Register today for Dougy Center's Virtual Professional Seminar, January 25-29 | | |
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 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
- 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 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.
| Resource Highlight: Back to School with Grief | |
It’s September, which means many children and teens are back in school after the summer break. When families are also grieving, this transition can bring a mixture of relief, dread, excitement, and trepidation.
Children and teens spend the majority of their time at school, and they take their grief with them when they go. For some, returning to school is comforting. They find support in the structure, familiarity, connections with friends, and the opportunity to focus on something other than grief. For others, it can be a challenging venture that brings additional stress, uncertainty, and worry.
Find more information and a free downloadable tip sheet in English here and in Spanish here. Dougy Center also offers on online course, Supporting Students who are Grieving, specifically for educators. Find more 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
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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.
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In July, Dougy Center welcomed 27 professionals from across the United States and Canada for our International Summer Institute. We are so grateful to have this five-day training filled with connection, vulnerability, inspiration, and motivation to continue the crucial work of supporting children and families who are grieving. Here’s what a few of our attendees had to say about the experience:
“This training has been one of the very best that I have had the privilege of attending. Dougy Center staff were welcoming, kind, knowledgeable, consistent, timely, organized, and open to answering any and all questions. The space was conducive to learning and collaborating. Thank you so much for such a wonderful week!”
“Hard to believe how much content you all were able to touch on in just one week. Phenomenal job!”
“The learning environment was perfect. Staff knowledge and approachability was incredibly welcoming and supportive. Loved the different personalities and approaches to learning. So much insight and inspiration.”
“You all have clearly done this before as I felt the ISI was a well-oiled machine. It was an honor for me to be amongst such a passionate and knowledgeable team.”
“Your dedication, warmth, and expertise shone through in every session. I am leaving feeling inspired, deeply moved, and incredibly grateful for the vital work you do and share with the world. Thank you for creating such a safe and welcoming space for us to learn.”
Find more information about Dougy Center's International Summer Intstitute here.
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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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