DSW Candidate – Barbara Stephens, 1:00 PM-2:15 PM
$0.00
Virtual Showcase of DSW Scholars 2025 Event!
Uncharted Waters: Clinical Insights into Father-Daughter Relationships, Adaptation, and Bereaved Daughters’ Identity Maturation Following Premature Maternal Death
DSW Candidate – Barbara Stephens, LCSW, LCSW-S, LISW-S
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
1:00 PM-2:15 PM Eastern Time Zone
Credit Hours: 1.0 (ACE)
Description
Uncharted Waters: Clinical Insights into Father-Daughter Relationships, Adaptation, and Bereaved Daughters’ Identity Maturation Following Premature Maternal Death
Parental death during childhood is projected to increase in the United States over the next several decades, affecting one in eight children by age 25. A population understudied is widowed fathers and bereaved daughters. To address this, family adaptation following a mother’s death will be explored. Findings from a systematic literature review will be presented that specifically investigates how widowed fathers’ roles and adaptation affect bereaved daughters in terms of the grieving process itself, identity formation, attachment, and psychological adjustment. Bereaved daughters’ identity formation will be further explored within the context of the widowed fathers’ grieving process. A new conceptual theory will be presented arguing that identity formation for bereaved daughters becomes a life-long development task, overshadowing and integrating with other psychosocial developmental tasks as described by psychoanalyst Erik Erikson. This new concept also argues that bereaved daughters’ identity formation is concurrent with strengthening daughters’ relationships with their surviving fathers. Furthermore, resolution of parental conflict as well as continuing emotional and spiritual bonds with deceased mothers strengthens identity formation. Lastly, a clinical tool to assess bereaved daughters will be introduced as an instrument to help counselors working with this population.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this conference, participants will be able to:
- Examine the lived experience of widowed fathers and bereaved daughters by identifying six roles that fathers may assume and four ways daughters may adapt following premature maternal death.
- Describe an innovative concept called Bereaved Daughters’ Identity Maturation Theory with the application of a case study.
- Understand Life After Loss: A Clinical Tool to Assess Bereaved Daughters as a new instrument to help counselors working with bereaved daughters.
Delivery Method: Live Interactive Training via Zoom Video Conferencing
Credit Hours: 1.0 (ACE)
Target Audience: This conference is intended for social workers and students.
Accreditation: University of Kentucky College of Social Work, Provider # 1377, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 9/29/22-9/29/25. Social workers participating in this conference will receive up to 15 general continuing education credits.
Claiming CE Credit: Instructions for claiming CE credit will be disseminated at the beginning of each session.
Questions: If you have any questions regarding CE credit or to report a grievance, please contact Christina Krantz at Christina.Krantz@uky.edu. For technical assistance, please contact lmshelp@uky.edu.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these presentations are those of the individual presenters and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of the University of Kentucky or the College of Social Work. The inclusion of any topics, perspectives, or discussions is intended for academic engagement and does not constitute endorsement by the institution.
