Impact Stories
Why Grief Care for Children is a Vital Community Resource: Reflections from Our Interns
October 31, 2024
Meet a few of our interns, who are passionate about making a difference, share why they are committed to this important work.
At Judi’s House/JAG Institute, our commitment to the vision that no child should be alone in grief drives us to strengthen the mental health workforce through intensive clinical training. Our internship program, grounded in grief-specific, research-based, therapeutic best practices, has trained a diverse group of behavioral health professionals for over two decades.
By equipping early-career professionals with the skills to provide effective grief and trauma-informed care, we expand our reach and move closer to building a grief-informed society. Our interns play a crucial role in this effort, ensuring that more individuals and families can access the support they need.
We are excited to introduce you to some of this year’s grief counseling interns!
Marissa Flores chose Judi’s House because of her deep commitment to working with children and family systems.
“Grief care for children is an important community resource because it provides youth and their families with psychoeducation and tools to help them and others when dealing with inevitable loss throughout their lives,” Marissa explains. “By fostering emotional intelligence and resilience, grief care empowers children to cope with loss in healthy ways.”
Marissa also highlights the preventative aspect of grief care. “Grief care for children is also a preventative measure,” explains Marissa. “[This work] helps prevent potential mental health issues and community challenges by giving youth access to resources and tools that will help them regulate difficult situations and emotions.”
Similarly, Meaghan Seelaus, another of our dedicated interns, came to Judi’s House with a background as an elementary school teacher and a passion for supporting children and families.
“My passion has always been to uplift children and their families, and now I’m doing it in a deeper, more heartfelt way,” Meaghan shares.
She understands firsthand the far-reaching effects of grief on the entire family system, which is why she believes the comprehensive support Judi’s House offers is so valuable.
“Grief care that creates a shared language between family members and supports caregivers helps to strengthen the family unit and support the whole child,” Meaghan adds. “This type of specialized care isn’t always available through traditional community resources, and that’s what makes Judi’s House so unique.”
Dionisio Marcelo came to Judi’s House after volunteering with Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), an organization that works to support children and families who have lost a loved one in the military.
“I’m currently transitioning out of Active Duty in the Army. Over the past four years, I’ve proudly served our country, but since I began working with children last year, I’ve discovered a new calling—another way to serve,” Dionisio tells us. “I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be part of something so meaningful and life changing.”
Dionisio adds that grief care provided at Judi’s House is an essential community resource, not just providing vital coping mechanisms and tools, but normalizing grief for the many children who will experience the loss of a parent or sibling.
“Judi’s House is helping to break the stigma around grief, turning it from something whispered about behind closed doors into a topic that is openly discussed. It’s normalizing grief for today’s children and future generations.
At Judi’s House, we are committed to providing children and families with the tools, support, and compassion they need for healthy development. High-quality grief care not only helps children process loss but also reinforces their sense of belonging in their greater community.
Through the work of passionate professionals like Marissa, Meaghan, and Dionisio, we strengthen our mission of providing connection and healing to grieving families.