Eighth annual Grief Seminar will feature author Ann Hood, Oct. 8

Event: Eighth Annual Grief Seminar: "Knit One, Purl Two: Knitting New Identities Together"
Date and time: Friday, Oct. 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: Goshen College Church-Chapel Fellowship Rooms
Cost: $60 professionals, $20 students and seniors
Deadline: Register by Oct. 1, space is limited.
Sponsored by: Goshen College Social Work Program in partnership with Ryan's Place
For more information or to register: call (574) 535-7400 or e-mail margemb@goshen.edu.
Web site: www.goshen.edu/sowk/Seminars

GOSHEN, Ind. – The eighth annual Goshen College and Ryan's Place Grief Seminar, titled "Knit One, Purl Two: Knitting New Identities Together," will be held Friday, Oct. 8 in the Goshen College Church-Chapel Fellowship Rooms from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The registration deadline is Oct. 1.

Author Ann Hood will be the keynote speaker. After her 5-year-old daughter Grace died suddenly from a virulent form of strep in 2002, Hood lost a primary source of solace: her ability to read and write. For a year she struggled with her grief and eventually found something she could do – she could learn to knit. She writes, "The clicking needles and soft colorful yarns brought comfort." In 2007 Hood's novel The Knitting Circle was published about a woman whose 5-year-old daughter dies of meningitis. In her grief and pain, the woman finds comfort through knitting groups, much like Hood did.

The seminar, especially recommended for social workers, educators, counselors, therapists, nurses, clergy and other human service professionals, is co-sponsored by Goshen College and Ryan's Place, and will offer several breakout sessions in the morning and afternoon featuring qualified local therapists and practitioners. A panel discussion about pertinent issues raised throughout the day will conclude the event.

The seminar schedule includes: "(Q) Question, (P) Persuade, (R) Refer" by Cathy Blum, "The Fabric of Healing" by Aileac Deegan, "The Red Thread" by Ann Hood, "Helping Children Grieve" by Jennifer Miller, "I Grieve, We All Grieve, But How?: Intercultural Thoughts on Grief and Bereavement" by Gilberto Perez and "Grief from a Family Physician's Perspective" by Dr. Bill Weybright.

The objectives for the seminar are for attendees to learn how to work with families who are experiencing loss and grief for a variety of reasons, learn about resource materials, establish a network of personal connections and provide hope in time of loss.

The cost of the seminar is $60 for the general public and $20 for students and seniors. The registration fee includes lunch, snacks, a resource notebook and a continuing education certificate (6 CEUs are available). For further seminar information, or to register, contact the Goshen College Social Work Department at (574) 535-7400 or e-mail margemb@goshen.edu.

In addition to Goshen College Social Work Department and Ryan's Place, sponsors for this seminar include:  Elkhart General Center for Behavioral Medicine, Oaklawn, Bashor Children's Home, Center for Hospice and Palliative Care and CB Richard Ellis.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college's Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys in Education, "Colleges of Distinction," "Making a Difference College Guide" and U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit www.goshen.edu.