Date & Time: Thursday, June 4, 2026, from 9am PT/12pm ET - 10pm PT/1pm ET
Presented by: Alice Ryan, MSW, LICSW | University of Washington School of Social Work
This presentation explores how therapeutic metaphors can be intentionally integrated into social work practice to foster professional resiliency, meaning-making, and emotional sustainability. Participants will examine how metaphor supports reflective practice, mitigates compassion fatigue, and enhances connection with both clients and ourselves when working with patients and families with serious illness, loss, and uncertainty. Through practical examples in therapy and experiential reflection, social workers will gain accessible strategies to strengthen resilience while honoring the depth and complexities of our work.
Learning Objectives:
- Defining therapeutic metaphors
- Application of therapeutic metaphors in client work
- Application of therapeutic metaphors in social work practice for our resilience
About the Speaker:
Alice Ryan, MSW, is an Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Washington School of Social Work and Director of the Carol LaMare Scholars Program, the Student Traineeship Program within the Center for Interdisciplinary Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care Research and Practice, where she supports MSW students in pursuit of social work careers in Oncology, Palliative Care, Hospice, end-of-life care and bereavement. With close to three decades of experience in clinical social work, she has made significant contributions to pediatric and parental bereavement support when she was the Clinical Manager of the Journey Program at Seattle Children’s Hospital, where she led trauma-informed, culturally responsive services for grieving families, after the death of a child.
Alice Ryan is a recognized leader in the field of grief and bereavement, frequently serving as a keynote speaker at national conferences, including Safe Crossings Foundation’s Northwest Conference on Childhood Grief and the National Association of Perinatal Social Workers. Her clinical work includes child loss, pediatric grief, attachment theory and its applications in individuals and families, and the impact of grief on child development.
Alice Ryan’s academic and clinical work extends beyond teaching, with a strong emphasis on cultivating culturally responsive practices. Through her private practice and clinical supervision, she mentors underrepresented social workers, helping to develop inclusive, trauma, resilience and grief-informed approaches to mental health care. Her commitment to equity and health justice is recognized through awards, including Seattle Children’s Hospital’s Odessa Brown Ken Feldman Award and Safe Crossings Foundation Bridge to Healing Award in recognition of her work of advancing inclusive bereavement support to marginalized families and communities.