Nancy Perlson earned her Master’s degree in social work from The University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration. Nancy served as the Outreach and Education Facilitator for Willow House, a non-profit agency providing direct support services to families with children and communities dealing with death. As the Outreach and Education Facilitator, Nancy provided outreach education, and crisis intervention to communities, individuals, and organizations dealing with issues of death and loss.

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At Willow House, Nancy worked with grieving children, teens and their families through workshops, in-service programs, classroom presentations, group support and individual counseling to address the complex issues that arise from the death of a loved one. In addition to providing community support through outreach and education, Nancy created the Willow House Survivors of Suicide Support program for families with children that have lost a loved one to suicide. At the time of the group’s inception in 2004, there were no other programs in the Chicagoland area dedicated specifically for children under the age of 18 that had lost a loved one to suicide. In 2018, Nancy received the Ambassador of Hope Award from Willow House.

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Nancy has been a volunteer support group facilitator for the Catholic Charities Program, Loving Outreach for Survivors of Suicide (LOSS) since 1999 and was the recipient of the Charles T. Ruby LOSS Award in 2017 in recognition of the extraordinary impact she has had on the lives of survivors of suicide. Nancy served on the Board of Directors for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and speaks  at events for AFSP advocating for individuals touched by suicide and mental illness. Nancy served as the Coordinator of the Healing Conversations Program for the State of Illinois. until 2020, As a long time yoga practitioner and certified yoga instructor through the Yoga Alliance and an active member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT), Nancy created the yoga bereavement support program, Connecting Through Yoga, in 2010.

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As a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), licensed in both Illinois and Utah, Nancy is trained in EMDR and SE, both trauma-informed, somatically based treatment modalities. Nancy uses her diverse training to develop a healing plan to address an individual or group’s very specific needs. Whether you are part of a group or working individually with Nancy, you are sure to receive an integrated approach to healing.