive to the nuances of the realities of human difference, and the therapist’s capacity to possess an epistemology of difference allowing for creative responses to the client. This model of cultural competence is inherently integrative in that it focuses on people, not theories, and on distress, dysfunction, strength, and resilience, not specific diagnoses.


In this framework, cultural competence does not consist of learning rules and algorithms about how to work with a particular group of people. It does require a therapist to own and analyze her or his own biases, and to accept the reality of bias as an aspect of being human. This definition does require therapists to understand and own their own experiences of privilege, and to work through guilt or shame about privilege so as not to bring those problematic emotions into the therapeutic exchange. Culturally competent therapists develop awareness of what they represent to their clients and what those clients represent to them in the context of intersectional identity. 

CEU's Offered
1.5 ceu's


Schedule
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Registration & Refreshments: 6:30pm
Program: 7:00pm - 8:30pm

Meeting Location
UW School of Social Work, Room #305 A
4101 15th Ave. NE,   Seattle, WA  98105
Directions The School of Social Work is on the corner of 41st and 15th Avenue N.E. in the University District, directly across from the Meany Parking Garage.

Parking is readily available on the street, in the parking garage, or on street level parking lots.

Refund Policy Fees may be refunded up to two weeks prior to the Clinical Evening Meeting, minus a $3.00 administration fee and any online transaction fees.

Questions?  admin@wsscsw.org

**If you register and are unable to attend, please keep us informed so we can properly adjust our reservation. It is important as we engage in the community WSSCSW is regarded as good stewards of the places that we meet.