Western Regional Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp

Getting Connected to the Seminar

The TAPS app allows you to stay organized at seminars and find pertinent workshop information with the click of a button. You will be able to receive real-time notifications from TAPS and save any sessions that you want to attend to your own calendar. While the app is Seminar-focused, most TAPS services are available through the TAPS app, as well.

Links to event app will be posted here as we get closer to event start date.

SCHEDULE AND SESSIONS

7:00 p.m. — Pre-event What to Expect, Your Seminar Questions Answered
Attending in person? Please join us for a pre-event Zoom meeting to talk about what to expect at a regional seminar. We will also review safety and health standards that will be in place for our Regional Seminar. We will discuss hotel check-in, registration, meals, mask requirements and many other details that have been taken care of for us to gather safely in-person.

• 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. - Peer Mentor Training

• 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - Family Registration

• 5:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. - Family Dinner

• 5:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. - Good Grief Camp Zone (Grades K - 12)

• 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - First Time Attendee and Peer Mentor Gatherings

• 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

  Dessert Sharing Group Sessions for
  Accident Loss
  Illness Loss
  Suicide Loss
  Combat Loss
  Homicide Loss
  (designated areas will have signage indicating type of loss)

• 8:30 p.m.

  Young Adult and Legacy Mentor Gathering

• 6:30 a.m. - Morning Nature Walk (wear comfortable clothing) with Jason Stout

• 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. - Family Breakfast
  There will be areas reserved for a Men's Only social.

• 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. - Family Registration

• 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. - Good Grief Camp

• 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. - Opening Session with Bonnie Carroll

• 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. - Workshops and Sessions, Block I

  Grieving Like a Man – Jon Ganues
  In this interactive workshop, we will discuss the ways men may reveal their grief and share our experiences. Our goal will be understanding and insight, not changing the way others grieve. This is an ideal workshop for men in attendance who may be dating a survivor, as well as for men who are actively grieving the loss of a loved one.

  Parenting While Grieving - Becky Lomaka
  As parents, our desire to ensure our children are “okay” after the death of someone they love. In this workshop we will focus on dealing with your own grief while balancing your needs and the needsof your children. We will explore how grief can present itself differently for each family member and offer positive coping strategies for you and for your children. We will discuss ways to make your loved one who has died a part of your family life even though they are no longer physically here with you.

  Healing in Nature – Jason Stout
  Finding serenity in the outdoors is nothing new. Human beings have been connected to forests, rivers, oceans, and deserts as long as we’ve been walking the earth. It’s only recently in human history that our culture has withdrawn in masses from spending time in nature and replaced it with time spent in a fabricated world where we are bombarded with constant stimuli that deprives us of our well-being. Join us for some inspiring stories and explore the many benefits of spending time outdoors while we move towards establishing a deeper connection to nature and its healing power. This is a hands-on workshop. We are headed to the beach and may get our feet wet. Please dress appropriately.

• 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

  Lunch Buffet and Peer Group Sessions for
  Spouses and Significant Others
  Siblings and Adult Children
  Battle Buddies, Friends and Extended Family
  Parents and Grandparents
  (designated areas will have signage indicating type of relationship)

• 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. - Workshops and Sessions, Block II

  Building Stronger Bonds: Adopting a Team Mindset – Jesse Tubb
  In this interactive session, we will explore the concept of a family functioning as a team and how adopting a team mindset can strengthen relationships, improve communication, and foster a supportive and positive family environment where everyone thrives. By thinking of your family as a team, you can unlock the potential for greater unity and collaboration, even while acknowledging the impact of grief within your household. Your family is more than just a group of individuals, and by recognizing and embracing the experiences, strengths, and talents of each family member, you can create a flourishing family team. This workshop will include a team scavenger hunt that will require participants to work in small teams to find checkpoints in and around the hotel.

  Leaning Into Your Grief  - Becky Lomaka
  “When am I going to get over this?” is a question many people ask early in their grief process. In this workshop we will look at the many facets of grief and provide practical strategies for coping. We will unravel the many myths about grief and the “shoulds” associated with them. We will explore how it is possible to move forward in our grief and even find joy again.

  Managing Difficult Emotions – Andy McNiel
  It is common for many of us to struggle with many difficult emotions after a person in our life dies, including, but not limited to anger, guilt, and regret. We may feel a sense of responsibility for the circumstances leading up to a person’s death. We might regret missed opportunities as we think back on our relationship with our person. We may have intense anger associated with aspects of their death or issues related to our relationship with them. Whatever it is that might influence these feelings, difficult emotions can be challenging to navigate. This interactive session will take a closer look at some of these emotions and offer ideas for managing the impact they have on our lives after loss.

• 3:15 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. - Workshops and Sessions, Block III

  Building Emotional Resilience: Nurturing Inner Strength – Jesse Tubb
  In this session, we will explore the concept of emotional resilience and learn practical strategies to cultivate resilience in the face of life’s challenges. By developing emotional resilience, you can intentionally respond to adversity, adapt to change, and thrive in the face of difficulties, including loss. This workshop will provide you with practical tools and strategies to grow your capacity for resilience and stay buoyant during challenging times. We will cover how to acknowledge your experience, gain emotional clarity, prioritize self-care, show yourself grace and compassion, and use it as an opportunity for growth.

  Handling the Holidays  - Becky Lomaka
  The holidays can be difficult for those who are grieving. Learn about the physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual aspects of grief while focusing on practical strategies that will help you not just survive but grow through your grief. Join this informative and practical workshop to help you gain hope and direction during this often-difficult time of year.

  Coping When Memories Hurt - Audri Beugelsdijk
  We don’t ever want to forget our loved ones and memories can bring both joy and pain. Sometimes we push memories away because we can’t experience them without an upwelling of emotion that is difficult to cope with. We will explore coping techniques, including how linking positive memories with negative experiences can help us navigate our grief and remember even when it hurts.

• 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - Family Dinner

• 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

  Young Adult and Legacy Mentor Care Group

• 6:30 a.m. - Morning Walk (wear comfortable clothing) with Jason Stout

• 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. - Family Breakfast
  There will be areas reserved for a Men's Only social.

• 8:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. - Good Grief Camp

• 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. - Workshops and Sessions, Block IV

  Spirituality and Grief: A Conversation About Faith and Belief After Loss – Andy McNiel
  Faith, belief, and spirituality play a vital role in the lives of many of us after someone in our life dies. Many of us find strength through our faith as we journey through grief. While others of us may find faith to be difficult in the aftermath of loss. Spirituality can have complicated ebbs and flows as we navigate the many challenges that grief brings to our lives. Join us for this interactive session on spirituality and grief. We will discuss how our faith has brought us strength, how our faith may have been challenged by loss, and ways our grief may have impacted deeply held beliefs.

  Creating Meaning from Loss - Audri Beugelsdijk
  Dr. Bob Neimeyer says that loss “requires us to reconstruct a world that again ‘makes sense,’ that restores a semblance of meaning, direction, and interpretability to a life that is forever transformed.” We will discuss what it means to flourish in spite of and through our grief. Participants will have opportunities to share personal observations about how meaning making has played a role in their grief journey.

  God Winks  – Bonnie Carroll
  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.
  

• 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. - Workshops and Sessions, Block V

  Building Scaffolding: Integrating Lessons Learned Into Your Life Beyond the TAPS Weekend – Jesse Tubb
  This seminar aims to provide participants with practical strategies and tools to effectively integrate insights from this weekend into their lives. By building a solid scaffolding framework, participants will learn how to create a seamless bridge between lessons and tools learned throughout the seminar material and their daily lives. We will discuss how to maximize the impact of the weekend and foster long-term growth and transformation. Don’t let what you learn here, stay here!

  Power of Connection – Jason Stout
  The feelings that come with death loss can have us feeling alone and disconnected from others when what we need for our healing is the opposite. Add that we live in a grief and pain avoidant culture where we run from uncomfortable conversations at the expense of our individual and collective well-being. Please join us for this hands-on, experiential, group activity where participants have the opportunity to move past these constructs and get back to the most powerful medicine of all...human connection.

  God Winks  – Bonnie Carroll
  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.
  

• 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Closing Session with Bonnie Carroll

• 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. - Family Lunch

SEMINAR FEES

There are no registration fees for our regional seminars. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, TAPS provides lodging, all meals, materials, activities and T-shirts at no cost to you.

LODGING AND TRANSPORTATION

Lodging is provided at the Westin for those traveling more than 30 minutes to the event. Please request your lodging in your registration form and specify how many nights you’ll be staying. TAPS covers the cost of the lodging for Friday and Saturday nights and will book your hotel room for you.

You'll need to cover the cost of your transportation to and from the seminar. 

If you have questions about lodging, please email lodging@taps.org or call 800-959-TAPS (8277).

REGISTRATION DETAILS

Registration is open until October 28, 2023 (look for the blue button at the top of the page). You'll receive a confirmation email once you have submitted your registration. Please email seminarregistrations@taps.org if you do not receive a confirmation email after registering.

Health Guideline and Animals

Health Guidelines for the Seminar: TAPS will make every effort to ensure safe and healthy gatherings. We will continue to monitor COVID variants and may require testing onsite and/or other protocols based on local regulations and CDC guidance. At this time, we do not require proof of full vaccination and masks are optional. Should we have to make any changes you will be notified right away.

Animals: We love animals, but we do not allow them to attend many of our events, which are private events that are not open to the general public. We do this for the health and safety of our members. If you have any questions please contact seminarregistrations@taps.org.