Kathleen’s Advocacy Work

Kathleen has been dedicated to helping victims of Violent Death Trauma and the organizations that serve them since 2001. She has worked with service organizations all over the world to develop, policy, program and direct services to those affects by violent death.

United Nations

She has spoken at the United Nations in New York, in Feb 2020 for the International Day for Women and Girls in Science, sponsored by RASIT, the Royal Academy of Science International Trust. She also presented in 2016 and 2017. The topics were on the Sociological Impact of the digital age on Humanity, Media Stereotypes of Girls and Women in Science and the Mental Health of Women and Girls in Science.

She has been a contributing writer on victims’ rights and traumatic grief recovery for newspapers and magazines across the USA, and her keynote speaking schedule has taken her across the US, Canada, Europe, Asia and the UK

She is a consultant for the Federal Office for Victims of Crime, in the US Department of Justice. She is committed to raising the standard of care provided to Violent Death Trauma survivorsKathleen facilitates workshops, retreats, and seminars helping organizations and victim’s service providers serve victims with compassion and justice.

Her unique perspective as a survivor of a family homicide and a service provider gives her the necessary experience to understand the needs of the victim and how to help them. Her expertise helps victim service providers create policy, programs and trainings which will enhance their mission to serve victims in the most caring, compassionate and effective manner possible. She has provided training to therapists and members of the clergy.

“We were very pleased to have Kathleen O’Hara come speak at our Sorrow to Strength Conference. Several of our members had read Kathleen’s book and had requested that she be invited. Kathleen brought new insights and helpful ideas in her approach to addressing grief. For our attendees, most all of whom had lost a loved one in a truck crash, her stories and advice made it the most useful talk we had. Given that grief is such a personal and difficult subject, Kathleen’s success at our conference resulted from her unique combination of professional knowledge with personal sensitivity to what people are facing with their tragic loss.”


John Lannen. Executive Director
Truck Safety Coalition

KEYNOTES, PRESENTATIONS, WORKSHOPS AND RETREATS:

Turkey

Violence against Women project, training, policy and program development in Turkey December 2016 and March 2017

Asia

Visiting Professor Lecture IWHA Woman’s University, Law Department:  Global Victims Rights, Seoul South Korea October 2015

Keynote to Victim Support and Criminal Justice Practitioners: A Grief Like No Other Seoul, October 2015

Lecture: Yulchon Attorneys at Law: The Victims Experience and Global Victims Rights, Seoul, South Korea 2015

Canada
The Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime,
Ottawa, Canada, 2013. Moving the Conversation Forward Panel: International perspectives on mobilizing positive change for victims of crime.
Canadian National Crime Victims Rights Week Toronto, Canada, 2011. Presentation: A Grief Like No Other, the Seven Stages of Traumatic Grief.

Europe and UK

Victim Support Europe Conference Utrecht, The Netherlands, Understand the Victims Journey through the courts 2016

Supporting Justice Trainings on Serious Crime for UK Witness Service September and October 2015

Foyle’s Womens Aid, Domestic Violence Training: Derry, Ireland, September 2015

Keynote Speaker National Prayer Breakfast Royal Air Force Base, Croughton, UK  February 2015

Cruse Bereavement Conference Coventry, UK July 2015 A Grief Like No Other Workshop on Traumatic Bereavement

Motor Neurone Disease Association: Compassion Fatigue Workshops for Staff and Volunteers throughout the UK 2015

Eurotas Transpersonal Conference Milan June 2015 workshop: A Transpersonal Approach to Traumatic Bereavement

Victim Support Europe Conference Lisbon May 2015 Restoring Victims to Their Rightful Place in Society

SAMM Abroad Conference Warwick University April 2015 A Grief Like No Other, how to cope with Violent Death Trauma

World Community of Christian Mediation Workshop March 21 London: Coping with the Violent Death of a Loved One

Visiting Professor Lecture, Teeside University: Victims Perspective on the EU Directive of Victims Rights January 2015

Als/MNDA Professional Forum, Brussels, December 2014

The Czech Republic, Prague June 2014, Two day training on the European Directive/Compassion Fatigue for Billy Kruh Bezpeci, Victim Service Organization

Victim Support Europe, Warsaw Poland May 2014: Providing The Best Services to Victims of Crime

Victim Support Europe, November 2013, Brussels: An Insight Into The Training Needs In The European Directive

Victim Support Europe Conference, Edinburgh, Scotland, May 2013,
“Supporting Victims of Crime in Europe.” Presentation:
Compassion Fatigue Strategies for Victim Service Providers.

“The Right of Crime Victims to Information” Presentation: Complex Cases: Helping Victims with Complex or Unsolved Crimes, Lisbon, Portugal, 2013.

Victim Support Europe and the World Society of Victimology, The Hague, Holland, 2012. Presentation: Cultivating Resiliency after Trauma in Minority and Ethnic Populations.

Capacity Building for European Crime Victim Support, Lisbon, Portugal, 2012. Presentation: Methodology and Intervention for Assisting Friends and Families of Homicide Victims.

Mothers Against Manslaughter and Aggression, London, England, 2010. Presentation: Understanding and Helping Families of Homicide Victims.

Cruse Bereavement, Coventry, England Conference, July 2010. Presentation: Providing Support to Families Who Have Lost a Loved One to a Violent Death.

Victim Support Europe Conference, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2010. Keynote Presentation: The Journey Through the Criminal Justice System: A Victim’s Perspective.

Russia

New Challenges in Europe Conference Victim Support Europe, Moscow, Russia, 2011. Presentation: Public Relations and Victims of Violence: How to use the Media to Raise Awareness of Victims Rights and Services.

United States

Truck Safety Coalition Conference, Washington DC, 2013.
Mothers in Charge National Conference, Philadelphia, PA, 2013.
Crossing The Ocean of Grief Compassionate Friends, Philadelphia, PA 2013
Crossing The Ocean of Grief Retreat, Cape May, New Jersey June 2011
One Spirit Seminary, New York, New York 2011
Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, Harrisburg, PA, 2011.
Mothers in Charge National Conference Philadelphia, PA, 2011.
National Organization of Victim Assistance, (NOVA) Philadelphia, PA, 2011.
Institute for Safe Families, Philadelphia, PA, 2010.
Crossing The Ocean of Grief Retreat, Cape May New Jersey, June 2010
Section 60 Arlington National Cemetery Memorial, Arlington, VA, 2009.
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 2009.
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, Stuart , VA, 2008.
Truck Safety Coalition, Washington, DC, 2009.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Pennsylvania, 2008.
Texas Victims Services Association, Houston 2008
The Pennsylvania Victims Compensation Board, Harrisburg, PA, 2008.
Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, Atlanta, GA, 2008.
Congressional Briefing on PTSD and the Military, Washington, DC, 2008.
National Victims Compensation Assistance Board, San Diego, CA, 2008.
NOVA Forum, Capitol Hill, Washington D, April 2006.


Contact details:

keohara@aol.com

London: +44 (0) 771 393 2627

USA: +1 310 402 7683