Event Phone: 608-775-4747

Presenter: Kenneth J. Doka, PhD

Dr. Kenneth J. Doka is a professor emeritus at the graduate school of The College of New Rochelle and senior vice-president for Grief Programs for the Hospice Foundation of America. A prolific writer, he has published over 150 books, articles, and book chapters, including the text Dying & Death: Life & Living (8th ed.). Dr. Doka is editor of Omega: The Journal of Death and Dying and Journeys: A Newsletter to Help in Bereavement. He has an ongoing blog for Psychology Today entitled “Good Mourning.”

Dr. Doka is a past president of the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) and served on the Board of Directors, including chair, of the International Work Group on Dying, Death and Bereavement. In the early 2000s, Dr. Doka was granted mental health counselor status under NY State’s first licensure of counselors. He is the recipient of numerous awards and other high honors, including the International Work Group on Death, Dying, and Bereavement’s Herman Feifel Award for Lifetime Contributions to the field of thanatology and the Lifetime Achievement Award from ADEC.

Dr. Doka has keynoted conferences throughout North America as well as Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. He participates in the annual Hospice Foundation of America Teleconference and has appeared on CNN and Nightline. In addition, he has served as a consultant to medical, nursing, funeral service, and hospice organizations as well as businesses and educational and social service agencies. Dr. Doka is an ordained Lutheran minister.

Web Page: http://www.drkendoka.com/

Topic: Disenfranchised Grief: Recognizing Hidden Sorrow

Disenfranchised grief is grief that is not openly acknowledged, socially sanctioned, or publicly mourned.  This presentation explores the contexts and causes of—including cultural factors—and complications arising from disenfranchised grief. Interventive strategies that serve to enfranchise grieving are strongly emphasized.