Grief as a Mental Disorder? Examine Societal Perceptions of Grief in Our Newest Online Course | |
Is grief a natural human response to loss, a mental disorder, or something else? Dougy Center's newest online course, Grief as a Mental Disorder: A Critical Assessment offers a thoughtful exploration of how grief has come to be understood within diagnostic frameworks, while critically examining the implications of pathologizing grief.
This course is designed for people who want to understand the historical evolution of how society views grief and the key factors that have influenced the diagnostic model, which sometimes conceptualizes grief as a mental disorder. This course aims to provide learners with a critical perspective on these issues, empowering learners to better understand the controversy, and to support people who are grieving.
This self-paced course can be accessed anytime (24 hours a day, seven days a week) and completed in your own timeframe. Find more information on this course here.
| | Invest in Your Professional Practice and Join Dougy Center's Virtual Professional Seminar | | |
Support children, teens, young adults, and families who are grieving with confidence.
Professionals throughout various disciplines encounter grief in their work. Dougy Center’s Virtual Professional Seminar, January 25-29, gives you the knowledge and practical skills to respond with greater confidence across developmental stages.
You’ll gain:
- A stronger foundation in grief education
- Greater understanding of how grief may look from childhood through adulthood
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Practical tools and strategies you can apply immediately
- Opportunities to learn through discussion and reflection with professionals from around the world
Designed as a live, small-cohort experience, this seminar connects foundational knowledge with real-world application.
Invest in your professional practice and strengthen your ability to support people who are grieving. Join Dougy Center’s Virtual Professional Seminar and put grief-informed knowledge into practice.
Find more information and register here.
| | Join us on Children's Grief Awareness Day | | 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.
| Resource Highlight: Grief and the Holidays | |
The holiday season can bring a mix of emotions for children, teens, and families who are grieving. There is no "right" way to experience the holidays after a death, and the expectations and pressures that accompany this time of year can add to the challenges families may already be facing.
Dougy Center's Tips for Getting Through the Holidays provides thoughtful guidance for families as they make decisions about traditions, gatherings, self-care, and remembrance during the holiday season. A downloadable planning worksheet is also included to help families talk through their hopes and needs together. Find the tip sheet here, along with several resources related to the holidays and grief here.
| | Grief Support After a Mass Tragedy | |
When tragedies happen, Dougy Center provides community support; free resources to children, families, and school personnel directly affected by the tragedy; as well as tips for talking to children about tragic events.
Some resources inlude:
| | You can find all of Dougy Center's Community Tool Kits here. | | Dougy Center Announces the 2027 Webinar Schedule | | |
Dougy Center's Grief Education Webinars provide in-depth information and strategies for real world applications. Whether you're a helping professional or supporting someone who is grieving, these topics will help you better understand grief through a variety of topics.
All webinars are live at 10 a.m. Pacific Time on the scheduled day. A list of resources you can download at no cost will be emailed to you the day after the webinar.
Register for any or all of the 2027 webinars here. We look forward to learning with you!
| | Dougy Center provides in-person and virtual trainings throughout the United States and around the world. Here are a few of our most recent training highlights. Find more information about Dougy Center's customized trainings here. |
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"How to Support Your Youth/Families When Someone Has an Advanced Serious Illness," a presentation for Pink Lemonade Project. Rebecca Hobbs-Lawrence, September 16, 2026
- "Grief in the Shadows: Supporting Children and Teens after a Stigmatized Death," a Dougy Center grief education webinar. Cristina Chipriano, September 24, 2026
- "10 Core Principles of Being Grief-Informed," a presentation for Ronald McDonald House. Jana DeCristofaro, October 21, 2026
- "Navigating Grief During the Holidays," a Dougy Center grief education webinar. Jana DeCristofaro, October 22, 2026
- "Awareness First: Supporting School Communities After a Death," a presentation for North Clackamas School District. Jana DeCristofaro, October 28, 2026
- "Understanding and Supporting the Latino/x Bereaved Community,
a presentation for Mourning Hope Grief Center. Cristina Chipriano, November 12, 2026
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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.
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