OSOT - Rebuilding After Loss: The Role of Occupational Therapy with Perinatal Grief
Presenter(s)
Lauren Schenk, OT Reg. (AB)
Perinatal loss affects 1 in 4 pregnancies and is increasingly recognized as a potentially traumatic experience, with a significant percentage of bereaved parents exhibiting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and suicidality (Hutti, 2005). Despite these profound effects, there is limited awareness of the role occupational therapists can have in addressing the occupational disruption that follows perinatal loss (Cacciatore & Thieleman, 2019). Occupation-focused interventions can significantly improve functional outcomes and mitigate complicated grief in bereaved parents (Dadah et al., 2018). Despite this evidence, perinatal loss remains an underserved area where occupational therapy's distinct value is frequently overlooked in traditional care models. This webinar will explore how perinatal grief manifests in daily activities, routines, and meaningful roles through the lens of occupational science. Key intervention strategies presented will include the reconstruction of disrupted daily routines, facilitation of meaningful rituals, management of environmental triggers, and support for graded occupational re-engagement. Occupational therapy's focus on meaningful engagement provides a unique pathway to healing often missed in traditional perinatal bereavement care. This webinar addresses an important practice gap where the occupational therapy profession can make a significant contribution.
Learning objectives: Understand the multifaceted impact of perinatal loss on occupational engagement. Apply grief-informed care within the occupational therapy framework. Build confidence in having sensitive, supportive conversations with clients. Identify strategies and resources for supporting return to valued roles and routines.
Presenter: Lauren Schenk, OT Reg. (AB) is a Registered Occupational Therapist with over seven years of experience providing services for workplace accommodation, mental health, stay-at-work planning, return-to-work planning, and trauma-informed care. Following her own lived-experience with perinatal loss, she learned firsthand the complexities of how grief and loss reshapes our daily lives and functional abilities. Lauren is passionate about ending the stigma and silence around pregnancy and infant loss and finding ways to advocate for the role of occupational therapy in this much needed and under-served practice area.