Since Spring of 2023, BYU Continuing Education has offered support to individuals grieving the loss of a loved one through the Life After Loss conference. This two-day event was created to provide a sense of community to those experiencing the feelings of loneliness and immense sadness that often accompany loss. Heather Patterson, program administrator of the conference, says that the idea for the conference came from a “very clear impression from the Spirit” that highlighted this need in the community. "The Life After Loss conference sold out its first two years, which is uncommon for a brand-new conference," she said.
Though the conference was a huge success, Patterson quickly realized that a still greater need remained. “Both years that we were doing the conference, I was getting requests from parents, asking if they could bring their teenagers,” Patterson commented. The conference featured a session specifically designed to equip parents with tools to help their grieving children; these sessions were among the most attended. While the Life After Loss conference was intended specifically for adults, but it was obvious that a younger demographic was equally, if not more, in need of the support the conference provided.
After thoughtful deliberation following the second Life After Loss conference in the spring of 2024, efforts to create a new program—Life After Loss Camp for Teens—began. “Teenagers are a really unique demographic,” Patterson explained, “It’s such a formative time of life, and many of them are grieving. . . . [They] could really use some support through a program like this.” The camp aims to create a space where teenagers can be with peers who understand what they’re going through. “Many teenagers aren’t comfortable talking to their parents after a loss. Oftentimes their parent is grieving too, and they don’t want to add to their burden.” Life After Loss Camp for Teens encourages and facilitates healthy communication between teenagers as they navigate the tragedy of losing a loved one.
The 2025 four-day overnight camp will take place at Timp Lodge in the Wasatch Mountains over Memorial Day weekend. “A big goal of the camp is to help [teenagers] connect with others and take a faith-based approach to working through grief. . . . The camp will be a mix of clinical professionals teaching about grief . . . and the spiritual, faith-based element,” Patterson explained. The camp will help youth connect and grow together as they learn effective coping strategies. “We really want youth to see that they’re not weird or wrong for feeling what they’re feeling and going through what they’re going through,” said Patterson.
While discussions at the camp will address the heavy, sensitive topics related to the loss of a loved one, the experience aims to be fun and uplifting. “[We’re] helping them figure out how their new normal looks,” Patterson explained. “We want them to know that they don’t need to feel guilty for laughing and having fun.” From seminars with clinically trained professionals to spiritually uplifting devotionals to more personal counselor-led support circles and fun team-building activities, the camp is designed to meet the needs of each individual teenager as they process grief in their own way.
“[The camp] is going to be uplifting, inspiring, and hope-filled,” Patterson said. Certainly, nothing can completely take away the intense pains of losing a loved one. The Life After Loss Camp for Teens, however, is an incredible resource for youth who are navigating life after loss.
