Navigating Grief and Stress During the Winter Holidays (and Beyond)

“Compassion.” “Gratitude.” “Laughter.” “Awe.” “Connection.” Our panel will discuss how these – and other – concepts can “leap off the page,” becoming practices which enrich and embolden our lives. In so doing, new pathways for navigating grief and stress may abound during the winter holidays (and beyond).

• Dr. Matthew S. Stanford is CEO of the Hope and Healing Center & Institute (HHCI) in Houston, TX and adjunct professor of psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine and Houston Methodist Hospital Institute for Academic Medicine. Dr. Stanford’s research on the interplay between psychology and issues of faith has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, Christianity Today, and U.S. News & World Report.
• Madeline joined the Hope and Healing Center & Institute as a Mental Health Coach in 2014. In January 2018 she became our Director of Clinical Services. She has a Masters of Social Work, Clinical from the University of Houston and a BA in Psychology from Baylor University. She is working on a PhD in Social Work at Diana R. Garland School of Social Work at Baylor University.
• Dr. Peggy Determeyer received her PhD in the Medical Humanities with a concentration in Health Care Ethics and Policy from the Institute for the Medical Humanities at the University of Texas Medical Branch – Galveston. Her dissertation examined ways that Community Bioethics Dialogues can be used to promote individualized personal decisions and advance care planning. Peggy believes that all of us are or will be users of health care, and need opportunities to talk about our issues and experiences. In the Dialogues, community members engage in discussions about a variety of health care topics, including treatment outcomes, mental illness and aging, and end-of-life decision making in facilitated groups using readings, guest speakers, and participant stories.
• Rabbi Seth Stander joined the Hope and Healing Center & Institute’s Community Bioethics & Aging Center in August 2021. As Inaugural Community Aging Specialist, Seth connects community members with resources related to caregiving, aging in place, long-term care facility placement, advanced care planning, and more. Additionally, Seth facilitates caregiver/grief support for individuals/couples/families. Finally, Seth teaches CBAC’s “Aging with Grace” series and periodic “Lunch and Learn” sessions. After earning a B.A. (Judaic Studies) from SUNY-Binghamton in 1992, Seth attended the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where he was ordained in 1999. He has served as a congregational rabbi, resident and staff chaplain, and most recently on staff at the Harris County Long-term Care Ombudsman Program, advocating for the rights of facility residents and their loved ones.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Hope and Healing Center & Institute, 5025 Riverway Dr, Houston, United States