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During our time together, you'll have a chance to connect with fellow survivors through sharing groups, workshops and activities. Our workshop presenters are leading experts in the field of grief and loss, and you'll have the opportunity to gain tools and resources for your grief journey.

You'll be able to choose from a variety of sessions that cover a range of topics including telling your story of loss, finding hope, and health and wellness. We've also built in opportunities for peer connections and special remembrance activities. 

Getting Connected to the Seminar

The TAPS Events app puts the program right in the palm of your hand. Leading up to the seminar weekend, you can connect with fellow survivors and TAPS staff, review the scheduled program, read about featured speakers, and access additional content that will support you wherever you are in your grief journey.

For those attending virtually, you will access the Zoom sessions by logging into the TAPS Events app on either your desktop computer or mobile device.

• Desktop Zoom Access
• App on iTunes
• App on Google Play

Schedule and Workshops

All times below are in the Central time zone.

Friday, October 8

• 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. - Family Check-in - Business Foyer by Texas Grande

• 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Peer Mentor Training - Pheasant Ridge

• 2:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Help Desk/App Support - Texas Grande

• 3:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - TAPS Store - Texas Grande

• 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - Resource Village - Texas Grande

• 3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Survivor Sanctuary - Tribute Foyer

• 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

  Artful Grief Open Art Studio - Karen Anderson Fignon - Texas Grande
  The Artful Grief Studio is thrilled to be able to join us this year and, to accommodate for safety precautions, will have limited hours and capacity on Friday and Saturday. In the beginning of each studio open session, Art Therapist Karen Anderson Fignon will show some samples of altered books and affirmation decks. Not to worry, she will describe how to begin and provide examples. Those of you who are familiar with the Artful Grief Studio can jump right in!
  

• 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - Family Dinner Buffet - Texas Grande

• 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. - Good Grief Camp Zone - Austin Ranch

• 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
  
  Dessert and Coffee Peer Connection Adult Sessions for New to Loss/First Time Attendees (Delaney II), Coffee and Reconnections (Texas Grande), and Peer Mentors (Llano Estacado)
  Desert sessions will help prepare you for the weekend by providing you with the support, resources, and information you most need. Whether it's information and education, a connection with someone whose story is like yours, or a renewed and refreshed spirit that is ready to focus on healing, it is all here for you this weekend. Come learn what we have in store for you while enjoying the comfort of a warm cup of coffee, a sweet treat and caring companionship. 

• 8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
  
  Meetups for Young Adults (Champanel) | Siblings (Cross Timbers) | Home Base Program Graduates (Becker)

Saturday, October 9

• 7:00 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.

  Yoga with Warrior Spirit - Shelley Grove - Texas Grande 
  Get ready to face your day with a trauma-informed, accessible, and adaptive gentle yoga practice for all that will awaken your mind, open your heart, and get your body moving. We ease into simple stretches and poses. No yoga experience required, but comfy clothes are best. You don't even have to be fully awake to participate! Come join and breathe with us, and together we will rise and shine. Mats/towels provided.

• 7:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. - Family Breakfast - Windfall

• 7:30 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. - Family Check-in- Texas Grande

• 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. - Help Desk/App Support - Texas Grande

• 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Survivor Sanctuary - Tribute Foyer

• 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - TAPS Store - Texas Grande

• 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Resource Village - Texas Grande

• 8:45 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. - Good Grief Camp - Group Rooms

• 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

  Artful Grief Open Art Studio - Karen Anderson-Fignon - Texas Grande
  The Artful Grief Studio is thrilled to be able to join us this year and, to accommodate for safety precautions, will have limited hours and capacity on Friday and Saturday. In the beginning of each studio open session, Art Therapist Karen Anderson Fignon will show some samples of altered books and affirmation decks. Not to worry, she will describe how to begin and provide examples. Those of you who are familiar with the Artful Grief Studio can jump right in!
  

• 9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. 

  Welcome/Opening Session  – Bonnie Carroll | Dr. Carla Stumf-Patton | Dr. Frank Campbell - Texas Grande
  Join TAPS President and Founder Bonnie Carroll, Dr. Carla Stump-Patton and Dr. Frank Campbell for our opening messages and to introduce our Connect, Heal, Grow  theme.

• 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

  Dear World Brain Tattoo Photo Booth - RX Fogarty - Texas Grande
  Your opportunity to stop in at your leisure and take your very own Brain Tattoo portrait from one of Dear World's professional photographers. Photos will be shown at dinner. 

• 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

  PLENARY: What’s your brain tattoo? An authentic, interactive storytelling session with RX Fogarty, Founder of Dear World - Val Verde
  You might have seen the output of Dear World's brain tattoo storytelling method: sweet, inspiring and curious messages written on the faces, arms and hands of everyone from Coach K, college first years to Boston marathon bombing survivors. Be an active participant as you craft your own brain tattoo and listen to the brain tattoo stories that others have to share. Don't think you have a meaningful story or that you have to pour your heart out? Fear not, Dear World has designed the experience to meet each participant where they're at. You'll also have the opportunity to take your very own Brain Tattoo portrait from one of Dear World's professional photographers after the session.
  

• 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Good Grief Camp Lunch - Windfall

• 12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. - Adult Lunch - Windfall

• 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Artful Grief Open Art Studio - Texas Grande

• 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. - WORKSHOPS

  For Men Only: How I Grieve, What I Need – Brandon English (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) | Jon Ganues - Delaney II
  This session will be a conversation about how men navigate their grief. We will discuss how men can grieve in a healthy way while exploring the challenges faced by men and how society, family, and friends expect us to handle our grief.

  Enabling Our Supports to Give Us What We Want (once we figure that out) – Dr. Frank Campbell - Delaney I
  After a suicide loss, people in our lives may not know how to support us, and we may not know how to even identify what supports we need. First we need to know what we need or want from others in our life who belong on the support bench. Then each survivor can find a way to ask for that so that the other person hears and heeds the request. Using a form of SOS shorthand might make this communication more clear and increase getting what you want once you know that is, indeed, what you want. This session will be offered virtually*.

  Healing Trauma: The Power of Peer Support and Professional Care – Dr. Carla Stumpf-Patton | Jennifer Keeling | Jacque Francona | Betsy Hart - Llano Estacado
  This workshop will focus on the understanding of traumatic loss, as well as exploring skills and resources that can support the grieving process. The session will compare the differences between grief and trauma, review various options for treatment and trauma-informed care, and explore the hopeful concept referred to as "Posttraumatic Growth" for healing after a traumatic loss. TAPS proudly welcomes special guest and partner, Home Base Programs of Boston, to present on a powerful example of how connecting peer-based support combined with professional care can help suicide survivors heal and stabilize trauma. This session will be offered virtually*.

  Let’s Talk Grief (For Young Adults 18-30) – Renee Monczynski | Andy McNiel - Champanel
  This will be a candid interactive session about suicide loss and how this grief can affect us differently at different ages and stages in our lives.
  

• 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

  Sharing Groups for Spouses/Significant Others/Fiances/Former Spouses (Becker I) | Homicide/Suicide (Becker II) | Siblings (Cross Timbers I) | Adult Children (Cross Timbers II)

• 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. - WORKSHOPS

  Loving Again After the Loss of an Intimate Partner (For Spouses and Partners) – Dr. Carla Stumpf-Patton | Jennifer Keeling - Llano Estacado
  Moving forward in grief and taking the next step toward exploring relationships and love after loss can bring many emotions and questions. This session will explore many of the related issues, such as learning to trust again, developing safe relationships, and incorporating new people into the family system. The population best suited for this session includes individuals who are bereaved intimate partners such as surviving spouses, fiancé's, and significant others. *This session is not intended for couples in an existing relationship who are wishing to strengthen or heal together after their loss.

  God Winks – Bonnie Carroll - Cross Timbers
  Some people call them “God Winks,” some call them signs, messages, or after-death communication. No matter what we call them, signs from our loved ones can be very present in our lives. Stories and experiences of the presence of our loved ones will be discussed in this open-minded and intimate sharing session.

  Grieving Families Through the Lifespan – Brandon English (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) | Andy McNiel - Delaney II
  Developmental age, personality, and the unique relationship each person had with the person who died are factors influencing how grief is experienced. Because of this, grief impacts each individual within a family in different ways. Each person within the family has their own journey with grief, affecting the family as a whole. This interactive session will explore how we grieve both individually and as a family. We will look at grief across the lifespan, family adaptive tasks after a loss, and how family dynamics influence grief reactions and how we cope. This session will be offered virtually*.

  Why Can't we All Just Get Along? – Dr. Frank Campbell - Delaney I
  Family dynamics after loss can be difficult to navigate. This presentation will examine the conflicts that arise within a family system when grief changes the dynamics. Survivors attending will have an opportunity to share struggles they have experienced to determine what support might be available or ways they can change the dynamics. This session will be offered virtually*.

  Build Your Ladder (For Young Adults 18-30) – Renee Monczynski - Champanel
  In this interactive session, we will discuss tangible tactics for you to utilize during those days that leave you feeling the world is dark and you are alone. We will discuss skills for you to build your own ladder, with each rung being a skill in your self care plan that allows you to know that you can not only handle those days but know that you are not alone and brighter days are ahead.
  

• 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

  Sharing Groups for Parents/Grandparents/Stepparents (Becker I) | I Love Someone Who Lost Someone (Val Verde) | I Served Too (Pheasant Ridge)

• 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

  Family Dinner and Dear World Photo Presentation - Austin Ranch

Sunday, October 10

• 6:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. - Family Breakfast - Windfall

• 7:00 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.

  Yoga with Warrior Spirit - Alexis Ackel | Margaret Grado - Texas Grande 
  Get ready to face your day with a trauma-informed, accessible and adaptive gentle yoga practice for all that will awaken your mind, open your heart, and get your body moving. We ease into simple stretches and poses. No yoga experience required, but comfy clothes are best. You don't even have to be fully awake to participate! Come join and breathe with us, and together we will rise and shine. Mats/towels provided.

• 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. - Help Desk/App Support - Texas Grande

• 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - TAPS Store - Texas Grande

• 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Survivor Sanctuary - Tribute Foyer

• 8:45 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Good Grief Camp - Group Rooms

• 9:00 a.m. - 10:15 p.m.

  Where Do Roses Come From? – Dr. Frank Campbell - Val Verde
  Roses, like most plants, require certain conditions to grow, thrive and bloom. But what else about how a rose grows can teach us about our own grief journeys and how to heal? Join Dr. Campbell to explore this metaphor and what survivors of suicide loss can learn from a simple, common but beautiful flower. This session will be offered virtually*.
  

• 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. - WORKSHOPS

  Telling Your Story Strategically and Safely – Kim Burditt - Delaney I
  Losing a loved one to suicide is a devastating event and for many survivors there is a need to make meaning out of their loss. Some survivors choose to tell their story in hopes of saving a life and to honor the legacy of their loved one. If you are thinking about telling your story publicly or would like to learn more about how to tell your story safely and strategically, this session is for you. Come talk about sharing your story publicly – if you do it, when you do it, why you do it, and the potential impact of sharing your story on yourself and for those with whom you share your story. We'll share key practices of professional presenters and resources to guide your journey. This session will be offered virtually*.

  "Soul House" – A Painted Canvas Art Class – Ange Marie Dwyer - Texas Grande
  Join in and create your own 9" x 12" canvas "Soul House" in this fun, mixed-media, positive reinforcement, art experience. You will spend about 90 mins being led through creative art techniques that will explore a variety of mediums (including collage, paint, markers, and ink) merging both creativity and intention. Together we will reflect on our losses, strengths, and future goals to build and grow our soul house. No art or creative experience necessary!

  Wisdom on the Path to Posttraumatic Growth: How to Plant Seeds – Dr. Melinda Moore - Delaney II
  Although the phrase "Posttraumatic Growth" was coined in the mid-1990s, it is an idea that has been around for centuries. Posttraumatic growth is referenced in every major world religion, in philosophy, and mythology. In this workshop, participants explore the references to Posttraumatic Growth in the Bible and other sacred texts, as well as popular literature, philosophy, and mythology. Participants will walk through a model of Posttraumatic Growth that facilitates growth through Education, Emotion Regulation, Disclosure, Narrative Development, and Service. Supports such as TAPS will be explored as "fertile soil" for the growth of the seeds planted in the aftermath of suicide exposure and bereavement. This session will be offered virtually*.

  iRest/Yoga: Steady Warriors with Warrior Spirit - Shelley Grove | Gene Morrissey - Llano Estacado
  This experiential workshop is designed to raise awareness of the general impact of trauma on the mind and body, and how Steady Warriors yoga and meditation practices can activate the relaxation response and build long-term resilience. The practice is accessible and adaptive for all abilities and will include calm and gentle movement focused on breath, sensation and noticing what is present while moving towards nonjudgmental acceptance of whatever arises. It will conclude with an Integrative Restoration (iRest®) meditation.

  God Winks – Bonnie Carroll - Cross Timbers
  Some people call them “God Winks,” some call them signs, messages, or after-death communication. No matter what we call them, signs from our loved ones can be very present in our lives. Stories and experiences of the presence of our loved ones will be discussed in this open-minded and intimate sharing session.

  What’s in the Box (For Young Adults 18-30) – Renee Monczynski | Andy McNiel - Champanel
  This is an interactive session for open conversation about life, loss, and all things in between. Through peer connection we will discuss anything and everything that is put in the 'ask anything' box over the course of the seminar weekend.
  

• 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Good Grief Camp Lunch - Windfall

• 12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. - Adult Lunch - Windfall

• 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

  Afternoon Plenary: Post Traumatic Growth - Moderated by Dr. Melinda Moore, Panelists: Surviving Sibling Dayna Wolter, Surviving Mother Carol Collier, Surviving Spouse Lynette Brown, Surviving Spouse Nikki Johnson and Surviving Father Paul Klimkowski - Val Verde
  You’ve heard lots about post-traumatic growth (PTG) this weekend. Come hear some of our TAPS survivors share their stories of PTG after their suicide losses. How did they get there? What does PTG look like for them? What is their experience of grief like now? This session will be offered virtually*.

• 3:00 p.m.

  A Moment for YOU
  We’ve intentionally left this time slot … open, for you. It’s almost the end of our weekend together, and we want to give you time to intentionally connect, process some of what you’ve experienced here at the Seminar, or even just have some quiet time.

• 6:00 p.m. - Family Dinner - Austin Ranch

*All sessions offered virtually will be live in Central Time Zone and will not be recorded.