Complicated Spiritual Grief

Grief and trauma that traditional therapy approaches struggle to address require clinicians who understand the unique landscape of loss. Christina Zampitella has devoted more than three decades to becoming one of the world's leading thanatologists - psychologists who specialise in death, loss, and bereavement - transforming how practitioners understand and treat complex grief.

As founder and director of the Center for Grief and Trauma Therapy in Delaware and host of the "Phoenix Rising with Dr. Z" podcast, Dr. Zampitella bridges clinical expertise with lived experience of loss. Her designation as Fellow of Thanatology by the Association for Death Education and Counseling, combined with her Outstanding Doctor of Clinical Psychology Award from California School of Professional Psychology, reflects her commitment to advancing grief therapy as a specialised field.

Dr. Zampitella's expertise spans thanatology, traumatology, EMDR, nature-based therapy, narrative psychotherapy, and meaning reconstruction approaches. Her work with diverse populations - across all cultural, gender, and religious backgrounds - gives her unique insights into how loss affects different communities. She integrates mind, body, and spirit approaches, showing clinicians how to honor clients' cultural backgrounds, spiritual beliefs, and individual grief expressions.

What sets her training apart is authentic understanding. Zampitella doesn't just teach grief theory - she shows practitioners how to sit with profound loss, recognise when grief becomes complicated, and differentiate grief symptoms from other mental health conditions. Her international speaking and training engagements, combined with her faculty role at the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition, demonstrate her dedication to mentoring emerging clinicians and advancing the field.

For your practice, expect to gain specific skills in assessing complicated versus uncomplicated grief, practical interventions for trauma-related loss, and tools for supporting clients through various types of bereavement. Her approach particularly benefits clinicians who want to specialise in grief work or feel unprepared to address loss in their current practice.

Qualifications

• PsyD, Clinical Psychology, Alliant International University (California School of Professional Psychology), 2005
• M.A., Clinical Psychology, Alliant International University
• M.A., Counseling Psychology, Immaculata University, PA
• B.A., Psychology, University of Delaware
• Fellow of Thanatology (FT), Association for Death Education and Counseling, 2010
• Licensed Clinical Psychologist: Delaware (#B1-0001010), California (#PSY20878)
• Grief Therapy as Meaning Reconstruction Certification
• Certified Grief Informed Professional (CGP)
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) certified
• Certified in yoga nidra
• EMDR trained

Teaching & Roles

• Founder & Director, Center for Grief and Trauma Therapy, Wilmington, DE
• Host, "Phoenix Rising with Dr. Z" podcast
• Associate Professor, National University, CA
• Adjunct Professor, Goldey-Beacom College, DE
• Faculty member, Portland Institute for Loss and Transition

Speaking & Training

• International speaker and trainer in grief and trauma therapy
• ADEC (Association for Death Education and Counseling) conference presenter
• Professional training nationwide

Ready to develop specialised expertise in grief and trauma? Discover how Dr. Zampitella's thanatology-based methods can enhance your ability to support clients through their most difficult losses.