Alice Ryan

Alice Ryan began her social work career 27 years ago working in community mental health and interpersonal violence work. She transitioned to healthcare social work practice and has worked for different health care organizations, where she held a variety of positions, including managing Seattle Children’s bereavement program for child loss and childhood grief. Her work has focused on loss and separation and end of life, with an 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.

Alice is currently an Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Washington School of Social Work and is the Co-Director of the Carol LaMare Program, the Student Traineeship Program within the Center for Integrative Oncology and Palliative Care, and where she supports MSW students in pursuit of social work careers in Oncology, Palliative Care, Hospice, and bereavement. Although she values her presence in academia, she strongly identifies as a practitioner and believes that practice informs theories.

Additionally, Alice enjoys the collaborative learning process cultivated within a supervisory relationship and has a small private practice that includes providing clinical supervision to social workers interested in embracing the humility of social work practice. She has been a part of the UW School of Social Work community 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 marginalized families and communities.