He specializes in grief and bereavement counseling with individuals who have terminal and life-threatening illnesses. In 1983, when he was a student at Southern Illinois University, he started working with gay men with HIV/AIDS—still called the "gay cancer" at that time. Frederic helped to establish Virginia's first hospice for adults with AIDS in Newport News, VA. When he is not writing or fantasizing about returning to Ireland, Frederic can be found sitting at his baby grand piano where he receives infinite pleasure slaughtering the classics.