Presenting at
NACG Symposium 2023

It all started when…

Our founder and Chief Education Officer Rebecca Wu attended her first in-person NACG (National Alliance for Children’s Grief) Symposium in 2022 and loved it! She felt like she found her tribe. After her return home though, Rebecca noticed that despite all the insightful learnings she was absorbing, there was still something missing. While many of the leadership, management, and hands-on art activities were very helpful, she wondered whether some of the best practices for outreach were readily applicable to the communities and populations she often serves.

While there is ample research on the efficacy of counseling or support services for the bereaved, such studies with Asian communities are limited. Yet Asians are not immune to death or tragedy. With COVID-19 and recent hate crimes, the number of deaths of people of Asian descent are staggering. Then, why is there still so little information? And what can be done to help?

The fact that Asians in general are minimally represented in both grief research and grief services implies that more needs to be done or understood in order to reach them and their children. In a collectivistic culture, there is no way to reach the children who are grieving unless the grownups are convinced first. But how?

Of the research studies available on Asian and collectivistic communities, many conclude that Western-based interventions and practices do not work without first considering cultural implications of stigma and nuances in view of the self. Not only do language and upbringing play a role in the grieving process but trauma responses and symptoms also differ significantly between Asian research participants versus Western participants. Furthermore, while it might make sense that support for Asian groups be provided by fellow Asians, some studies show that counselor training is low and the prioritization of psychological wellbeing is also low. In other words, the need is high but the workers are few.

Research recommends adjusting how therapy and supports are done in format, delivery, and timing compared to Western best practices. While research sheds light on the need to do more, practical application is limited. This session offers examples of what was done in local Asian community grief groups and workshops. The presentation provides a glimpse into working with an Asian community and how to apply suggested principles to one’s own program and service offerings.

Rebecca is passionate about serving people of color and helping collectivistic communities access support and healing. Being a member of the Asian community herself, Rebecca understands how culture greatly impacts one’s grief journey. Much of her work is conducted in the Chinese language with the elderly while her work with children and families bridges Eastern and Western norms.

Click here to learn more about the symposium and the work of NACG.