Sandra Bertman will introduce her pioneering work in thanatology and grief counseling using the arts and humanities in international clinical, academic and public settings. In her talk on Facing Death she will draw on materials from the visual arts, excerpts from poetry, fiction, drama, and popular culture to sensitize the audience to important, universal issues confronting the dying, and those responsible for their care.

Following Bertman’s talk, Elaine Fallon will lead a writing workshop Telling The Story to reflect on Facing Death. Using essay and/or narrative writing, participants will "author" their own stories in this different context. When faced with life altering changes we often find that looking for pathways to express our feelings and articulate our emotions are helpful. Drawing upon Fallon’s experience as a professor in physical therapy and communication, this workshop will focus on the role that writing holds in helping us to recover our perspective and bring a balance back to a "new normal."