Before You Kill Yourself: a suicide prevention podcast.

In today's episode we discuss the following questions:

What truth in you cannot be broken?

When do you feel most like you?

Who are you without your name?

What are you growing into?

Where does your courage live?

What is something small that feels big to you?

Thrive With Leo Coaching: 

If you want to reduce your psychological pain, regain your purpose and forge your own path, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.

If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:

In the US: 

Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988

The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

Outside the US:

International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

In this deeply personal solo episode, I reflect on a moment at sea that stirred something primal—a desire to leap, not to die, but to feel fully alive. We explore:

• The difference between wanting escape and needing depth
• How “leaping” can be a cry for rest, touch, or meaning
• What it means to unplug, fast, and float
• A practice for staying grounded when you feel unspooled
• Why intensity sometimes masquerades as danger—but is really a call to be held

If you want to improve in the areas of health, wealth and/or relationships, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.

If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:

In the US: 

Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988

The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

Outside the US:

International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

In this episode, we explore what happens when we withhold what’s true, raw, or real inside us:

• Why unexpressed thoughts and emotions don’t just disappear—they fester
• The difference between release and recklessness in emotional expression
• How to safely express anger, resentment, longing, and fear without hurting yourself or others
• What 365 Tao teaches us about drawing from our inner well before it stagnates
• Daily practices to clarify your inner life through intentional expression

Thrive With Leo Coaching: 

If you want to reduce your psychological pain, regain your purpose and forge your own path, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.

If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:

In the US: 

Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988

The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

Outside the US:

International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

In this episode, we explore seven powerful strategies that can help someone survive intense emotional distress and suicidal thoughts (from the book, THE SUICIDAL PERSON by Konrad Michel):

• Call a trusted doctor or therapist for personalized care
• Reach out to a 24/7 crisis line for nonjudgmental support
• Avoid alcohol to protect your judgment and emotional balance
• Resist writing a goodbye letter to keep options open
• Contact a mental health clinic for urgent intervention
• Call an ambulance when immediate safety is needed
• Go directly to the ER to access full medical and psychiatric care

If you want to reduce your psychological pain, regain your purpose and forge your own path, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.

If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:

In the US: 

Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988

The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

Outside the US:

International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

In this episode, we explore the powerful symbolism of the zero — often misunderstood as "nothing" — and reveal how it actually represents connection, wholeness, and infinite potential. If you’ve ever felt invisible, isolated, or not enough, this conversation is for you.

Key Takeaways:

• How feeling like a "zero" can actually signal readiness for connection, not emptiness
• The role of circles in cultures around the world and why they represent community and healing
• Why you don’t have to be "more" before you start moving toward your goals or relationships
• How the zero is the "hug of numbers" — and why surrounding yourself and others with love matters
• A reminder that at every moment, you are enough to take the next step

Thrive With Leo Coaching: 

If you want to improve in the areas of health, wealth and/or relationships, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.

If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:

In the US: 

Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988

The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

Outside the US:

International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

In today's episode we discuss:

• What we often do when suicidal urges rise
• Why small, immediate actions can be life-saving
• The psychology behind choosing connection over isolation
• How resistance, not resolution, can carry us through a crisis
• Simple decisions that protect life in the most fragile moments

If you want to reduce your psychological pain, regain your purpose and forge your own path, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.

If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:

In the US: 

Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988

The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

Outside the US:

International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

In today's episode we explore the quiet but powerful human need for touch—and how its absence can deepen despair and loneliness, especially for those struggling with suicidal thoughts.

• Why asking “Who thinks about sex more?” misses the deeper question of touch
• How men and women often experience and imagine touch differently
• The evolutionary and emotional roots of skin hunger
• Why physical contact—non-sexual, non-romantic—can be life-saving
• Real-world insights from survivors and ways to reach out, or be reached

If you want to improve in the areas of health, wealth and/or relationships, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.

If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:

In the US: 

Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988

The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

Outside the US:

International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

Lauren Henry Brehm joined the podcast to discuss her book The French Court: Essays from One Family's Legacy of Mental Illness and her journey through mental health, family trauma, and personal transformation.

• Opened up about her grandmother’s undiagnosed OCD and its generational impact
• Shared her own suicide attempt and living with Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Reflected on her divorce after 29 years of marriage
• Described her experience in the psychiatric ER and ongoing therapy
• Discussed psychiatric medications: Cymbalta, Buspar, Lamictal, Trazodone

Memorable quotes:

• “I don’t want to escape my life, I just don’t want it to hurt so much.”
• “A smile is the shortest distance between two people.”
• “I learned that I have something to offer everyone.”

Purchase Book: https://tinyurl.com/French-Court

Thrive With Leo Coaching: 

If you want to reduce your psychological pain, regain your purpose and forge your own path, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.

If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:

In the US: 

Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988

The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

Outside the US:

International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

In this episode, we explore the subtle, often missed moments of human connection—and what they reveal about our deeper needs.

• A brief exchange with a mailman sparks reflection on communication and misunderstanding
• The physical sensation of a missed connection—what it tells us
• Why we often choose efficiency or comfort over connection
• How being unseen can create deep emotional pain
• The power of pausing, noticing, and trying again—with empathy

Thrive With Leo Coaching: 

If you want to improve in the areas of health, wealth and/or relationships, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.

If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:

In the US: 

Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988

The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

Outside the US:

International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

Thrive With Leo Coaching: 

If you want to improve in the areas of health, wealth and/or relationships, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.

If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:

In the US: 

Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988

The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

Outside the US:

International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

In this episode:

• Learn why emotions are like storms and feelings are the stories we tell about them
• Discover how movement helps with emotions, while naming helps with feelings
• Explore a simple 3-step tool for when you're in crisis:

1. Name the feeling
2. Notice the story you're telling
3. Identify what you need right now

• Hear how this awareness can keep you grounded in your most overwhelming moments