Driving Change with Kayla Cooley

Episode 41 and my guest today is Kayla Cooley, a social worker and postgraduate researcher in Limerick Institute of Technology under The Loss & Grief Research group. Kayla's research focuses on suicide and the internet, pro-suicide websites and what we in the helping spaces may be able to learn from them. I learned so much from this conversation with Kayla and how She is empowering others with knowledge and understanding. Most people in Ireland have been touched by suicide in some way, someone dies by suicide every 40 seconds. We don't hold back in this conversation, I talk about my own suicidal distress 26 years ago and how connection not only to ourselves, but to others is a huge part in finding a path to survival and healing. In 2016 Kayla co-founded a voluntary suicide intervention organisation - responding to people in suicidal distress 365 nights a year. She is also the director of Driving Change Training & Consultancy - educating groups and organisations across Ireland on suicide and related issues. "you do not have to be a doctor to save a life - education is the key to suicide prevention"Check out www.kaylacooley.com or www.drivingchange.ie This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sharonfitzmaurice.substack.com