Grief, illness (acute and chronic) and sexuality have something in common—their vulnerable nature can make each of them extremely challenging to address. When these elements intersect, the challenge is multiplied exponentially.
In this training, Kailey Bradley, LPCC-S, counselor and grief specialist, will discuss the necessity for those in helping professions to learn and recognize the distinct nuances involved in working with the intersection of sexuality and grief. She will discuss the role of mental health stigma, challenges relevant to the impact of illness on sexuality, and ways in which sexuality and grief can be addressed from a practitioner-lead perspective.
Following this discussion, participants will have the ability to:
- Better understand how the mental health field has stigmatized and overlooked the roles grief and sexuality in psychological functioning
- Examine challenges that illness and loss pose in sexual functioning
- Better understand how to help clients address, acknowledge, and validate the role of sexuality in their lives throughout illness processes, and through the grief process
This presentation is offered in partnership with the NW Association for Death Education & Bereavement Support, a nonprofit organization that exists to promote quality death education and bereavement support for professionals and the greater community.
Kailey Bradley, MA, LPCC-S, NCC, FT is a licensed professional counselor, nationally certified counselor, and fellow in thanatology. She has a background in hospice work and feels that companioning and advocating for grievers is her life’s passion. Currently, Kailey is an adjunct professor at Ashland Theological seminary where she teaches grief counseling courses and Marian University where she teaches courses on Childhood Bereavement, Pediatric Hospice Care, and Expressive Arts in Counseling.
Kailey is a doctoral student at Ohio University and co-owns Refuge Counseling, LLC a private practice specializing in the intersections of grief, sexuality, chronic illness and spirituality. Kailey has a long history of advocacy and service to children and families, most recently being awarded as an emerging leader through the Association of Child and Adolescent Counseling.
