PODCAST · health
Understand Suicide
by Paula Fontenelle
Become a Paid Subscriber: https://anchor.fmpaula-fontenelle/subscribeHere we will create a safe community to fight the stigma surrounding suicide. I will interview specialists, survivors, and individuals who have a story to tell. We will cover a variety of themes: grief, warning signs, risk factors, contagion, youth, and most importantly, what can be done to prevent suicide.To contact me, send a message to [email protected] my page: www.understandsuicide.comFacebook Page: https://bit.ly/2MMLBWO
Episodes
-
Ep. 116 - How parents can help kids at risk | Nicole and Caroline
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…
more -
Ep. 115 - Why are support groups healing? | Joan Hoff
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…
more -
Ep. 114 - When a therapist loses a client to suicide | Khara Croswaite
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...
-
Ep. 113 - Teen bereavement | Joanne Harpel
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…
more -
Announcement: Daily episodes this week
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...
-
Ep. 112 - How can a partner help with grief? | Michelle Collins
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...
-
Need an online suicide loss support group?
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,...
-
Ep. 111 - He lost his mother at age seven | Dr. Richard Brockman
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...
-
Ep. 110 - Two sisters grieving their mother's suicide | Kristyna and Veronika
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...
-
Accepting new clients
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...
-
Ep. 109 - Spirituality as a path to healing | Suzanne Anderson
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...
-
Ep. 108 - Long COVID & suicide: a growing concern | Dr. Jim Jackson
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…
more -
Ep. 107 - He is a murder-suicide loss survivor | Michael
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...
-
Ep. 106 - Losing a husband to suicide | Alexandra Wyman
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...
-
Ep. 105 - Reducing social isolation in older adults | Laura Shannonhouse
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...
-
Ep. 104 - Where are we in field of suicidology? | Leeann Sherman
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...
-
Ep. 103 - Grief and soul exhaustion | Sarah Gaer
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...
-
Daily interviews this week during the American Association of Suicidology's Conference
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…
more -
Ep. 101 - A secret too heavy to carry | Marie Beckley
Marie lost her husband, Joe, in June 2020. They had been together for thirty years and were also business partners, so as you may imagine, after his death, she had to pick up the pieces of her life. In this episode, she shares her journey, including the family secret he kept from her for years…
more -
Ep. 100 - A special guest for the 100th episode | Dr. Kirk Honda
On my 100th episode celebration, I interviewed Dr. Kirk Honda, a therapist and host of the podcast Psychology in Seattle. He has a Doctorate in Psychology, a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy, has been working as a psychotherapist since 1996, and he’s been a professor since 1998. In the…
more -
Ep. 99 - My grief journey | Interview to Georgena Grace
This interview was given to Georgena Grace, CEO of the Integrated Wellbeing Institute. Georgena knows suicide from a personal perspective: she lost both her brother and son to suicide. She currently works with grief patients and trains mental health professionals. Find the Integrated Wellbeing...
-
A request
This is a quick request: Could you please go to YouTube and subscribe to my channel? It’s called Understand Suicide. This way I can maybe monetize the channel and pay someone to edit the videos and audios. It would mean a lot to me and I would be able to do more interviews. As you know, I don’t...
-
Ep. 97 - Loving someone with suicidal thoughts | Stacey Freedenthal
In this episode, I talk to Stacey Freedenthal, who just came out with a wonderful new book entitled "Loving Someone with Suicidal Thoughts: What Family, Friends, and Partners Can Say and Do.” I’m sure this will be tremendously helpful to those who have loved ones struggling with suicidal thoughts...
-
Ep. 96 - Dealing with the holidays | Dr. Doreen Marshall
In this conversation, Dr. Doreen Marshal, Ph.D., vice President of Mission Engagement at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, talks about how to avoid - or at least diminish - stress during the holiday season. Doreen has a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Georgia State…
more -
Ep. 95 - He lost two sons within a year | Major Gen. Mark Graham
In this episode, Army Major General, Mark Graham talks to us about the loss of his two sons, Jeffrey and Kevin, one of them being of suicide. He tells us how his family dealt with the shock and pain brought up by Kevin’s suicide, how it affected each member of the family, and how they came…
more -
100th episode reminder
Send questions and comments to [email protected]
-
Help me create episode 100!
We are reaching the 100th episode and instead of interviewing someone, you get to ask ME questions. Please send an audio recording with questions or maybe let me know how my podcast has touched your life. It would mean the world to me. The questions can be about the podcast (curiosities, specific...
-
Ep. 94 - The "S" Word, stories of attempt survivors | Lisa Klein
When Lisa Klein was 18 years old, she had already lost her father and brother to suicide, and as it often happens, she felt that their deaths had to be related to who she was: “My thought was that it was a reflection on me, that I wasn’t good enough” she says. Her family shut down, suicide was…
more -
Ep. 93 - Scattering CJ's ashes | Hallie Twomey and Ethan Oser
When her son CJ took his life at the age of 20, Hallie was numb, confused, and full of guilt. One day, she had an idea: Hallie put out an open call on Facebook asking people to help fulfill her son's wish to see the world by scattering some of his ashes in a place of beauty or special meaning.…
more -
Ep. 92 - Understanding bipolar disorder | Terri Cheney
The bestseller author Terri Cheney has struggled with bipolar disorder since childhood. In this amazing interview, she talks about decades of multiple misdiagnoses, which took a toll on her life and stopped her from receiving proper treatment, and her suicide attempts. One of the things I love...
-
Ep. 91 - Sleep, mental health, and suicide - Nikolaj Høier
Nikolaj Høier is a researcher at The Danish Research Institute for Suicide Prevention (DRISP) in Copenhagen and at The Chronopsychiatry Research Group at The University of Edinburgh. His study looked at the association between sleep disorders and the risk for suicide. In this interview, Nikolaj...
-
Ep. 90 - Parents dealing with suicide loss | Kellie Woolf
In this interview, we discuss the many challenges couples face when dealing with this kind of loss. After the suicide of their son, Chris, in 2020, Kellie and her husband had to retrace their path forward. Through her story, she gives precious tips on how to work on the relationship and ways that...
-
Ep. 89 - Her son struggled with addiction, then died of suicide | Linda Morrison
Linda’s son, Mike, died of suicide in 2012 after years of struggling with addiction. As it’s often the case, his painful path affected the whole family, particularly the way they related to one another. Together, the family had to find a way to support Mike but also keep themselves healthy:...
-
Ep. 88 - Mother and daughter share their loss | Jeanne and Thea
A few weeks ago, Thea contacted me asking to share her story: she had just lost her father to suicide and wanted to help families navigate this painful experience. Careful not to re-traumatize her, we agreed that it would be best if her mother participated because I wanted to add an extra layer…
more -
Ep. 87 - Healing through service | Sgt Q
After coming back from deployment to Iraq, Aaron Quinonez struggled with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, but felt unsupported by the Veterans Administration. One of the questions he would ask himself was “Who am I now past this trauma? I had to understand that the person I was before didn’t...
-
Ep. 86 - Gun violence and suicide | Andrew and Linda
Whenever we discuss gun violence in the United States, the conversation usually revolves around homicide, but here is a side of this important topic that goes untouched: 60% of deaths by guns are actually suicide, not homicide. Again, we chose to ignore the majority due to the stigma associated...
-
Ep. 85 - When pain is kept inside | Lori Prichard
Two years after the loss of her husband to suicide, the award-winning journalist, Lori Prichard says she still experiences confusion; At times, life feels overwhelming. In this honest interview, she tells us about Travis, his gentleness and generosity, as well as his history of depression, which...
-
Ep. 84 - Dealing with blame after suicide | Dr. Jack Jordan
This episode was created at the request of my listeners. Unfortunately, the topic of blame and self-blame are ubiquitous in suicide, and it is particularly directed at the immediate family and spouses. They are victims of this in many ways. Sometimes, it comes disguised in the tone of voice of...
-
Ep. 83 - Suicide rates dropped in 2020: how can that be? | John Sommers Flanagan and Stacey Freedenthal
Despite the sharp rise of mental health issues and many other risk factors during the onset of COVID-19, the number of suicides in the United States decreased in 2020. Not only that but the most significant drop (14%) happened in April of 2020 when most of the country was in lockdown. In an…
more -
Ep. 82 - She lost her son and brother to suicide | Georgena Eggleston
Georgena Eggleston lost her son and her brother to suicide. In this episode, she shares what has helped her cope with these unthinkable losses, and what she has learned over the years by being a grief therapist. Today, Georgena works with both suicide bereavement groups and individuals who are...
-
Ep. 81 - From three suicide attempts to a meaningful life | JD Schramm
I found JD Schramm by watching his TED talk. In that presentation, he came out, for the first time, about his suicide attempt. What he shared in this interview goes even deeper and covers different phases of his life, when other attempts had happened. The struggles he suffered involved drug…
more -
Ep. 80 - When money and success are not enough | Kellan Fluckiger
Despite his traumatic, abusive childhood, which left him with a constant sense of brokenness, Kellen Fluckiger worked hard to have ‘everything’ a person needs: a wife, kids, a successful career, and of course, a lot of money. One day, at home, alone, after yet another failed relationship, he...
-
Ep. 79 - Mindfulness in your daily life | Paula Fontenelle
This episode was created to answer the many questions I received from my listeners about the practice of mindfulness. I deeply believe in the power of being truly present as a way to achieve spiritual balance, internal peace, and as a valuable tool to improve relationships, so I decided to…
more -
Best books on trauma
If you are interested in learning about trauma, watch my “Best books on trauma” review on YouTube. I focus on four great books, all of them written for the general public, so no jargon or complicated language. I hope they help you understand the nature of trauma, how it affects the body, the way…
more -
Ep. 78 - Self-harm and suicide | Juliana Falcão
Is self-harm a risk factor or even a suicide warning sign? Is it related to addiction? What’s the best way to help a person who self harms? These and other questions are answered in this interview by the clinical psychologist and published author Juliana Falcão, who specializes in treating...
-
Ep. 77 - Finding answers within the self | John Siddique
John Siddique is a British author and poet who found answers to existential questions in spirituality. For quite some time, he struggled with self-doubt, negativity, and unhealthy relationships, but he would constantly hit a wall. John wanted to understand himself: “I didn’t know how to love or…
more -
Ep. 76 - Aaron Wanserski: quitting his job saved his life | Suicide Awareness Month Series
On our last episode of the Suicide Awareness Month series, I interview Aaron Wanserski, host of the podcast Center for Suicide Awareness. This US-based organization is dedicated to preventing suicide through proactive education, training, emotional support, collaboration, and intervention. In…
more -
New way to contact me (phone)
Now you have a new way to contact me directly, but most importantly, to participate in the podcast! By phone! I get a lot of individual questions from the listeners, so I decided to host episodes that will address these questions directly. Please send them in either written or voice formats. Make...
-
Ep. 75 - Chris Parker: a mental health advocate with suicidal ideation | Suicide Awareness Month Series
Today’s interview is the second in the Suicide Prevention Awareness Month series, an initiative that aims to offer additional resources to my listeners. My guest, Christopher Parker, is a suicide attempt survivor who hosts the podcast Coffee over suicide, which he describes as “a dramedy podcast...
-
Ep. 74 - Craig Foust: Teen Suicide | Suicide Awareness Month Series
In light of the Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, I’ve started a short series where I interview fellow podcasters whose podcasts cover the field of mental health. Some of them are specifically about suicide, others are broad but are equally helpful in dealing with a personal crises. My main...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Become a Paid Subscriber: https://anchor.fmpaula-fontenelle/subscribeHere we will create a safe community to fight the stigma surrounding suicide. I will interview specialists, survivors, and individuals who have a story to tell. We will cover a variety of themes: grief, warning signs, risk factors, contagion, youth, and most importantly, what can be done to prevent suicide.To contact me, send a message to [email protected] my page: www.understandsuicide.comFacebook Page: https://bit.ly/2MMLBWO
HOSTED BY
Paula Fontenelle
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Understand Suicide have?
Understand Suicide currently has 109 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Understand Suicide about?
Become a Paid Subscriber: https://anchor.fmpaula-fontenelle/subscribeHere we will create a safe community to fight the stigma surrounding suicide. I will interview specialists, survivors, and individuals who have a story to tell. We will cover a variety of themes: grief, warning signs, risk...
How often does Understand Suicide release new episodes?
Understand Suicide publishes regularly with 109 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Understand Suicide?
You can listen to Understand Suicide on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Understand Suicide?
Understand Suicide is created and hosted by Paula Fontenelle.
URL copied to clipboard!