Virtual Military Survivor Seminar

While we are all facing these unexpected adjustments to our daily lives, one constant remains — the love and support of your TAPS family. That is why we’re bringing our seminar right to you. We have a variety of dynamic sessions available online throughout the weekend at no cost, with all of the resources, care and love we can offer, coming to you in the comfort of your home. 

Our session presenters are leading experts in the field of grief and loss, and you will have the opportunity to gain tools and resources for your grief journey. We will have an exciting program of virtual workshops, care groups, and family programming.

Session Descriptions and Schedules

Friday, July 10, 2020

• 9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Eastern

  We Downshift: Meditative Movement for a Restful Evening  – Emily Muñoz
  Friday evening Downshift is a way to unwind and relax in the safe space created by your TAPS family. Accessible for all bodies and levels, this is non-fitness based movement and mindfulness to help calm and soothe body and mind. Options will be offered to ensure that everyone feels comfortable and supported - chairs encouraged, mats warmly welcomed, breaks available as you need them. Breathe deeply and relax fully with us - all you need is a a space to sit or stand, with something comfortable on which to sit or kneel, and an openness to learning how we can self-soothe and reconnect.

Saturday, July 11

• 2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. Eastern

  Opening Session  – Bonnie Carroll | William Wagasy
  Please join TAPS President and Founder Bonnie Carroll in welcoming our special guest and keynote speaker, former Navy SEAL and TAPS Advisory Board Member, William Wagasy who will be speaking about your Inner Warrior; Honoring the calling on your life with strength and courage.

• 3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Eastern

  Meeting Ourselves in the Emotional Landscape  – Erin Jacobson
  Within these recent months, we have found that It can be a challenge not only to process our emotions, but to even know WHAT we feel. Fear, grief, loneliness, anger, insecurity, hope, love may all be swirling around inside of us and we can feel like a cup of water filled to the brim where just one push can send us start spilling out. In this workshop, we will explore ways to sort through our complicated emotions in order to take a step towards peace and gratitude.

• 4:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. Eastern

  Brave New World: Using Courage, Authenticity, and TAPS Magic "IRL"  – Emily Muñoz
  Even though we’re not able to be together in person, there is an undeniable feeling of belonging that comes from being a part of this community. We all want to be where “everybody knows our name,” where we’re understood, seen, heard, acknowledged. This is especially true when we’re grieving, as we try to comprehend and process the often dramatic (but sometimes subtle) changes in our lives. Integrating “grief world” into “real life” can be a complicated process, especially with so many other voices offering advice and opinions. In this workshop, we’ll have a frank discussion of the challenges we face as we create spaces for both determination and despair.

• 5:00 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. Eastern

  Grief in the Midst of a Pandemic  – Dr. Denise Rollins
  What happens to our old grief when the world comes to a halt, our lives change in unprecedented ways and we find ourselves experiencing new grief? Examine the ways that our grief can be collective, cumulative and even constructive. In this session, we’ll assess our common struggles and then address coping strategies that can allow us to grow through our grief..

• 6:00 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. Eastern

  What's Next? Your Way Forward
  Following the seminar sessions we invite you to participate in an open forum discussion with Bonnie Carroll and our seminar presenters. If you have any questions that were not answered or if you would like to spend more time with our TAPS family please join us for this session. This will be in a meeting format with the ability to chat and share with everyone who joins.

• 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Eastern

  Separate Share Group Sessions for:
  › Spouses, Ex-Spouses, Fiances, Significant Others with Children
  › Parents
  › Siblings & Adult Children
  › Spouses, Ex-Spouses, Fiances, Significant Others without Children
  › All Relations
  
  Share groups offer an opportunity to share your own story, experiences, and feelings while listening to others who have a similar story and relationship with their service member. They're structured by relationship, circumstance, or sometimes both. TAPS offers a wide range of groups with something for every survivor.

  Please review: Share Group Guidelines for Participants

All sessions other than sharing groups/sessions will be recorded, so if you cannot attend a session, it will be available at taps.org for you to experience at a later time.