Taya Thostenson
Director of Grief Programming
Personal Connection
I have spent my entire professional career working in the death and dying sphere of healthcare and mental health. Primarily my roles have been in medical social work and grief counseling. I am a Licensed Independent Social Worker and soon to be Masters level Thanatologist. Child loss specifically is one of the most difficult and unimaginable life events to navigate. Death and grief are foreign to most people however this is an area in which I am accustomed, framilar, and comfortable. I find deep honor and privilege in sharing space with the dying and bereaved, I believe very few things in life bring that level of intimacy. I went to college with our founder, Kylie, and when I saw what she was doing with Walk With You-I knew I had to be a part of their mission and vision. My unique giftings, education, and experience both personally and professionally with grief and loss lead me to serve as both a board member and direct family care volunteer in 2023.
Roles & Contributions
I wear a few different hats at Walk With You. I serve as a Board of Directors Member and Director of Grief Programming. I serve as a subject matter expert in death, dying, grief, and loss and strive to ensure the quality of all of our curriculum, family care volunteers, and efforts. My role includes being the Support System Equipping Coordinator where we provide in depth grief education, equip attendees with tools and resources, and develop a support plan for immediate family and friends as they navigate and walk alongside parents in their grief journey. I have the honor to walk with families in the immediate days following the death of a child as they navigate next steps and adjust to life without their child as a Bereavement Support Advocate. Lastly, I support Mindy and our Bereaved Parent Mentor program as a counselor.
Vision & Impact
Through my various roles I hope to make a lasting impact on our families, our community partners, and our organization as a whole. My own impact includes ensuring all of our practices, volunteers, and other partners are well versed in the nuances of death, dying, grief, and loss and have a resource available in house. My hope and motivation are the same as our vision, that no family navigates child loss alone, and that we serve families in a way that would honor each unique family's experience and grief journey.