General Resources

All Day

Sunrise Strides: Run/Walk the National Capital Trail  

6:30 – 7:30 a.m.  

*workout/comfortable clothing recommended

Family Buffet Breakfast  

Peer Mentor Gratitude Breakfast for all Peer Mentors

6:30 - 8 a.m.

Welcome the Day: Family Yoga  

7 – 7:45 a.m.  

*workout/comfortable clothing recommended

Good Grief Camp Drop-off  

8 - 8:15 a.m.  

Special Presentation  

General Martin Dempsey

8 - 9 a.m.  

Adult Workshops and Sharing Groups  

9:15 - 10:45 a.m.  

Women’s Empowerment Part 2

As time goes on, the effects of grief can change. We often find that we’ve not only lost our loved one; we’ve also lost our sense of self. In this three-part workshop series designed for surviving women at least two years out from their loss, we will use a variety of activities and discussion tools to explore the lessons of the past, identify where we are in the present and step forward into the future with intention. Topics such as identity, gratitude, and purpose will be highlighted within a sisterhood as we become more empowered to live lives of meaning and joy. In Part 2, we will explore our present using tools for reflection, including journaling, art, and poetry.

Presenters: Erin Jacobson, Emily Munoz

Forget Me Nots

A Film and Discussion About Memories - Participants will view "Forget Me Nots," a short documentary film about the nature of memory and the value of our personal memories. The film will provide a starting place for a brief writing exercise and facilitated discussion, beginning with a focus on memories in general and continuing with a focus on how sharing memories contributes to helping us cope with grief.

Presenter: Franklin Cook

Holding on or Letting Go? Wisdom from the Dark Emotions

Most of us do NOT want to be negative. We want to live with a “we can” attitude and one which brings out the best in us, and in turn others. Why would we intentionally head down that “scary and fearful road,” actually confronting the elements in our lives we are most concerned about? This interactive session will describe the "Dark Emotions," and in turn the "wisdom" that comes from exploring them. These "Dark Emotions," which consist of grief, fear and despair, are the ones we most often want to suppress, avoid or deny. They are also the elements at times which keep us “stuck.” After a death or significant loss, how do you live your life, Holding On or Letting Go?

Presenter: Ben Wolfe

My Loved One Died in Combat. Is My Grief Different?

This workshop is designed to explore many of the confusing ways traumatic grief affects individuals and families and discusses how the violence we see in everyday life can affect us. As Dr. Campbell describes how traumatic grief has characteristics different from the more traditional grief associated with death, you will have an opportunity to ask questions and share concerns. The freedom to explore the varying emotions associated with combat-related death will be provided and supported.

Presenter: Frank Campbell

The 411 on Professional Grief and Trauma Counseling - Clinical Support and Helpful Interventions

Have you wondered if you should see a professional grief and trauma counselor? Has the therapist you are seeing or friends you have met suggested certain types of therapy? Drawing on years of experience and expertise, this workshop will explore the signs and symptoms that may warrant professional support. We will also discuss some of the most common and evidence-based techniques of therapy to help you feel more at ease about the therapy process and make an informed decision.

Presenter: Jon Reid

Accident Loss Sharing Group

Sharing groups are small conversation groups which provide an opportunity to connect with others who have experienced a similar loss of a loved one. Participants will be able to share their experiences and emotions in this mutually supportive environment, growing relationships with others who are part of their extended support network.

Adult Children Sharing Group

Sharing groups are small conversation groups which provide an opportunity to connect with others who have experienced a similar loss of a loved one. Participants will be able to share their experiences and emotions in this mutually supportive environment, growing relationships with others who are part of their extended support network.

Significant Others & Fiancés Sharing Group

Sharing groups are small conversation groups which provide an opportunity to connect with others who have experienced a similar loss of a loved one. Participants will be able to share their experiences and emotions in this mutually supportive environment, growing relationships with others who are part of their extended support network.

Making Your Intention - Jewelry Stamping

Choose a word (name or date) and have it stamped on a bracelet to wear every day as a reminder. A reminder of our loved one, or of a goal or intention you have for your life. Words are powerful - choosing your word or phrase to live by or name to honor with intention impacts you and the interactions you have with others. Give thought to your intent, hope or goals for the weekend and beyond prior to arrival and we'll help you stamp that thought into a daily reminder.

Presenter: Erin Jacobson, Valerie Gagne

Young Adults - Divide the Pie

Young Adults (Surviving children and sibling, ages 18 - 25) will gain skills in financial literacy to properly plan a monthly budget, navigate credit wisely and make sound financial decisions for themselves. This workshop satisfies the Financial Stability Pillar of the Young Adult Program.

Presenter: Renee Monczynski

Adult Workshops and Sharing Groups  

11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.  

The Transformation - Discovering Wholeness and Healing After Trauma

Self-care is vital to addressing both the biological and psychological imbalances that trauma causes. This workshop will provide an introduction to a comprehensive approach to trauma healing that Dr. Gordon has developed over 30 years, including simple techniques for quieting mind, body, and spirit as well as tools to help restore biological, psychological, and social balance. Dr. Gordon’s new book The Transformation: Discovering Wholeness and Healing After Trauma will be published by HarperOne in September 2019 and is available for pre-order at https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062870711/the-transformation/.

Presenters: James Gordon

Freedom to Heal - Understanding and Managing Guilt, Remorse, Regret and Shame

Grief is a mixture of uncomfortable emotions. By looking into what we’re really feeling and why, however, we can name and frame our emotions so that we can release what doesn’t serve us and hold on to what helps us. This workshop will be a blend of presentation, individual work, and discussion.

Presenter: Emily Munoz

Understanding Why People Die by Suicide

When someone we love and care for dies by suicide, it can be overwhelming and call forth many emotions and questions. While we may never fully understand the exact thoughts in the mind of our loved ones at the time they died, specialists in the field do know a great deal about the suicidal mind. Understanding more about this subject can often help survivors in the grieving process as they struggle with the self-directed questions of blame, guilt, doubt, and regret. This session will address some of the prominent theories about why people die by suicide. It will also explore some of the contributing factors and risk factors that can come together in forming the “perfect storm” that leads to suicide and how survivors of loss can continue to heal with this knowledge.

Presenter: Carla Stumpf-Patton

Your Grief Isn’t My Grief

Individuals have particular grieving styles that can be confusing. For example, one person may be tearful and emotional while another may be stoic and feel a need to "accomplish something" in the aftermath of a death. Sometimes these different ways of experiencing, expressing, and adapting to grief can be a source of family conflict. Learn about different grieving styles and understand how these varied grief reactions can be a source of strength rather than a source of confrontation.

Presenter: Ken Doka

Healing Heartbreak with Action Driven Remembering

Taking intentional, positive steps to remember loved ones is key to healing. Individuals who honor the memory of family and friends and proactively keep them present in their lives almost always fare better emotionally than those who don't. Allison Gilbert will support and guide our journey toward wholeness and healing after a loved one dies, sharing new, uplifting, and creative ways to remember those we miss most. Activities will be performed during the presentation, giving participants the opportunity to build new relationships while recognizing and paying tribute to their shared losses. Participants will leave this presentation feeling stronger and more connected to loved ones lost. They will also be happier knowing that absence and presence can so easily coexist.

Presenter: Allison Gilbert

Illness Loss Sharing Group

Sharing groups are small conversation groups which provide an opportunity to connect with others who have experienced a similar loss of a loved one. Participants will be able to share their experiences and emotions in this mutually supportive environment, growing relationships with others who are part of their extended support network.

Combat Loss Sharing Group

Sharing groups are small conversation groups which provide an opportunity to connect with others who have experienced a similar loss of a loved one. Participants will be able to share their experiences and emotions in this mutually supportive environment, growing relationships with others who are part of their extended support network.

Mask Making

In this workshop you will create an authentic mask of your face and use the magic of mask making to explore various aspects of your persona, find new ways to communicate hidden thoughts, feelings and memories, reclaim joy and reopen locked doors. Masks reveal, conceal, and forever memorialize all at the same time. The mask making process is an opportunity for healing and transformation.

Presenter: Sharon Strouse

Moving Yourself Forward

This workshop will start by acknowledging the loss and each person’s unique experience with bravery. It will offer ideas on the central importance of pursuing meaning and purpose. A framework for human flourishing will help identify what fully engages us (now or in the past). Resilience will be explored, as well as action steps based on the insights gained from the workshop.

Presenters: Paul Tschudi, Eileen O'Grady

Good Grief Camp Field Trips  

11:30 a.m.

Smithsonian
National Zoo
Martin Luther King Memorial

Adult Buffet Lunch  

12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

Adult Workshops and Sharing Groups  

1:45 - 3:15 p.m.  

Utilizing a Trauma Healing Diet

Psychological trauma disturbs every aspect of our physiology as well as our psychology. Emotional distress compounds the disturbance to our GI tract and to every aspect of digestion. This workshop provides an overview of the damage trauma does to our brain and our gut and offers practical, evidence-based ways to use food, supplements, and herbs to repair the GI tract and restore resiliency to our brains. Dr. Gordon’s new book The Transformation: Discovering Wholeness and Healing After Trauma will be published by HarperOne in September 2019 and is available for pre-order at https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062870711/the-transformation/.

Presenters: James Gordon

Covert - My Undercover Life and My Healing Journey

At the height of the "Godfather" era, Delaney wore a wire and lived among wiseguys. His undercover work was a success, but he struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder and traces of Stockholm syndrome after getting too close to those he investigated. Therapy helped him come to terms with what he'd endured, and he later became well-known and respected as an NBA referee. Delaney hopes his presentation will exemplify the Dali Lama's words, "There is a growing appreciation of understanding one's emotions, how they operate, and how to manage them." Please note this session may cause triggers to your own experiences that may cause reactions for some attendees.

Presenter: Bob Delaney

Finding the Right Words

Personal possessions tell a beautiful story of a person’s life. This workshop offers a practical approach to sorting, thinning and repurposing our loved one's belongings. Whether you have no idea where to begin or you are pondering a few items, this workshop is for you. Join us for a session learning the Ten Essentials and the power of The Magic of Six Piles of caring and sharing of your loved one's private and personal belongings, including clothes, workrooms, digital material, collections, and more. Our loved one’s possessions embody memories that should be saved, shared, and treasured in the hands of those who want to forever be connected.

Presenter: Erin Jacobson

Who Will I Be After the Loss and Grief?

While we often miss who we were before grief touched our lives, it can be exciting to imagine who we’re becoming. Embrace a fun and interactive process for leveraging your losses, growing from your grief and forecasting your future.

Presenter: Denise Rollins

Meditation to Fortify Your Physical and Mental Health

This session will teach relaxation response meditation to help the body help itself.

Presenter: Heather Stang

Surviving Suicide Loss Panel

Suicide loss survivors often experience complex emotions and unique challenges in their grief. This panel session will introduce you the suicide loss survivors on staff here at TAPS, help you meet the other suicide loss survivors also attending this weekend and give you an opportunity to find comfort in the safe presence of trusted peers.

Homicide Sharing Group

Sharing groups are small conversation groups which provide an opportunity to connect with others who have experienced a similar loss of a loved one. Participants will be able to share their experiences and emotions in this mutually supportive environment, growing relationships with others who are part of their extended support network.

Moving Yourself Forward

This workshop will start by acknowledging the loss and each person’s unique experience with bravery. It will offer ideas on the central importance of pursuing meaning and purpose. A framework for human flourishing will help identify what fully engages us (now or in the past). Resilience will be explored, as well as action steps based on the insights gained from the workshop.

Presenters: Paul Tschudi, Eileen O'Grady

Adult Workshops and Sharing Groups

3:30 - 5 p.m.  

The Struggle is Real, Your Brain and Your Body “on Grief”

Remember the old commercial, “this is your brain on drugs”? This workshop is an overview of your brain and body “on grief” - explanations of how and why your grief manifests in your body, how emotional stress is stored in your body, and ways that you can use the interplay between mental and physical health to help make even your worst grief day just a little bit better.

Presenter: Emily Munoz

Siblings Sharing Group

Sharing groups are small conversation groups which provide an opportunity to connect with others who have experienced a similar loss of a loved one. Participants will be able to share their experiences and emotions in this mutually supportive environment, growing relationships with others who are part of their extended support network.

Women Only Sharing Group

Sharing groups are small conversation groups which provide an opportunity to connect with others who have experienced a similar loss of a loved one. Participants will be able to share their experiences and emotions in this mutually supportive environment, growing relationships with others who are part of their extended support network.

Men Only sharing Group

Sharing groups are small conversation groups which provide an opportunity to connect with others who have experienced a similar loss of a loved one. Participants will be able to share their experiences and emotions in this mutually supportive environment, growing relationships with others who are part of their extended support network.

Helping Students - TAPS Education Support Services

TAPS Education Support Services will help identify K-12 or college scholarships, which allow you to maximize benefits and reach your academic goals.

Presenter: Nicole West

Young Adults: Feed Yourself, Right?

Carol Carr, Nutritionist and Good Grief Camp Group Leader, will provide Young Adults (Surviving Children and Siblings, 18-25 years old) a healthy meal preparation and cooking class. Healthy eating plays a vital role in building a new daily life. Consistently making healthy food choices helps you stay energized and ensures you get the right nutrients. Good nutrition helps your muscle recover faster, reduces mood swings, and keeps you focused. Attendees will learn how to prepare quick, easy, and healthy meals and snacks for themselves to enhance their healthy lifestyle. This workshop is an integral part of the Personal Development Pillar.

Presenter: Renee Monczynski  

TAPS Good Grief Camp Jamboree

5 - 9 p.m.

TAPS Grand Banquet “Love Lives On”  

6 - 9 p.m.

Good Grief Camp Pick-up  

9:30 - 10 p.m.  

Knitters Workshop  

9:15 - 10:15 p.m.  

12-Step Recovery Meeting