About TLC
Grief is not a straight line or experienced in the same way for everyone.
We believe that:
- All people grieve no matter their age, background, or lifestyle.
- Grief can be the result of any number or types of loss, including changing relationships, the loss of health or mobility, having a miscarriage, the death of a loved one, job loss, retirement, or a change in one’s future plans.
- Grief can be experienced emotionally, physically, cognitively, behaviorally, and spiritually.
- Skills for supporting those in grief, particularly the act of listening, can be learned.
- Anyone can learn to be comfortable in emotionally painful situations and feel empowered to stay and support someone in grief—in a way that is welcomed, helpful, and kind.
- Grief—hard as it may be—when well-supported, can ultimately help people grow, transform, and heal in remarkable ways.
Our Mission
To create compassionate education and community-centered support for those experiencing loss, grief and transition.
Our Vision
A world where grief is understood and accepted as a natural response to loss, and where people are well-supported as they grieve.
Meet the Board of Directors
Kris Masalsky — President
Originally from the Boston area, Kris traveled throughout the U.S., lived for several years in Colombia, S.A., then settled in Tucson to complete graduate studies in education. In addition to teaching and administering adult education programs and operating a small empanada shop, Kris and her husband raised two beautiful children. Their lives changed when their son, Paul, died from suicide in 2008. Since that time, Kris has been involved with numerous community groups whose goal is to help educate and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide. In addition to providing education and training in suicide prevention and postvention to Tucson’s community-wide Stephen Ministers-in-Training Program, Kris has participated in local and national panel discussions regarding the significance of peer grief support within families and communities.
She continues to co-facilitate survivors of suicide loss groups, which offer support to individuals who are living with the suicide death of a beloved person. Kris remains committed to honoring Paul’s life by continually learning about best practices surrounding mental health and suicide prevention, and by striving to live with kindness and compassion.
Laura Brinckerhoff — Vice President
Laura is a Tucson Native, a Licensed Professional Counselor and certified Advanced Compassionate Bereavement Facilitator through the Miss Foundation. Following years of cascading losses, Laura turned her personal and professional lens to understanding and supporting the grief process. She attended TLC’s Pilot workshop, read extensively and by May of 2021 completed her initial and advanced training with Joanne Cacciatore, PHD (Bearing The Unbearable) Her private practice is now focused on helping people navigate their grief journeys. Additionally, she worked as a Substance Abuse/Recovery Counselor since 1990.
Laura is a Tacheria School of Spiritual Direction Graduate (2018) and a legal Animist Minister through the Web of Life, Animist Church (2020). Laura is an animal tender, a writer and a lifelong learner, always digging deeper for insight, self awareness and growth in order to better serve others and our planet. She is delighted to be of service through the TLC board to carry the message of compassionate grieving and support to the Tucson community.
Abby Hungwe — Treasurer
Abby Hungwe is the Managing Director of Owl & Panther. She has been involved with O&P since 2008. Beginning as a participant of the expressive arts program, shortly after she arrived in Tucson from Zvishavane, Zimbabwe. Abby completed her graduate studies at Southern Arkansas University, and is passionate about community building and community education. Her role at Owl & Panther helps her fulfill this passion. She works with a committed team to support refugee families in their journey to find healing in community.
As someone who has also experienced severe trauma, and various levels of loss and grief in her adult life, Abby recognizes the value of healing-centered engagement in the wellbeing of individuals and communities. She actively seeks out opportunities to practice as well as promote kindness and compassion.
Cydne Bolton — Secretary
Cydne believes she has been called to serve and to teach. She is honored to perform both of these roles as the Learning Center Coordinator for the Adult Basic Literacy Program at Literacy Connects. In her position, she trains, coaches, and mentors volunteers who tutor adult learners in basic literacy and high school equivalency attainment. Cydne also tutors adult learners and is known to provide the “push” many learners welcome on their educational journey.
Her own educational journey includes graduating from the Tacheria Interfaith School of Spiritual Direction and the African American Leadership Institute of Southern Arizona. Cydne has also served many years in lay leadership for her church.
Grief, loss, and transition confronted Cydne in 2010, three years after her father’s death. It was then she began actively unraveling as a means to healing. This process has continued through the deaths of her grandmother and mother in 2016. There is community in all that she has learned and will learn; this is another opportunity to serve and teach.
Board Members in Alphabetical Order
Mary Brown
Mary is retired from a career in public service, where she sought to ease suffering and improve the lives of adults and families in need of health and social services. She worked for the State of California building and nurturing innovative, community-based programs for people living with AIDS, chronic illness, and alcohol and drug addiction. Later she returned to graduate school at the University of Arizona, earning a doctorate in interpersonal communication in the health care setting.
She put her advanced knowledge to work teaching university students and others about how communication both affects, and is affected by, our health and our relationships. For more than ten years she was a volunteer facilitator for Tucson’s Children of Divorce program. More recently she contributes to research studying new ways to educate patients about their health.
Mary has the heart of a public servant and educator. Having encountered and learned from grieving many personal losses, she is honored to serve the Tucson community as a TLC Board member.
Aida Flores
Aida completed her studies as a thanatologist in Mexico, endorsed by the Mexican Association of Thanatology in 2012. In 2013, she was certified by the Grief Recovery Method as a GRM Specialist in California.
With these professional certifications, Aida committed to serving the suffering communities of Juarez, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas for 12 years. She facilitated workshops and classes in schools and community centers. She also accompanied individuals in hospitals, hospices, and private homes.
Since arriving in Tucson, Aida has continued her previous services in English and Spanish, mainly to share support tools for the Hispanic community. She is a companion for grieving adults and children as a volunteer at Tu Nidito as well as a first year student at Tacheria Interfaith Spirituality Center studying Interfaith Spiritual Direction.
Aida has been involved in her Christian community, facilitating Prayer and Life Workshops, talks and retreats since 2014. She is also part of an Online International Contemplative Community (COC.AC).
Personally, Aida is married and the mother of 3 young adults. As an environmentalist, she finds time for her favorites recreational activities: spending time with family, hiking and gardening.
The Rev. Frank R. Williams, PhD
He has served as Executive Director at Family Counseling Agency/Our Family Services; twenty years as a professor within the Family Studies faculty at the University of Arizona; and a United Methodist Minister in several Arizona and California churches.
Jennifer Titley-Rubio, LCSW
Jennifer is a native Tucsonan with Masters Degrees in Biology and
Social Work from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University. She was a Lead Social Worker in Tucson Unified School District, a supervisor at Our Town Family Center and throughout, a Hospice Social Worker. In 2019, she shifted her on-call Hospice position to a bereavement counselor, providing individual and group counseling to the bereaved. She co-facilitated grief support groups for three years, including a COVID Grief Support Group, and Healing Journeys, an 8-week psycho-educational/support group.
Jennifer is also trained as a Restorative Retelling facilitator, a ten-week long group series focused on the intersection of grief and trauma following a sudden, violent, or traumatic
death loss.
She with her husband raised 2 children, 2 rescue dogs, 6 rescue cats and many Trap Neuter & Release cats. After a series of personal losses—death, health and animal companions—she started her own private practice Monsoon Light LLC, providing individual and group grief and loss therapy. She has a special place in her heart for animal loss.
“I believe that losing one’s beloved animal is a very special kind of loss and a grief which often goes unrecognized in our culture.”
She works with those suffering death loss, traumatic loss, anticipatory grief, disenfranchised grief and animal loss.
“It is my intention to hold space, companion and bring solace to the bereaved.”
Honorary Board Members
Marianna Cacciatore
Marianna is an author, minister, and spiritual counselor. In her first book, Being There for Someone in Grief, Marianna shares essential lessons for supporting people grieving from death, loss, and trauma. It is used as a guide for hospice volunteers and as a textbook for those learning to work with people in grief. It was endorsed by Stephen Levine, who wrote: “Marianna’s life work is just what the heart calls for…” Her current manuscript, Stitching the Heart Back Together ushers in the idea that walking through the grief journey can ultimately deepen our capacity for compassion, humility and kindness, paving the way for a life marked by generosity and love.
In 1990, Marianna founded Children to Children—a Center for Children and Families in Grief, serving as Executive Director. In 2000, they merged with Tu Nidito, and today she serves as a Lifetime Emeritus Board Member of that organization. As a result, since 1990, thousands of children and adults in Southern Arizona have had effective, loving, supportive care as they journeyed through grief.
Program Coordinator
RobinLi Uber
RobinLi Uber is the Program Coordinator here at TLC. Born and raised in Arizona, and caring deeply for the ecosystems found here, she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Photojournalism and Documentary Studies, emphasizing in environmental communication. She later received her Master’s Degree in Sustainable Communities where she combined her interest in the environment with her lived experience of grief and loss. Her work focuses on arts-based approaches to grief processing, specifically through continuing bonds, as well as the way grief care is connected to community care and capacity building. In her creative endeavors she is currently exploring poetry, pottery, and collage and is deeply interested in the way artistic expression can reveal us to ourselves.
TLC Teaching Staff
Along with professional credentials and educational expertise, our dedicated teaching staff includes those who have lived experiences as well as having accompanied numerous individuals as they walk this path of loss, grief and transition.
TLC Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors is made up of open-hearted, experienced professionals dedicated to helping normalize dialogue and education surrounding loss and grief.