Katherine P. Supiano, PhD, LCSW

I am an Associate Professor and the Director of Caring Connections: A Hope and Comfort in Grief Program, the bereavement care program of the University of Utah serving the intermountain west. I attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning a BS in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Child and Family Studies (Human Development) and a Master’s Degree in Counseling and Guidance. I earned my PhD from the University of Utah College of Social Work in 2012.

I am a PhD-prepared licensed clinical social worker and have been a practicing psychotherapist in geriatrics, palliative care and grief therapy for over 35 years. My clinical practice includes care of older adults with depression and multiple chronic health concerns, end-of-life care, and bereavement care. In addition to counseling, I have worked in the areas of elder abuse and neglect, geriatric care management, nursing home advocacy and smoking cessation. I am a Fellow in the Gerontological Society of America, a Fellow of Thanatology-Association of Death Education and Counseling, and a member of the Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network Board of Directors.

Prior to joining the faculty in 2007, I served as social worker to the University of Utah Hospital Palliative Care team. Before coming to Utah, I was a clinical social work manager at Turner Geriatric Clinic-University of Michigan Health Center, and have also worked in the mental health system and in long-term care.

Research Statement

As reflected in the Caring Connections mission statement, I am committed to research which promotes greater understanding of loss, grief and bereavement, and methods to facilitate constructive grief.

My primary research interest is developing, evaluating, manualizing and disseminating effective psychotherapy interventions to treat and ultimately prevent complicated grief—that is, the chronic, unrelenting grief that disables the griever. My independent program of research includes investigations of complicated grief interventions, the processes and lived experience that that promote healthy grief, and end-of-life values and preferences.

I am invovled in developing, implementing and evaluating educational approaches to prepare clinicians and community-based professionals to respond to the Grief of Overdose Death and the Grief of Suicide Death.

I am also committed to clinical education research, particularly interprofessional education and its impact on interdisciplinary practice. I have led published outcome studies in interdisciplinary palliative care education and the effect of personal grief on student learning.