Guest Speaker in JDHS Health Classes

Grief Speaks Presentation to Juniors at JDHS

Lisa Athan, MA, Executive Director of Grief Speaks, and Springfield resident,  will be presenting on Teens Coping with Grief, Loss and Other Tough Stuff in health classes at JDHS on Wednesday, March 10, 2010.  Lisa, a Grief Recovery Specialist, provides workshops and presentations on Grief and Loss all over the state of NJ and regularly speaks at schools to staff, students and parents, at hospitals, colleges and universities and at conferences as a key note speaker.

Lisa's web site:  www.griefspeaks.com, contains a wealth of information, articles, book lists, support groups and more on all types of loss and grief in the lives of children, teens and adults. One can find many resources both locally and statewide.

Athan will explain that grief is not only about death, but also affects us when coping with parental divorce, job loss, moving, loss of friendships, deployment, incarceration, chronic illness, addiction in the family, grandparents with dementia, pet loss,  loss of esteem or status, bullying and more. Juniors will learn about the signs of grief, how teens grieve differently than adults, the pitfalls of developing unhealthy behaviors in reaction to loss, how to support a friend who has suffered a loss, and healthy ways to cope with losses, grief and transitions.

Lisa has received wonderful feedback from students, staff and parents from all over NJ thanking her for teaching them about a subject that affects each and every one of us. In the words of a Jonathan Dayton High School senior, "This was a great presentation. Why is this the first time in all of our schooling that we are learning about something as important as this? This subject is relevant to every person. Thanks."