Welcome to the home of the
Angels AcrossThe USA
About Alan & Denise
ALAN PEDERSEN
Alan is an award winning songwriter, successful recording artist and nationally recognized speaker on grief and loss. In July of 2010, he was named the Professional of the Year by the Board of Directors of The Compassionate Friends, the largest organization in the world helping bereaved families. In 2011 Alan received the Humanitarian of the Year award from the Bobby Resciniti Healing Hearts Foundation.
On August 15, 2001 Alan’s life was changed forever. Ashley Marie Pedersen, his oldest child and only daughter, died as a result of an automobile accident.
Alan has turned his journey through the valley of grief and the pain of loss into a collection of powerful and moving songs recorded on to 4 highly acclaimed CD’s.
His music is popular with bereaved people around the world and has been used at thousands of candle lighting services, balloon and butterfly releases and by hundreds of professionals and organizations as a healing tool for the bereaved.
His music has been played at Ground Zero in New York City, the memorial at Virginia Tech University, the memorial at Columbine High School and is featured on many memorial and tribute websites.
Alan has been a keynote speaker and workshop presenter at many prestigious conferences including: The World Gathering on Bereavement, The Compassionate Friends National Conference and The National Gathering of Bereaved Parents of the USA.
Alan has written many articles on grief that have been featured in national magazines, newsletters and other publications. He has been a recurring guest on Healing the Grieving Heart on the Health and Wellness Radio Network.
Stories about Alan’s music, message and travels have been featured on television and radio stations around the country, and have been the subject of countless newspaper articles.
His music and message have earned the highest respect from many of his peers who have shared the platform with him.
Darcie Sims, Ph.D., CHT, CT, GMS… says: ”An evening with Alan Pedersen is an experience like none other. He will make you laugh, he may make you cry, he will surely give you some things to think about, but most of all you will be gently guided to that most sacred and healing place of sweet remembrance.”
Dr. Gloria Horsley Ph.D., President of Open to Hope Foundation, and Host of Healing the Grieving Heart Radio Program says: “Alan’s music and message are a light in the darkness to those going through grief and loss. His message is one of hope, his humor puts you at ease, his music is powerful and helps us remember those we have loved who have died”.
DENISE PEDERSEN
Denise Pedersen became a bereaved mom in 2004 when her 21 year old son Sean Patrick Sullivan died in a single car accident near their Sacramento, California home.
She wasn't able to find the help and support that she was looking for, therefore she started on a journey to learn as much as she could about the grieving process. The following year she decided to take the knowledge she had gathered and offer help and support to others struggling to find hope in the midst of their grief, so she founded the Sean Sullivan Project as a vehicle to provide support and friendship to families grieving the loss of a child and are trying to put the pieces of their broken lives back together. Denise began making beautiful baskets and delivering them to families that had recently lost a child. She also began a monthly gathering for Mom's, using the comfortable atmosphere of personal homes and gathering around an evening meal.
In 2008 Denise became a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist through the Grief Recovery Institute based in Sherman Oaks, CA (www.grief.net). It's not only her certification that qualifies Denise to help others, it's the fact that Denise had the courage to walk up to her grief, acknowledge it, learn from it and then share her knowledge with others.
Denise has reached out to hundreds of bereaved families in the greater Sacramento area through her work as a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, grief facilitator, workshop presenter, speaker and community leader.
Currently Denise is traveling with Alan as part of the Angels Across the USA tour presenting concerts, events and workshops for grief organizations across the United States.