Julia Dunn shares the inspiring journey of Olivia's House from its founder Leslie Delp's initial grief support groups in the early 1990s to the well-established centers in York and Hanover, PA. Leslie envisioned a comprehensive support system for grieving children and their families, which has evolved into essential community resources. Julia shares the center's history, its educational approach to grief support, and the importance of addressing family-wide healing. Learn about Olivia's House's innovative programs, including hybrid and virtual support groups, and how their extensive lending library aids in the grieving process. Julia also discusses the personal experiences that led her to this field and offers advice on the importance of personal healing before helping others.

About Julia Dunn, M.Ed., LPC:

Julia is the Clinical Director at Olivia’s House: A Grief and Loss Center for Children. Julia has her B.S. in Psychology from Lebanon Valley College and her M.Ed. in counseling from Millersville University. She has been with Olivia’s House for over ten years, first acting as a trained Companion and later joining the staff as the Program Director. Having lost her father at the age of 12, Julia knows loss on a deep level and uses her experience and training to support families in our community every day.

oliviashouse.org

Episode Timestamps:

• (01:55) What is Olivia's house?
• (03:45) Programs and services at Olivia's house
• (05:20) The origin story of Olivia's house
• (09:40) The role of volunteers; education and the lending library
• (16:00) Julia's personal connection to her work
• (20:25) Future plans and innovations
• (23:20) Healing before helping others

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