In this episode, hear Erin share about how for a long time she could not even say that her daughter died, let alone ‘ended her own life. Now  she is brave and not only talks about it, but she teaches yoga to help others heal their trauma and grief

Erin Burden is Canadian-born but her family moved to Botswana, Africa at 2 and she mostly was schooled in Bulawayo Rhodesia. For college, she went to South Africa. Having lost both parents by the time she was only 11, Erin’s sister became her guardian and she was brought up mostly in an all-girls boarding school. 

She became an entrepreneur in Transport Broking in 1989 and met her husband Charles through work. They worked together and soon got married and had 3 daughters. Dakota was the youngest, born in 1994. As a family, they left South Africa for the 1st time in 1997 and moved to Canada - only to return to South Africa by 2002. But Canada called to them and in 2008 they moved to Vancouver Island and have been there ever since. 

In 2018 Dakota died by suicide and after a month of barely surviving Erin chose to ‘get up and decided to continue the yoga studies they had begun together. She now teaches in person and has even started online as well. Erin considers herself both a teacher and student of yoga and loves to share with other grievers, trauma survivors, and beginners.

To this day, Erin credits yoga and prayer for getting her through the loss of Dakota. She knows her daughter is with Jesus and is grateful for that.  

ERINS IG Profile HERE - find lots of links in her daily posts!

HERE is her BIO LINK to all other things she offers!!

_______________________________________________ 

 My website "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is LIVE and that means my different SUPPORT SPACE Options are available and much more will be coming in 2022

Go DIRECTLY to my SUPPORT page here where yo9u will find ALL of the ways to connect and find support

My first two books (tools I am creating for you!) in the "Facing Life After Suicide" series are available on Amazon

If you, or someone you know, is struggling  with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out:
The National Suicide Lifeline is there for you

IN a crisis you can also TEXT--->
TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA
in Canada TEXT 686868
in the UK TEXT 85258

And Grievers, I am always here. You can find me   at The Leftover Pieces

Click to Send a Text or Voicemail to Melissa

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

The Leftover Pieces is Support for Life After Suicide Loss. Click links below

🎙 Leave me a message: Share a question, your story, or your person’s name for a future episode → theleftoverpieces.com/voicemail

Support After Suicide Loss

If you are grieving after suicide loss, you do not have to carry this alone.

Visit The Leftover Pieces for podcast episodes, grief support, resources, and ways to connect with Melissa’s work: https://theleftoverpieces.com 

or Join Melissa’s email list: https://theleftoverpieces.com/join

If you someone you love is in immediate crisis or may be in danger, please call or text 988 in the United States. You can also text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line

Today I go “down the rabbit hole” to talk about when those 'grief waves' hit me even years (over 5 & 1/2 years) after the loss of my son to suicide. Are they they different now or the same as in the early days?  

I talk about feeling your emotions - I believe it's the best way to
Even later - even forever - it is stil "ok" to cry and scream and miss then with ALL OF YOU ... there is NO F***ING TIMELINE for loving someone. BUT, how do the bad days or grief waves look later?? 
 
Here are a FEW of the 'resources' or suggestions that I offered, oor titles I mentioned, if you are interested:: 

Podcasts- 

• Coming Back  OR Grief Seeds (both by Shelby Forsythia
• Not Allowed to Die by Dan Maigler
• Good Mourning (by Imogen & Sally) 

Movies / Shows - (all are about healing in some fashion but have a hopeful message) 

• Hope Floats
• Nights in Rodanthe
• Chef 
• Surviving Death a Docuseries (Netflix) 
• The Starling (Melissa McCarthy)
• Rabbit Hole (Nicole Kidman)

Come with me “down the rabbit hole” every other week as I share my thoughts on topics surrounding life after suicide. On the other weeks, I release an episode where I have a conversation with a suicide loss survivor or perhaps an expert in a field connected to suicide loss.

_______________________________________________ 

 My website "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is LIVE and that means my different SUPPORT SPACE Options are available and much more will be coming in 2022

Go DIRECTLY to my SUPPORT page here where yo9u will find ALL of the ways to connect and find support

My first two books (tools I am creating for you!) in the "Facing Life After Suicide" series are available on Amazon

If you, or someone you know, is struggling  with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out:
The National Suicide Lifeline is there for you

IN a crisis you can also TEXT--->
TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA
in Canada TEXT 686868
in the UK TEXT 85258

And Grievers, I am always here. You can find me   at The Leftover Pieces

Click to Send a Text or Voicemail to Melissa

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

The Leftover Pieces is Support for Life After Suicide Loss. Click links below

🎙 Leave me a message: Share a question, your story, or your person’s name for a future episode → theleftoverpieces.com/voicemail

Support After Suicide Loss

If you are grieving after suicide loss, you do not have to carry this alone.

Visit The Leftover Pieces for podcast episodes, grief support, resources, and ways to connect with Melissa’s work: https://theleftoverpieces.com 

or Join Melissa’s email list: https://theleftoverpieces.com/join

If you someone you love is in immediate crisis or may be in danger, please call or text 988 in the United States. You can also text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line

Today I welcome Dan Maigler to the podcast. Dan is the mental health director for Paws for Patrick, a non-profit that connects people with mental health issues to Emotional Support Animals. Dan was Patrick's school social worker and when he died by suicide in May of 2020 it was devastating. Patrick's family starting Paws for Patrick has been incredibly healing for him and helped him endure the suicide of his own nephew Brian,  in January of this year (2022).

Dan is also a therapist in private practice and the host of the mental health podcast Not Allowed to Die where he explores listener questions about treatment and dilemmas his clients are facing.

Paws for Patrick is a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting young people to emotional support animals  (ESA's) and therapy animals to aid them as they live with mental illness. Utilizing their unique Wish Granter and Therapy Dog programs, they provide the funds and resources to bring the love of animals to the people who need it most. They also seek to raise awareness of mental illness and break the stigma that still exists. Patricks' animals, especially his beloved dog Cici, provided him with a sense of peace and love that no human could ever provide. This work can never bring Patrick back, and the pain of his loss will never go away, yet his memory and his legacy still lives on in the most profound way.

Dan's Podcast "Not Allowed to Die" can be found HERE

And some links directly to episodes I referenced -- but all of his episodes are great

HERE is the Suicidal Friends 101 episode

HERE is the episode on Emotional Support Animals FAQ's

HERE is the episode on the death of his nephew

You can find out more about Paws for Patrick HERE on their website

_______________________________________________ 

 My website "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is LIVE and that means my different SUPPORT SPACE Options are available and much more will be coming in 2022

Go DIRECTLY to my SUPPORT page here where yo9u will find ALL of the ways to connect and find support

My first two books (tools I am creating for you!) in the "Facing Life After Suicide" series are available on Amazon

If you, or someone you know, is struggling  with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out:
The National Suicide Lifeline is there for you

IN a crisis you can also TEXT--->
TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA
in Canada TEXT 686868
in the UK TEXT 85258

And Grievers, I am always here. You can find me   at The Leftover Pieces

Click to Send a Text or Voicemail to Melissa

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

The Leftover Pieces is Support for Life After Suicide Loss. Click links below

🎙 Leave me a message: Share a question, your story, or your person’s name for a future episode → theleftoverpieces.com/voicemail

Support After Suicide Loss

If you are grieving after suicide loss, you do not have to carry this alone.

Visit The Leftover Pieces for podcast episodes, grief support, resources, and ways to connect with Melissa’s work: https://theleftoverpieces.com 

or Join Melissa’s email list: https://theleftoverpieces.com/join

If you someone you love is in immediate crisis or may be in danger, please call or text 988 in the United States. You can also text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line

If you want to finally let go of your guilt after losing your loved one to suicide, then you should sign up for the Healing After Suicide Loss interview series.

Caro Brookings handpicked 20+ top experts, authors, and support providers from the suicide grief and loss space for this free interview series on how to let go of your guilt, find peace and move forward one day at a time.

And you can get access to all of it by clicking here. EVENT LINK

ABOUT CARO: 

Quite quickly after tragically losing her Mum to suicide in 2013, Caro realized that there is nowhere near enough support out there specifically for us suicide loss survivors. So she decided she needed to be the change she wanted to see in the world and became a suicide bereavement coach.

Caro is now a Certified NeuroCoach and also completed the ILCT Grief Coaching Course. She uses brain-based, science-backed methods, as well as drawing from her vast experience, to help her clients let go of their guilt, find peace and move forward.

Join her free private FB group: www.facebook.com/groups/healingaftersuicideloss

Or you can e-mail [email protected]

_______________________________________________ 

 My website "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is LIVE and that means my different SUPPORT SPACE Options are available and much more will be coming in 2022

Go DIRECTLY to my SUPPORT page here where yo9u will find ALL of the ways to connect and find support

My first two books (tools I am creating for you!) in the "Facing Life After Suicide" series are available on Amazon

If you, or someone you know, is struggling  with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out:
The National Suicide Lifeline is there for you

IN a crisis you can also TEXT--->
TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA
in Canada TEXT 686868
in the UK TEXT 85258

And Grievers, I am always here. You can find me   at The Leftover Pieces

Click to Send a Text or Voicemail to Melissa

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

The Leftover Pieces is Support for Life After Suicide Loss. Click links below

🎙 Leave me a message: Share a question, your story, or your person’s name for a future episode → theleftoverpieces.com/voicemail

Support After Suicide Loss

If you are grieving after suicide loss, you do not have to carry this alone.

Visit The Leftover Pieces for podcast episodes, grief support, resources, and ways to connect with Melissa’s work: https://theleftoverpieces.com 

or Join Melissa’s email list: https://theleftoverpieces.com/join

If you someone you love is in immediate crisis or may be in danger, please call or text 988 in the United States. You can also text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line

Lynn Brooks Lewis lost her son Daniel to suicide in August 2019,  and she has made the choice to not be consumed by the grief of her tragic loss. As a part of her healing process and to stay true to her choice, in addition to encouraging and inspiring other women with similar experiences, Lynn readily shares her grief story. In sharing her story, “I Choose to Live”, she talks about the positive impact self-love has on how she manages the grief and how she strives daily to move forward living an impactful and meaningful life.

She is a DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster), is the founder of TeaTime Chats with Lynn and is a From Grief To Gratitude Certified Grief Coach.

TeaTime Chats with Lynn is a non-clinical, informal space for adult women grieving the death of a loved one who find themselves feeling alone and stuck in their grief, to connect with other women who have similar experiences.

As a From Grief to Gratitude Certified Grief Coach, Lynn works with adult women who are grieving the death of a loved one. She encourages and guides them as they move from pain to peace, heartbreak to happiness and grief to gratitude at their own pace in a one-on-one setting.

She also offers talks centered around grief and self-love. She resides in Richmond VA, USA with her husband, Keith.

FIND LYNN HERE on Facebook 
_______________________________________________ 

 My website "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is LIVE and that means my different SUPPORT SPACE Options are available and much more will be coming in 2022

Go DIRECTLY to my SUPPORT page here where yo9u will find ALL of the ways to connect and find support

My first two books (tools I am creating for you!) in the "Facing Life After Suicide" series are available on Amazon

If you, or someone you know, is struggling  with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out:
The National Suicide Lifeline is there for you

IN a crisis you can also TEXT--->
TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA
in Canada TEXT 686868
in the UK TEXT 85258

And Grievers, I am always here. You can find me   at The Leftover Pieces

Click to Send a Text or Voicemail to Melissa

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

The Leftover Pieces is Support for Life After Suicide Loss. Click links below

🎙 Leave me a message: Share a question, your story, or your person’s name for a future episode → theleftoverpieces.com/voicemail

Support After Suicide Loss

If you are grieving after suicide loss, you do not have to carry this alone.

Visit The Leftover Pieces for podcast episodes, grief support, resources, and ways to connect with Melissa’s work: https://theleftoverpieces.com 

or Join Melissa’s email list: https://theleftoverpieces.com/join

If you someone you love is in immediate crisis or may be in danger, please call or text 988 in the United States. You can also text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line

Today I go “down the rabbit hole” to talk about CLARITY. Defined it is the quality of being coherent and intelligible OR the quality of being clear and easy to understand. Seems important vs the alternative or the opposite-ambiguity unintelligible or dimness-  qualities which I feel occupied much of the first years after loss and belong more to the Mad Hatter than Alice. How do we become Alice - well, the short answer is you have to go through Wonderland first. 

Clarity comes up a lot for me these days so I thought maybe you would like to hear from me on WHY it matters. HOW do I find it? WHAT do I do with it? Because just like almost every other thing in our life now, our perspective- our ability to find, & clarify reasons- is now so different after the loss of our loved one by suicide.  

Come with me “down the rabbit hole” every other week as I share my thoughts on topics surrounding life after suicide. On the other weeks, I release an episode where I have a conversation with a suicide loss survivor or perhaps an expert in a field connected to suicide loss.

_______________________________________________ 

 My website "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is LIVE and that means my different SUPPORT SPACE Options are available and much more will be coming in 2022

Go DIRECTLY to my SUPPORT page here where yo9u will find ALL of the ways to connect and find support

My first two books (tools I am creating for you!) in the "Facing Life After Suicide" series are available on Amazon

If you, or someone you know, is struggling  with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out:
The National Suicide Lifeline is there for you

IN a crisis you can also TEXT--->
TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA
in Canada TEXT 686868
in the UK TEXT 85258

And Grievers, I am always here. You can find me   at The Leftover Pieces

Click to Send a Text or Voicemail to Melissa

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

The Leftover Pieces is Support for Life After Suicide Loss. Click links below

🎙 Leave me a message: Share a question, your story, or your person’s name for a future episode → theleftoverpieces.com/voicemail

Support After Suicide Loss

If you are grieving after suicide loss, you do not have to carry this alone.

Visit The Leftover Pieces for podcast episodes, grief support, resources, and ways to connect with Melissa’s work: https://theleftoverpieces.com 

or Join Melissa’s email list: https://theleftoverpieces.com/join

If you someone you love is in immediate crisis or may be in danger, please call or text 988 in the United States. You can also text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line

Today I talk to Nicolette Popa - or Nic as she is known to everyone who loves her. She is my son Alex's best friend ... so this one hits at home and is so very special for me to share. Nic shares her story and journey after suicide loss and how it has impacted her life every day since. You won't want to miss her story - she even shares her own personal story of coming out this past year as a lesbian and how that plays into her family life (as she is married with 2 sons). She recognizes how depression and suicide as ever-present in the LGBTQ+ community and feels like sharing her story can make an impact there as well. She is bold and brave and yet still soft and quishy! I love her so much and just know you will too. 

You can find her dancing her way into everyone's heart at the link below on Tik Tok

Nicolette's TikTok account is amazingly real and unfiltered. I am so very proud of how she approaches her life with honesty and humor and great compassion. Alex would be so proud of her. I know he is looking in on her and her family often. AND - He would have LOVED TikTok!! 
___________________________________________________________________

My website "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is LIVE and that means my different SUPPORT SPACE Options are available and much more will be coming in 2022

Go DIRECTLY to my  SUPPORT page here where yo9u will find ALL of the ways to connect and find support

My first two books (tools I am creating for you!) in the "Facing Life After Suicide" series are available on Amazon

If you, or someone you know, is struggling  with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out:
The National Suicide Lifeline is there for you

IN a crisis you can also TEXT--->
TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA
in Canada TEXT 686868
in the UK TEXT 85258

And Grievers, I am always here. You can find me   at The Leftover Pieces

Click to Send a Text or Voicemail to Melissa

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

The Leftover Pieces is Support for Life After Suicide Loss. Click links below

🎙 Leave me a message: Share a question, your story, or your person’s name for a future episode → theleftoverpieces.com/voicemail

Support After Suicide Loss

If you are grieving after suicide loss, you do not have to carry this alone.

Visit The Leftover Pieces for podcast episodes, grief support, resources, and ways to connect with Melissa’s work: https://theleftoverpieces.com 

or Join Melissa’s email list: https://theleftoverpieces.com/join

If you someone you love is in immediate crisis or may be in danger, please call or text 988 in the United States. You can also text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line

Can it really happen to ANY family??  Unfortunately, many of us have discovered that answer. My guest in this episode knows this all too well herself.

Today I have a conversation with Janice "JJ" Joiner.  JJ, aka "the catcher of babies" (certified nurse midwife) spent her career as a women’s healthcare provider,  and is also a wife, mom, and “Honey” to her grandbabies! She says she now takes life "lone day at a time" since the loss of her beautiful son, Eric to mental illness that led to his suicide. JJ now hopes to work to help support others in this tragic space by normalizing the seeking of mental wellness just like we seek health for physical health.  She shares her story openly with this goal at the forefront.

"...Born in Charleston WV, she grew up traveling throughout Europe. When JJ was only 11 she read "Cherry Ames- Student Nurse" and wanted to be a nurse from that point on! She started as a Labor & Delivery and after 14 years moved on to Nursing and Midwifery. She feels like she spent much of her career participating in and promoting the healthcare of women  - her dream profession and along the way she and her (college sweetheart) husband built their own dream family - Katie, Eric, and JaneyGrace.  By all accounts, her kids were easy-going and successful in everything they endeavored to do....yet, despite daily prayers for their happiness and safety in this big world, there came a day that she realized despite a life of serving people,  delivering babies, volunteering and donating to charities...I was no better than anyone else in this world and my luck ran out and sadly it ran out on my boy..." - paraphrased straight from JJ

_______________________________________________ 

 My website "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is LIVE and that means my different SUPPORT SPACE Options are available and much more will be coming in 2022

Go DIRECTLY to my SUPPORT page here where yo9u will find ALL of the ways to connect and find support

My first two books (tools I am creating for you!) in the "Facing Life After Suicide" series are available on Amazon

If you, or someone you know, is struggling  with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out:
The National Suicide Lifeline is there for you

IN a crisis you can also TEXT--->
TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA
in Canada TEXT 686868
in the UK TEXT 85258

And Grievers, I am always here. You can find me   at The Leftover Pieces

Click to Send a Text or Voicemail to Melissa

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

The Leftover Pieces is Support for Life After Suicide Loss. Click links below

🎙 Leave me a message: Share a question, your story, or your person’s name for a future episode → theleftoverpieces.com/voicemail

Support After Suicide Loss

If you are grieving after suicide loss, you do not have to carry this alone.

Visit The Leftover Pieces for podcast episodes, grief support, resources, and ways to connect with Melissa’s work: https://theleftoverpieces.com 

or Join Melissa’s email list: https://theleftoverpieces.com/join

If you someone you love is in immediate crisis or may be in danger, please call or text 988 in the United States. You can also text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line

In today's "Down the Rabbit Hole" episode in life after a suicide loss, I talk about the NY Times article from this past week that has caused quite a stir amongst grievers and the therapeutic world alike. I take a shallow dive into the deep end on my thoughts (yes, it's just my opinion) and even I surprise myself a bit on where I land - well, at least where I might land (it's really too early to say!)

 What do you think? Take a look at the article HERE and tell me what you think. Good conversation - persistent and consistent conversation about these hard topics IS how we will make progress and move the needle. 

I do know that this is a lonely and helpless grief and that we need support, tools and other grievers to get through this successfully so, I have also included this LINK that takes you to the signing up space to get started in our very own "Picking up the Pieces" Community HERE. It's in the beginning phase so dive on in now and help to make it exactly what you need!

_______________________________________________ 

 My website "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is LIVE and that means my different SUPPORT SPACE Options are available and much more will be coming in 2022

Go DIRECTLY to my SUPPORT page here where yo9u will find ALL of the ways to connect and find support

My first two books (tools I am creating for you!) in the "Facing Life After Suicide" series are available on Amazon

The website again is  at www.theleftoverpieces.com

If you, or someone you know, is struggling  with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out:
The National Suicide Lifeline is there for you

IN a crisis you can also TEXT--->
TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA
in Canada TEXT 686868
in the UK TEXT 85258

And Grievers, I am always here. You can find me   at The Leftover Pieces

Click to Send a Text or Voicemail to Melissa

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

The Leftover Pieces is Support for Life After Suicide Loss. Click links below

🎙 Leave me a message: Share a question, your story, or your person’s name for a future episode → theleftoverpieces.com/voicemail

Support After Suicide Loss

If you are grieving after suicide loss, you do not have to carry this alone.

Visit The Leftover Pieces for podcast episodes, grief support, resources, and ways to connect with Melissa’s work: https://theleftoverpieces.com 

or Join Melissa’s email list: https://theleftoverpieces.com/join

If you someone you love is in immediate crisis or may be in danger, please call or text 988 in the United States. You can also text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line

Lindsey Doolittle is my guest today. She is the author of a children's book called "Goodnight Mr. Vincent Van Gogh". This book is illustrated by suicide loss survivors and was inspired by the questions of Lindsey's nieces and nephews after her husband - their uncle Brett - died by suicide in 2015.

Lindsey was a guest in Season 1 and while we touch base on some of the same topics - this is a very different conversation almost 2 years later - a lot happens, while some things do remain the same, in a few years! Hear us talk about her book and art exhibition both becoming short films along with many other elements of her journey as well as her plans for the future

LISTEN HERE to our first conversation in 2020

Find Lindsey, her book, and website plus some of the groups she supports here:

Get her children's book "Goodnight Mr. Vincent Van Gogh" here on Amazon. (This book is also a part of the permanent collection at the Vincent Van Gogh library in Amsterdam! :)

Above The Rug Advocate, Activist, Suicide Loss Survivor (Lindsey's website including links to her social media, etc)

Blue H.E.L.P Honoring the Loss of Police Officers who have died by Suicide

Through This Together (Online Support) A Journey Through Grief Together

SASS-MoKan Suicide Awareness Survivor Support serving Kansas & Missouri
_______________________________________________ 

 My website "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is LIVE and that means my different SUPPORT SPACE Options are available and much more will be coming in 2022

Go DIRECTLY to my SUPPORT page here where yo9u will find ALL of the ways to connect and find support

My first two books (tools I am creating for you!) in the "Facing Life After Suicide" series are available on Amazon

If you, or someone you know, is struggling  with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out:
The National Suicide Lifeline is there for you

IN a crisis you can also TEXT--->
TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA
in Canada TEXT 686868
in the UK TEXT 85258

And Grievers, I am always here. You can find me   at The Leftover Pieces

Click to Send a Text or Voicemail to Melissa

Support the show

__________________________________________________________________________

The Leftover Pieces is Support for Life After Suicide Loss. Click links below

🎙 Leave me a message: Share a question, your story, or your person’s name for a future episode → theleftoverpieces.com/voicemail

Support After Suicide Loss

If you are grieving after suicide loss, you do not have to carry this alone.

Visit The Leftover Pieces for podcast episodes, grief support, resources, and ways to connect with Melissa’s work: https://theleftoverpieces.com 

or Join Melissa’s email list: https://theleftoverpieces.com/join

If you someone you love is in immediate crisis or may be in danger, please call or text 988 in the United States. You can also text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line