Understand Suicide

My guests today are Nicole Siegfried and Caroline Nichols. In this interview, they help us figure out how parents and families can help kids who struggle with suicidal thoughts, ideation, and previous attempts. This interview is the fourth of a week-long series, during which I will be publishing at least one episode every day directly from the 57th conference of the American Association of Suicidology, AAS, in Las Vegas. Join me daily for interviews with key speakers, researchers, and loss survivors. Are you looking for a suicide loss support group? Join mine, it's online. See details here: https://t.ly/YsdKG Find Nicole and Caroline:https://lightfully.com/ Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people" https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n Find my book: Understanding suicide: living with Loss, paths to Prevention https://t.ly/mTxpo If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255

My guest today is Joan Hoff. She has been facilitating loss groups for over thirty years, including support groups for children, families, and suicide loss survivors. Joan lost her husband to suicide and in this interview, she shares with us her experience with her own grief and why she believes in the healing power of groups. This interview is the third of a week-long series, during which I will be publishing at least one episode every day directly from the 57th conference of the American Association of Suicidology, AAS, in Las Vegas. Join me daily for interviews with key speakers, researchers, and loss survivors. Are you looking for a suicide loss support group? Join mine, it's online: https://t.ly/YsdKG Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people" https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n Find my book: Understanding suicide: living with Loss, paths to Prevention https://t.ly/mTxpo If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255

My guest today is the therapist Khara Croswaite and the topic is "When therapists lose a client to suicide." What does the grief look like? Who do we go to? What helps? What about the shame of sharing with colleagues that you have lost a client in this manner? Khara knows some of those answers because she recently lost a client to suicide and she has been vulnerable and brave enough to share her story and publish a book about her experience. The book is entitled “Moving from Alert to Acceptance.” (link below). This interview is the second of a week-long series, during which I will be publishing at least one episode every day directly from the 57th conference of the American Association of Suicidology, AAS, in Las Vegas. Join me daily for interviews with key speakers, researchers, and loss survivors. Find her book: https://amzn.to/4byBeiR Are you looking for a suicide loss support group? Join mine, it's online: https://t.ly/YsdKG Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people" https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n Find my book: Understanding suicide: living with loss, paths to prevention https://t.ly/mTxpo If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255

My guest today is Joanne Harpel, president of Coping after suicide and executive producer of the film “Talking Out Loud: Teen suicide loss, a Conversation.” She lost her brother Stephen to suicide in 1993. Since then, Joanne has been working on prevention and postvention, particularly with support groups. Our focus today is teen bereavement, a topic very rarely explored even here on my podcast. I watched her film at the convention and learned so much from it that I decided to share it with you, so let’s listen to her journey and how she has transformed lives since her loss. This interview is the first of a week-long series, during which I will be publishing at least one episode every day directly from the 57th conference of the American Association of Suicidology, AAS. Join me daily for interviews with key speakers, researchers, and loss survivors. Watch the film: https://t.ly/uCs1h Are you looking for a suicide loss support group? Join mine, it's online. See details here: https://t.ly/YsdKG Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people" https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n Find my book: Understanding suicide: living with Loss, paths to Prevention https://t.ly/mTxpo If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255

This week, beginning tomorrow (Tuesday), I will be publishing at least one episode every day directly from the 57th conference of the American Association of Suicidology. Join me daily for interviews with key speakers, researchers, and loss survivors. Are you looking for an online suicide loss support group? Join mine: https://t.ly/gYW-G ⁠⁠ Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with loss, paths to prevention:” ⁠https://amzn.to/3QYe0II⁠ Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." ⁠https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n⁠ Subscribe to my YouTube channel: ⁠https://rb.gy/0emdk⁠ Visit my page ⁠www.understandsuicide.com ⁠ If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: ⁠https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org⁠ Phone: 988

After a series of losses, including the death of her mother and her husband’s suicide, Michelle Collins combined the tools she had collected as a yoga therapist and wellness coach and studies in positive psychology and neuroscience to turn post-traumatic stress disorder into post-traumatic growth and resilience. She is the author of two books: “Surviving Spousal or partner suicide loss: A Mindful Guide for Your Journey Through Grief” and “Supporting a Survivor of spouse of partner suicide loss: A Mindful Guide for Co-journeying Through Grief.” In this interview, we focus on how a partner or spouse can help their loved one through suicide loss. Find Michelle: https://inhabitjoy.com/ Are you looking for an online suicide loss support group? Join mine: https://t.ly/gYW-G ⁠⁠ Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with loss, paths to prevention:” ⁠https://amzn.to/3QYe0II⁠ Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." ⁠https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n⁠ Subscribe to my YouTube channel: ⁠https://rb.gy/0emdk⁠ Visit my page ⁠www.understandsuicide.com ⁠ If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: ⁠https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org⁠ Phone: 988

Are you looking for an online Suicide loss support group? We all know how heartbreaking this kind of loss is, and how we tend to isolate ourselves because we believe nobody will either listen to us or understand what we're going through. That’s when a support group can be a source of comfort, familiarity, and compassion, no matter where you are in your grief journey. And you might just find some peace in knowing you're not alone. So why not give it a try? You never know how much it could help until you take that first step. The one thing I can guarantee you is that I will offer a warm, safe, and nurturing space, as provided here on my podcast. The group meets every second Tuesday of the month, on Zoom. Join the March meeting, February is full. We have a limit of 12 participants. REGISTER HERE: https://t.ly/7gUed Paula

Richard Brockman is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Attending Clinical Psychiatrist at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. When he was seven years old he found his mother’s body after she died of suicide. This traumatizing experience re-shaped the narrative of his life. In his book, "Life After Death: Surviving Suicide,” Dr. Brockman he shares the memories of his childhood, the many gaps he has in those memories, and how the man survived while the boy tried to make sense of it all. Find Dr. Brockman: https://www.cugmhp.org/faculty/richard-brockman-md/ Buy his book: https://amzn.to/3SbxJqk Are you looking for a suicide loss support group? Join mine, it's online. See details here: https://t.ly/qcCC9 Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/3QYe0II Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://rb.gy/0emdk Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 988

Kristyna and Veronika Delmar are from the Czech Republic and they lost their mother to suicide a little over a year ago. In this interview, they share with us the different paths they took to live through their grief. Kristyna tried to “learn" everything she could about the topic by reading books and trying to get in touch with people who were going through the same kind of loss. Veronika was the one who found their mother, so this shock permeated her pain and it still does. She still tries to suppress her emotions and acknowledges that anger is still taking center stage. This moving interview touches on a universal theme when it comes to suicide: how do families deal with each other’s grief journeys? Is it possible to respect and support each other through suicide loss? Their candid story shows us that nothing is more healing than love, compassion, and the understanding that when suicide happens, we are inherently bound by a shared loss. Are you looking for an online suicide loss support group? Join mine. See details here: ⁠https://t.ly/qcCC9 Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/3QYe0II Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://rb.gy/0emdk Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 988

From time to time, some of my listeners contacted me for therapy but in the past, I have not been able to accept new clients due to a lengthy waiting list. That has recently changed because I just opened my own practice, so I am taking new patients and have a few available spots. If you are searching for a therapist and you live in Oregon, in the US, contact me. I give a free 15-minute consultation so that we can see if we are a good fit. I'm not taking insurance at the moment. My phone number: 971 2361388 Email: paula@flourishingmindscorp.com Have a great day.

Suzanne Anderson lost her husband David to suicide and with it, her life as she knew it. As it happens in many cases, after his death, she found out secrets he kept from her, so she had to rebuild not only her life but her internal experience of what they had shared and built together. In this interview, she shares her path and how her spiritual beliefs helped her through it. Suzanne is the author of the book “You Make Your Path By Walking”, which accompanies readers on their own journeys through the barren landscape of trauma and grief, offering comfort, guidance, and inspiration to make meaning out of loss. Whether you are going through a personal dark night or struggling with these uncertain and disruptive global times, this book offers a proven pathway to allow the breaking down to be the breaking open into a whole new way of living, loving, and leading. Drawing from her years of exploration into the development of human potential and the personal, shattering journey of loss, Suzanne guides you to make your own path through the darkest of times—and to become a light in the world that others can look to in their own times of need. Find her book: https://mysterialwoman.com/you-make-your-path-by-walking/ Enroll for her next Resilience Circle: https://mysterialwoman.com/equinox-resilience-circle/ Contact Suzanne Anderson: https://mysterialwoman.com/ Are you looking for an online suicide loss support group? Join mine. See details here: ⁠⁠https://t.ly/qcCC9⁠ Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with loss, paths to prevention:” https://amzn.to/3QYe0II Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://rb.gy/0emdk Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 988

Among specialists, there has been a growing concern about suicidal ideation among long COVID patients. In this interview, Dr. Jim Jackson shares his experience with long COVID patients and the struggles they experience when searching for answers, recognition, and proper treatment. Dr. Jim Jackson, PhD, is a neuropsychologist at Vanderbilt Medical Center and one of the world's leading authorities on the mental health effects of chronic illness. He is the author of the book "Clearing the Fog: From Surviving to Thriving with Long Covid - A Practical Guide.” Find his book: https://amzn.to/3OSYUVc Contact Dr. Jackson: https://www.jamescjackson.com/ Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with Loss, paths to Prevention:” https://amzn.to/3QYe0II Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://rb.gy/0emdk Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 988

My guest today, Michael, is a murder-suicide survivor. Nine years ago, his wife took the life of their two daughters, Kennedy, 13, and Bella, 6 years old. Then, she took her own life. In this interview, Michael talks for the first time about his experience, the impact it had on his life, how he dealt with suicidal thoughts after his losses, and what helped him stay alive. Trigger warning: This episode deals with a very sensitive topic, so please, if you find that it can be triggering to you, don’t listen to it or break it in parts. I want to make sure that the overall message is heard and his message is about healing and helping others navigate this kind of loss. So please, pay attention to your body and follow what it is saying to you. Are you looking for an online suicide loss support group? Join mine. See details here: ⁠⁠https://t.ly/qcCC9⁠ Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with Loss, paths to Prevention” at https://amzn.to/3QYe0II Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255

Next Monday, June 5th I will be offering a free online course on how to help a suicidal person from 9 am to 12 pm, Pacific Time. This course is being offered by the Department of Human Services, DHS of the State of Oregon. To register, click on the link below: https://www.orparc.org/training/online/2040 Hope you join us, this is a rare opportunity to learn about this difficult topic and how to take care of yourself while you help those in need. Paula --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paula-fontenelle/message

Alexandra Wyman lost her husband to suicide in August of 2020 and like many of us, she was numbed, in shock, then she was filled with questions. Now, almost three years later, she has found some answers, which she shares in her book "The Suicide Club: What to Do When Someone You Love Chooses Death.” In this interview, she talks about her journey, what helped her, and what got in the way, and she offers a road back to peace and joy for anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide. The book shows a way forward through any anger, blame, or judgment, toward acceptance and peace. Are you looking for an online suicide loss support group? Join mine. See details here: ⁠⁠⁠https://t.ly/qcCC9⁠⁠ Find the book: https://amzn.to/45AJRY3 Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with Loss, paths to Prevention:” https://amzn.to/45kQu0n Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n Visit my page ⁠www.understandsuicide.com Check my YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3MNF5yG If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255

Dr. Laura Shannonhouse, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at Georgia State University. In this interview, we talk about the results from her latest research regarding suicide among older adults. She wanted to know if a small dose of sincere connection would improve mental health outcomes in this population and the findings are shared with us in this conversation. This interview is part of a series that covers the American Association of Suicidology's conference, which is taking place in Portland, Oregon, throughout this week. Every day, I will be posting one or more episodes on topics related to suicide prevention and postvention. Check the agenda of the conference here: https://bit.ly/3mAuEEq Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with Loss, paths to Prevention:” https://amzn.to/3XyxQwR Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255

Leeann Sherman is the president of the American Association of Suicide Prevention, AAS. In this interview, we discuss the role of AAS in the field of Suicidology, her personal involvement in this area, how we’ve evolved in terms of stigma and empirical knowledge, and much more. This interview is part of a series that covers the American Association of Suicidology's conference, which is taking place in Portland, Oregon, throughout this week. Every day, I will be posting one or more episodes on topics related to suicide prevention and postvention. Check the agenda of the conference here: https://bit.ly/3mAuEEq Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with Loss, paths to Prevention:” https://amzn.to/3XyxQwR Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255

Sarah Gaer is a loss survivor and advocate who works with the concept of soul exhaustion. Her keynote today was a "wow" moment for me because it gave language to something most of us feel but have no way to describe. I'm sure many of you will feel similar when you hear what she has to say. This interview is part of a series that covers the American Association of Suicidology's conference, which is taking place in Portland, Oregon, throughout this week. I will be posting daily interviews so come back tomorrow for more. Check the agenda of the conference here: ⁠https://bit.ly/3mAuEEq⁠ Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with Loss, paths to Prevention:” ⁠https://amzn.to/3XyxQwR⁠ Visit my page ⁠www.understandsuicide.com ⁠ Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." ⁠https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n⁠ If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: ⁠https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org⁠ Phone: 800-273-8255

Dr. Robert Canning is a clinical psychologist who specializes in treating suicidal patients. In this interview, he talks about the skills we clinicians need to learn in order to assess and treat this population. This interview is part of a series that covers the American Association of Suicidology's conference, which is taking place in Portland, Oregon, throughout this week. I will be posting daily interviews and tomorrow, I will attend the Healing after Suicide Loss Summit. Check the agenda of the conference here: https://bit.ly/3mAuEEq Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with Loss, paths to Prevention:” https://amzn.to/3XyxQwR Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paula-fontenelle/message

This week, the American Association of Suicidology will hold its annual conference in Portland and I will be posting daily interviews, so come back every day because I will be talking about many topics of interest to you. Check the agenda of the conference here: https://bit.ly/3mAuEEq Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with Loss, paths to Prevention:” https://amzn.to/3XyxQwR Visit my page www.understandsuicide.com Enroll in my course "How to help suicidal people." https://bit.ly/3klNZ7n If you need to talk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org Phone: 800-273-8255