Alice Ryan

Lecturer
MSW, Western Michigan University

 / 
206-221-7527
  / Room 
127E

Alice Ryan began her social work career more than 26 years ago and has worked for different hospitals and health care settings, including Seattle Children’s Hospital for more than 22 years, where she managed the hospital’s bereavement program for child loss. Her work has focused on loss and separation, especially,  the needs of patient and families as illness progressed towards the end of life, which eventually led her to her current work in grief and bereavement support, with special emphasis on the experience of complicated grief through the death of a child. Alice is particularly interested in finding ways to increase access to culturally responsive grief support for all communities. Although she values her presence in academia, she strongly identifies as a practitioner and believes that practice informs and shapes theories. Alice has a small private practice, providing clinical supervision to social workers interested in embracing the humility of social work practice. She is also faculty at UW School of Social Work since 2010 and has been recognized with the MSW Student’s Choice Teaching Award for multiple academic years. Alice is also the recipient of Seattle Children’s Hospital Odessa Brown Ken Feldman Award, in recognition of her work of advancing inclusive bereavement support to all families and communities.