Helping Individuals out of the Shadows of Suicide Loss

Every 15 minutes someone in the United States dies by suicide, leaving behind friends and family known as survivors of suicide. It is conservatively estimated that for every suicide there are six to eight survivors, leaving hundreds of thousands of Americans each year to sort through the complex emotions associated with this traumatic loss. The word suicide continues to be associated with shame and stigma, leaving many individuals who need mental health treatment and those left behind by suicide afraid to reach out for help. Many who do seek treatment hold a lot of their feelings and thoughts inside, putting themselves at greater risk for experiencing complicated grief and developing physical and/or mental health problems, including suicidal ideation.

The complexity of suicide and suicide loss leave many professionals feeling under-educated and ill-prepared to work with a survivor in treatment. This one-hour webinar was designed to fill this need and provides an intimate look into the unique challenges for survivors and those who work to help them. Led by an experienced therapist and specialist in the field, the webinar is designed to challenge one's beliefs about suicide, investigate the complex grieving process associated with this loss, and provide new strategies for working with individuals at all stages of recovery. Ms. Falasco brings both her extensive training in prevention and postvention to this webinar, as well as her personal experiences as a suicide survivor.

Course Content

Defining Suicide
• National Suicide Statistics
• Underlying Causes
• After the Suicide
Suicide Survivors
• Loss and Grief
• Styles of Grieving
• Effects and Complexity of Suicide Loss
• Immediate Needs of Suicide Grievers
Postvention
• Psychological First Aid
• Grief Work
• Clinical Interventions and Other Modalities
• Resources