Join us on Children's Grief Awareness Day for "The Child We Once Were: How lived experience shapes the way we support kids who are grieving" | | There is no cost to attend this webinar with your registration | | |
In recognition of Children’s Grief Awareness Day, November 19, Dougy Center is offering a virtual panel discussion, "The Child We Once Were: How lived experience shapes the way we support kids who are grieving." Featuring professionals who experienced the death of someone significant during their own childhood, panelists will reflect on what they needed from the adults around them, what was helpful, and what they wish had been different.
Through lived experience and professional insight, the conversation will explore how childhood grief shapes the way we support children and families who are grieving today. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how small, intentional actions can make a meaningful difference in a child’s grief journey.
There is no cost to attend this webinar, but registration is requred. Learn more and register here.
| | Supporting children and teens with autism who are grieving | |
Greif is as unique as each individual, including children and teens with autism. Dougy Center's resource, Supporting Children & Teens with Autism Who are Grieving, is a collaboration with Jennifer Wiles, Director of HEARTplay.
This tip sheet is free to download and provides helping professionals, parents, caregivers, and other community members with ideas for concrete, compassionate, and creative support for children and teens with autism who are grieving. For more, download the tip sheet here.
| | Dougy Center's Virtual Professional Seminar is coming this January | | |
Support children, teens, young adults, and families who are grieving with confidence.
Dougy Center’s Virtual Professional Seminar, January 25 to 29, will equip you with the knowledge and skills to respond to grief across developmental stages; from young children to adults. You’ll learn the foundations of grief education, what it truly means to be grief-informed, and how to apply these concepts in real-world settings.
This live, online seminar is designed for professionals who want more than theory. With a small cohort, participants will engage in meaningful discussion, learn from peers, and walk away with tools that can use right away.
Find more information here.
| | Upcoming grief education webinars focus on topics related to support for children, teens, and families | | |
Grief in the Shadows: Supporting Children and Teens After a Stigmatized Death
September 24, 2026
10 - 11:30 a.m., PDT
presented by Cristina Chipriano, L.C.S.W., F.T.
| While any type of death can leave families feeling isolated, some are met with more shame and stigma than others. Deaths from suicide, homicide, substance use, or certain illnesses may evoke disapproval or blame toward the person for how they died, distracting from who they were and how they lived. This webinar explores the unique challenges faced by children and teens who are grieving a stigmatized death. | | |
Navigating Grief During the Holidays
October 22, 2026
10 - 11:30 a.m., PDT
presented by Jana DeCristofaro, L.C.S.W.
| The end of year holidays can be especially challenging for children, teens, and families who are grieving. In this webinar, we’ll explore various considerations during the holiday season for families who are grieving (e.g., expectations, pressures, rituals) and helpful ways to support families this holiday season. | | |
The Child We Once Were: How lived experience shapes the way we support kids who are grieving
Children's Grief Awareness Day, November 19, 2026
10 - 11:30 a.m. PST
presented by
Rebecca Hobbs-Lawrence, M.A.; Melissa Peede Thompson, M.S.; and Brennan C. Wood
| |
Through lived experience and professional insight, this conversation will explore how childhood grief shapes the way we support children and families who are grieving today. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how small, intentional actions can make a meaningful difference in a child’s grief journey.
There is no cost to attend this webinar, but registration is required.
| | Grief education for school personnel | |
Do you work with students in a school setting? Equip yourself with the knowledge and skills to effectively support students who are grieving with our comprehensive Course Bundle: Grief Education for School Personnel. This bundle includes two essential courses:
- Becoming Grief-Informed: Foundations of Grief Education: Gain the knowledge and skills to implement the core principles of grief-informed best practices into your personal and professional life.
- Supporting Students Who are Grieving: Equip yourself with practical strategies for creating a supportive and inclusive classroom environment for students who are grieving.
Find more information, and the register here.
| | |
National Presentations
-
Utilizing Dougy Center Resources to Support Children and Families, a virtual presentation for David Kessler's "Grief Educator's Program," Brennan Wood, April 13, 2026.
-
Supporting Families Who are Grieving, a presentation for members and guests of The Town Club, Portland, Oregon, Brennan Wood, April 16, 2026.
-
Best Practices in Grief Education, a one-day training hosted for the community by P.U.N.T. Pediatric Cancer Collaborative in Buffalo, New York, Cristina Chipriano, L.C.S.W.-S., F.T. and Donna Schuurman, Ed.D., F.T., May 13, 2026.
-
Grief and Palliative Care, a presentation in conjunction with the Endowed Lectureship for the Pediatric Team at Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, Oregon, Brennan Wood, May 27, 2026.
-
Grief and Intersectionality: Addressing Unique Grieving Experiences within Latino & Latinx Cultures, the Oregon Center for Excellence, Cristina Chipriano, June 3, 2026.
-
Leading in a Field Built on Lived Experience: Boundaries, Story Telling, and Executive Identity, panel presentation at the National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG) 29th Annual Symposium on Children’s Grief, San Antonio, Texas, Brennan Wood, June 16, 2026.
-
Write it Out! An Interactive Writing Workshop, at the National Alliance for Children’s Grief 2026 Creative Arts Intensive, San Antonio, Texas, Donna Schuurman, June 17, 2026.
-
Becoming Grief-Informed: Foundations of Grief Education, a Dougy Center grief education webinar, Cristina Chipriano, June 25, 2026.
| Resource Spotlight: Summertime and grief | | |
Summer can be a season of mixed emotions for many families who are grieving. The end of school and after-school activities can be a relief for some students, especially if they struggled with having enough energy and concentration for class and homework. Others will miss the structure and social time that school and sports provide. For adults, summer might mean a less demanding schedule, but could also add the stress of finding childcare or having enough financial resources for camps and trips.
For tips on ways to support those who are grieving during the summertime, please see our Summertime and Grief tip sheets in English and Spanish.
| | |
Grief education is an important component of Dougy Center's mission, reaching thousands of people each year from the United States and around the world. Our education and training opportunities are available to anyone supporting children and families who are grieving. Find more here.
| | | | |
