Peers to Pillars

"In a place where I have always felt alone, I'm not alone."

Hello! Welcome to Peers to Pillars, a podcast where we share stories of support and recovery after suicide. Our very first episode! We are joined by Nikki Alonso-Scott, Board President of ⁠Pillar⁠, who lost her mom to suicide 25 years ago. She takes us back to those very early days of grief and walks us through the ups and downs, bringing us to where she is today...which involved a total career change! At age 47 she went back to school and is now working as a therapist in the Nashville, TN area, specializing in complex trauma, grief/loss, suicide loss survivors, attachment trauma, relational trauma, BIPOC/AANPI, and LGBTQIA+ issues: ⁠https://www.opendoorcounselingtn.com/⁠

Other supports local to the Nashville area:

⁠https://tspn.org/⁠

⁠https://www.fcsnashville.org/⁠

⁠https://namidavidson.org/⁠

National resources:

⁠https://www.pillar-peer.org/⁠

⁠https://988lifeline.org/⁠

⁠https://www.crisistextline.org/⁠

⁠https://allianceofhope.org/⁠

⁠https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/⁠

Andrea Gibson poem:

"It is absolutely possible

to make a clearing of the fog.

Keep asking yourself

the question -

'What love can I make

of this loss?'"

In this episode:

00:00 Introduction to Peers to Pillars Podcast

03:55 The Importance of Sharing Stories

06:15 Nikki's Personal Journey of Loss

11:40 Finding Support and Community

16:22 Navigating Grief and Trauma

21:50 The Role of Therapy in Healing

27:30 The Power of Connection in Therapy

32:47 Combining Peer Support and Professional Help

34:48 The Role of Medication in Healing

36:19 Understanding Therapy and Finding the Right Fit

38:18 Cultural Considerations in Therapy

39:45 The Importance of Connection in Therapy

41:07 Building Trust and Rapport with Therapists

44:00 The Power of Peer Support

45:52 Navigating Grief and Loss

47:15 The Journey of Healing and Self-Discovery

53:48 Words of Comfort for New Survivors

57:33 Honoring Our Loved Ones and Their Legacy

01:02:10 Introduction and Acknowledgments

01:02:19 Local Resources and Support

01:02:47 Future Episodes and Community Engagement

Follow ⁠Pillar⁠!

⁠Instagram: @pillar_peer⁠

⁠Facebook: Pillar - Peer Support After Suicide⁠

⁠YouTube: @Pillar-Peer⁠

Please support this podcast by subscribing and sharing with others who have experienced suicide and need to know they are not alone. We are so glad you are here with us so that we can move along, forward, together.