CPD for Therapists

Loss and the Impact of Family Breakdown on Children and Adolescents
Date: 5th April 2025

Sandra Joyce – Counsellor / Psychotherapist

This workshop explores the impact of parental separation on children and adolescents. It will look at the complexity of step/blended families and how children and adolescents cope in this new family structure.
The impact of loss due to separation will be addressed in relation to child and adolescent
development and family coping strategies. The workshop will help develop skills to cope with behaviours in children and adolescent’s due to the impact of parental separation. The workshop is collaborative and active with a mixture of presentation, experimental exercises, group work and case studies.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of the workshop participants will:
• understand the impact of parental separation on children and adolescents and how they adjust
to changes in family life;
• develop skills in determining levels/and appropriate responses to child and adolescent’s response to loss due to parental separation;
• understand the importance of the developmental stages in loss following parental separation;
• reflect on how children and adolescents cope in blended families and help them to develop coping strategies to manage their emotions.
Presenter Profile
Sandra Joyce is an experienced Adolescent Psychotherapist. She has worked with the Teen
Between service in Relationships Ireland and now works in Zestlife therapeutic servises aand has a private practice in Sandyford therapy centre.

Presenter; Sandra Joyce holds a Msc Adolescent Psychotherapy, BA Counselling and Psychometric testing and is a Faciliator of John Sharry’s Parenting when separated programme.
She also has a B. Ed in Education . She also holds a Certificate in Relationships Counselling from Relationships Ireland.