Christmas decorations are going up all over town as families get ready for the fun of the holidays.

But for anyone who has lost a loved one, joy can be a difficult emotion during the holiday season.

Knowing that, Karen Scott, director of Lost & Found, has organized Tinsel and Tears, a workshop for the bereaved and those who care about them.

"We know that the holidays are tremendously difficult for people who have experienced a death," said Scott, who works with children and parents who are grieving a loss.

She organized the daylong program, which was underwritten by Hospice Foundation of the Ozarks. The program is appropriate for professional caregivers such as mental health professionals, health care workers and clergy, as well as individuals who have experienced the loss of a loved one.

"It is about preparing for the holiday season when your heart is heavy with grief," Scott explained. "We want to help people anticipate and develop coping strategies for what to do with all those traditions that magnify the loss of the person."

Following a keynote presentation by Darcie Sims, a grief-management specialist and author of several books on grief, there will be breakout sessions and a panel discussion.

Sims is nationally recognized for her insights into grief, which Scott says she presents with "gentle humor and a whole lot of compassion."

Sims will speak about the grief process during the holidays and tips for coping, as well as the "gift of grief."

"She makes it an uplifting day even though it's a hard subject," Scott said.

Marilyn Garrett, director of the Community Alliance for Compassionate Care at the End of Life, served on the committee that organized the agenda. The alliance includes caregivers from such organizations as hospices, nursing homes and hospitals.

The seminar is also appropriate for any professional working with individuals who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Completion of the course provides certification of 4.5 continuing education credit hours through Burrell Behavioral Health. There is an additional $10 fee for the CEUs.

"If anybody is working at all with anybody who has had a death, the holidays are a terrible time to go through," she pointed out.

Conference attendees will be able to chose breakout sessions on children and grief, loss of adult family members and death of a child.

The breakout sessions and the panel discussion will include various strategies for coping with grief and ways to approach the holidays.

"Every family and individual is different," Scott said. "What works for one won't work for everyone."