Owaissa Vanderberg is a pediatric palliative care bereavement specialist with Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. By creating an environment where patients' families can feel safe expressing a wide range of emotions, she offers evidence-based tools for families who are learning how to cope with significant bereavement, grief and loss.
She is licensed as a clinical mental health counselor (LMHC) and a marriage and family therapist (LMFT). Owaissa also has earned the distinction of a National Board Certified Counselor and a Certified Thanatologist (CT) by the governing body of the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Thanatology is the study of death, dying and bereavement from a variety of multicultural perspectives. Owaissa's professional focus is on providing end-of-life and grief education and offering support for pediatric palliative care patients' family members and others who are experiencing grief and loss.
Her specialties include:
- Pediatric palliative care
- Grief support
- Bereavement education
- Bibliotherapy
- Positive psychology
- Narrative therapy
Owaissa's Training
Owaissa earned her master's degree in clinical mental health counseling from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. She is certified as a parent educator and in using the mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) technique.
About Owaissa
Owaissa's professional memberships include the Association for Death Education and Counseling, American Counseling Association, the Association for Specialists in Group Work, Central Florida Association for Marriage & Family Therapy, and the International Association of Marriage & Family Counselors. She is married and has three adult children. Owaissa is training Sadie-blu, a yellow lab grief support dog, and enjoys gardening.