Lessons in Loss: Integrating Día de los Muertos Symbolism into Grief Work

"Lessons in Loss: Integrating Día de los Muertos Symbolism into Culturally Responsive Grief Work"

2.5 CE Credits will be offered for LPC, LMFT, SW, and Psychologists - NBCC Approved

Presented by: Presented by Monica Urbaniak, LMFT-S

Date: October 23rd, 2026

Time: 9:30am - 12:00pm CDT

Location: North Central Texas Council of Governments - William Pitstick Conference Room (616 Six Flags Dr, Arlington, TX 76011)

Cost: Free (This training is supported by Award No. 3012709 by the Texas Office of the Governor and Violence Against Women Act Fund.)

Survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault often carry layered and disenfranchised losses — loss of safety, identity, trust, community, autonomy, and future dreams. Traditional grief models do not always address these complex and culturally nuanced experiences. This experiential workshop introduces clinicians to the history, cultural significance, and symbolism of Día de los Muertos (DDLM) and explores how its rituals and imagery can be incorporated into trauma-informed, culturally responsive grief work. Participants will gain foundational knowledge of general grief work, identify the unique and often invisible losses experienced by survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and learn practical ways to integrate DDLM symbolism into therapeutic practice. Through guided reflection and experiential learning, participants will collaboratively build symbolic altars and engage in facilitated processing of the experience. This embodied and creative approach offers clinicians practical tools for helping clients externalize grief, honor losses, and reconnect with meaning in ways that are culturally respectful and therapeutically powerful. 

Learning Objectives:  

• Describe at least three core principles of general grief work, including concepts of disenfranchised and ambiguous loss.  

• Identify at least three types of losses commonly experienced by survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault beyond physical harm.  

• Apply experiential altar-building as a clinical intervention to support processing, meaning-making, and narrative integration in grief treatment. 

If you register for this training, you must attend for the entire training. *Partial CEs will not be provided.*

Leaving the training early will count as a No Show.

In the event of an emergency that causes you to be late or miss the training, email training@tssnt.org. Seats are limited, and we want to make seats available to anyone on the waitlist.

About Our Speaker:

Monica L. Urbaniak, MS, LMFT-S, EMDR-CIT, is a trauma-focused Consultant, Trainer, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 20 years of experience supporting survivors and advancing trauma-responsive care. She provides therapy, professional training, and organizational consultation on trauma, sexual violence, and trauma-informed practices.

A nonprofit leader and advocate, Monica has held numerous leadership roles, including founding board member of the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center and Immediate Past Chair of the Board for Trauma Support Services of North Texas. Her work has earned multiple honors, including the TAASA Vivian Miles Lifetime Achievement Award and the NSVRC Visionary Voice Award. She holds a Master of Science from New Mexico State University and is an EMDRIA Certified Therapist, EMDRIA Consultant in Training, and Board Approved Supervisor.

When Registering, please ensure that ALL information, especially your email address, is accurate. If you do not receive a confirmation email from our team, your registration cannot be guaranteed.

All events are subject to cancellation