Christine Yu Moutier, MD

A leader in the field of suicide prevention, Dr. Moutier joined the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) in 2013 as Chief Medical Officer. Her connection to the organization began earlier, as a volunteer in 2006, when she co-founded AFSP’s San Diego chapter and also co-led a successful suicide prevention program for health science faculty, residents, and students at UCSD, utilizing AFSP’s groundbreaking Interactive Screening Program (ISP). ISP has since been implemented by several hundred companies and health systems, and has received recognition from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the U.S. Surgeon General. 

Dr. Moutier has received numerous awards, such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ (NAMI) Scientific Research Award; NAMI’s Outstanding Psychiatrist of the Year Award; the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology’s Media Award; and the Schwartz Center’s National Compassionate Caregiver Award, as well as being inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. 

David Kessler

David Kessler is a grief specialist, speaker, and author of six books, including his latest bestselling book, Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief. He co-authored two books with Elisabeth Kubler Ross. His first book, The Needs of The Dying received praise from Saint (Mother) Teresa.

David’s personal experience as a child witnessing a mass shooting while his mother was dying in a hospital helped him begin his journey. For most of his life, David has taught physicians, nurses, counselors, police, and first responders about the end of life, trauma, and grief. However, despite his vast knowledge of grief, his life was turned upside down by the sudden death of his twenty-one-year-old son.

He now facilitates a new model of online grief groups that are attended by people worldwide and he leads one of the most respected online grief certificate programs. He is the founder of Grief.com which has over five million visits yearly from 167 countries.