When Families Feel Understood: Meet Derek and Taylor

Derek and Taylor started going to Dougy Center after Tamara, Derek's wife and Taylor's mom died when Taylor was just 14. Derek and Taylor suddenly found themselves navigating grief without anyone who truly understood the magnitude of what they were experiencing. “We each felt so alone through the illness, struggling to cope, and without any peer group of families going through the same thing,” Derek recalled. A social worker at Providence St. Vincent ICU suggested Dougy Center. “After we got to Dougy Center, we were not alone in navigating our grief,” Derek said. “We had somewhere to share our deepest thoughts with people who ‘got it.’” For Taylor, the impact was immediate. “Going to Dougy Center normalized her tragic experience,” Derek shared, “She was not alone in what she had experienced, was feeling, and how she was trying to cope.” Her favorite part was the conversations — “talking, comparing notes with other teens, feeling heard and not quite so alone.”

Latest Episode

April 16th, 2026

What If Grief Care Is Preventative Care? Dr. Kailey Bradley

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Kailey Bradley about support for grieving a death loss, but also the more overlooked non-death losses, including chronic illness, infertility, shifting identities, and the futures we imagined but don't get to live. Dr. Bradley is a clinician and educator who specializes in working with children and families navigating grief and illness. Kailey shares her experiences growing up with chronic illness and being diagnosed with premature ovarian failure at age 12, and how those layered losses affected her at different life stages. We explore what it means to "process" grief, why anger and big questions deserve space, and how grief can show up in ways we don't always recognize. We also discuss how being diagnosed later in life with autism spectrum disorder shifted how Kailey understands grief – hers and those she supports. This conversation is both practical and expansive, offering ideas for parents, caregivers, educators, clinicians, and anyone who wants to better understand grief in all its forms. read more...