Joana Dougherty McGee has extensive experience working in fields related to death and dying, end-of-life issues, children with cancer, trauma, and families dealing with illness. She has received training and certification from several organizations focused on pediatric palliative care, hospice care, bereavement support, and healthcare interpretation. McGee has presented at conferences on topics like the needs of Latino families with ill children, dealing with doctors, life during and after treatment, trauma support, marriage issues related to illness, grief, and women's issues. She also has experience working with refugees and victims of war and torture.

1. Joana Dougherty McGee (née deBelkadi)
I am a counselor. I am NOT a licensed counselor or therapist
I have many years’ experience in the fields of death and dying; end-of-life issues; children with cancer;
trauma; families dealing with a seriously ill member; public speaking; patient and family education and
advocacy; writing, refugee issues, and community education.
In these fields, I have worked with and/or been trained over the years by many outstanding institutions,
among them:
~ Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Association --Bilingual Family Specialist: patient/family advocacy and
support; support groups, end-of-life family care etc. Extensive training and mentoring received
~ Leukemia & Lymphoma Society — Support group facilitator; family services; visiting; community
education
~ ELNEC (End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium) —Certification: Pediatric Palliative Care
~ National Hospice of the Florida Suncoast — Certification, “Train the Trainer; Care-Taking at Life’s End"
~ Local (Santa Cruz, CA) Hospice: Completed trainings and work: bereavement visitor; visitor at life’s end
~ Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition (CHPCC): Trainings; conference presenter
~ Children’s Hospice CA — Bilingual family services volunteer; translator of articles and organization
documents
~ Stanford University Hospital —Certification, health care interpretation training
Conference Presentations Include:
~ Needs of the Latina Family: Having a Child who has Cancer or Serious Life-Threatening Illness
~ Culture Shock: Crippler
~ Children and Cancer: a Special World
~ How to best deal with Doctors and the Medical World
~ Life during Treatment; Life after Treatment
~ Needs of / Help for Traumatized Students, Parents, Family Members
~ Common Marriage / Relationship Issues around Death, Loss, and Serious Illness (esp. Children's Illness)
~ Men: Handling the Life-Threatening Illness of a Child
~ Males and Grief (including the diagnosis of a child): common reactions
~ Living with Loss of a Child / Loss of Loved Ones
~ Women and Self-Esteem
~ Women's Safety Plans
~ The Refugee Experience — Life in a New Place
~ Music of the Latino War/Refugee Experience (I am a singer)
Related Loss and Trauma Experience:
~ Commission on Human Rights, Archdioscese of San Francisco (work around the rights of political refugees
and war / torture victims)
~ Central American Refugee Program, San Francisco (documentation of and support for war / torture
victims, community organizing and education; political asylum petition assistance/advocacy
~ Latinos Unidos, Redwood City (organizing, education around issues common to local, under-served Latina
families; particularly education and employment)
I am also a two-time cancer survivor.