Joan Schweizer Hoff worked for The Dougy Center, National Center for Grieving Children and Families for 28 years. She coordinated peer support grief groups including groups for children, teens and their families who are bereaved from deaths by suicide, murder, and other traumas. She has over 50 years of experience in working with children and families and has served on a variety of local and national boards including the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Survivor Council, Suicide Bereavement Support Group. She is a National trainer for the AFSP Support Group for Adults, Children and Teens. She conducts training nationally and internationally on issues related to program development; the impact of suicide, trauma and violent death on children, teens and their families; crisis response; and grief and loss issues for children and teens. She has supported children, teens, families, and staff after traumatic events including Thurston High Shooting, Oklahoma Bombing, 9/11 and many local interventions. Personally she has experienced the suicide death of her husband and is passionate about suicide prevention and postvention.

Life After Loss Conference Presentation:
Managing Relationships Complicated by Grief

The death of a loved on is hard on everyone, and grief may cause someone to do or say something mean or hurtful that can cause rifts for years. This can especially be true between the surviving spouse and his or her in-laws, siblings, children, or friends. In this presentation, Joan will help us acknowledge relationships that have been impacted negatively by grief and share techniques for managing and repairing them.