Spilled Merlot (on demand - non-member)
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Description:
She arrived struggling with a plethora of issues that had begun with a primary loss, the passing of a parent, at a time when they were hoping to rejuvenate their relationship. Additionally, being on a new continent and in a confusing marital situation, she heard herself open up for the first time about the realities around her. Then, she mentioned a parent had been abandoned in childhood.
Her exploration brought this writer full circle to address a story of childhood trauma that had been present throughout a lifetime while remaining unspoken.
Learning objectives:
The paper will explore:
- How development trajectories differ between early childhood loss of a parent through death, as compared to loss by abandonment;
- How the loss of a parental figure by abandonment may lead to narcissistic pathology, if not mitigated;
- How the discovery of unknown family members, beyond intimate care providers, may meaningfully impact a child’s sense of self.
Speaker’s bio:
Donna O’Keefe, MS, M.Div. is a licensed marriage family therapist, pastoral counselor, and psychoanalyst whose career has included private practice and community-based service. Attaining a master’s in marriage, family, and child counseling in California, she worked at a shelter for vulnerable youth. Noticing an unmet need, she established and co-facilitated a parent support group. Juggling work with her own parenting, she also held important community roles, including PTA president, Camp Fire leader, and school desegregation lobbyist. Moving to Colorado, she began theological studies, attaining a master’s in divinity and becoming ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). While beginning her private practice, she also served as hospital chaplain, specializing in high-risk pregnancy. Noticing another need, she co-created and facilitated the hospital Assistance with Grief group supporting parents devastated by early infant loss. Later, in Oklahoma, she continued hospital chaplaincy, additionally including cancer, cardiac, and intensive care patients, and she provided school-based therapy for teens, and she established her practice. In 2006, she began her psychoanalytic journey, deepening and enriching her ability to support clients. Ms. O’Keefe also enjoys intrepid world travels, being a grandmother, community volunteer work with her church, and cultivating a pollinator garden.
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