SIETAR USA upcoming events

Addressing Collective Ambiguous Loss During These Tenuous Times (June 10, 2026)

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Addressing Collective Ambiguous Loss During These Tenuous Times

Your Presenter: Cheryl Forster, Psy.D.

Wednesday, June 10, 2026 @ 11:30 AM EDT

The term “ambiguous loss” was coined by Dr. Pauline Boss in the 1970’s. The original focus was on losses where there is an unclear loss with unclear resolutions (two types – physical absence coupled with psychological presence (e.g., adoption), or vice versa (e.g., dementia)), however, during the Covid-19 pandemic and after the murder of George Floyd, she expanded her conception of the term. The expansion now includes personal ambiguous loss, that is either internally or externally caused, and ambiguous loss at the societal and global level. We will explore Dr. Boss’ (2022) inclusion of the societal and global level, and the recommended guidelines for living with and healing ambiguous loss. The guidelines will include some general cultural considerations as well – as interculturalists, we know that how grief and loss is addressed may vary across cultures. In some ways, this webinar may differ from a typical SIETAR presentation. However, if we think of the current sociopolitical context as a collective experience (even if we have different stances on it or relationships to it), acknowledging ambiguous loss and navigating it becomes an important component for many. The guidelines do not lead to simple answers, but they may offer hope during these tenuous times.

Registration = FREE for current SIETAR USA Members in good standing (must be logged in to see the member pricing)

Registration = $25 for Non Members

About Your Presenter:

Cheryl Forster, Psy.D.Dr. Cheryl Forster is a licensed psychologist, the Lead Coordinator of Training and Intercultural Specialist at Portland State University’s Center for Student Health and Counseling, and the owner of Bookmark Connections. Her work at Bookmark Connections focuses on training mental health professionals in intercultural communication, while also integrating embodied trauma-informed and social justice/DEIB perspectives. Cheryl began her intercultural journey as the mental health consultant for the Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication (SIIC; 2008 to 2018) and considers herself a lifelong learner.

The Spirit of Minnesota: Intercultural Lessons in Community-Building and Mutual Aid from the Frontlines (July 22, 2026)

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 15:30:00 GMT

The Spirit of Minnesota: Intercultural Lessons in Community-Building and Mutual Aid from the Frontlines

Your Presenters:
Basma Ibrahim DeVreis and Jon DeVries

Wednesday, July 22, 2026 @ 11:30 AM EDT

A panel discussion from interculturalists who experienced and lived through the 2025-26 operation Metro Surge activities in Minnesota.

Registration = FREE for current SIETAR USA Members
in good standing

(Must be logged in to see the member pricing, SIETAR International members must contact SIETAR USA office for discount code and verify that you are a current member.)

Registration = $25 for Non Members

About Your Presenters:

Basma Ibrahim DeVries (Ph. D.) is Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and conducts intercultural training workshops for educational and community groups.

Jon DeVries is a trainer and consultant specializing in Intercultural Competence, Team Building and Leadership Development.

SIETAR USA 2026 Virtual Conference (November 05, 2026)

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 05:00:00 GMT

Save the Date!

More Information Coming Soon!

ROOT & REACH: Grounding Intercultural Practice While Stretching Into What’s Next What does it mean to be both anchored and in motion — to draw from the deep wells of cultural wisdom, lived experience, and hard-won practice, while remaining genuinely open to transformation, challenge, and growth? ROOT & REACH: Grounding Intercultural Practice While Stretching Into What's Next invites practitioners, educators, researchers, and community leaders to gather in a spirit of both reflection and possibility. This conference is a space to honor what sustains us — our values, our communities, our foundational frameworks — and to ask, with curiosity rather than anxiety, where our field must stretch to meet the complexity of this moment. We welcome proposals that take seriously both the stability of roots and the risk of reaching: work that is theoretically grounded and practically alive, culturally honest and forward-looking, personally meaningful and collectively relevant.