Compassion, Clarity, and Connection: Providing Comfort and Support at the Long-Term Survivors of Suicide Loss Summit

“Compassion, clarity, and connection” are just three of the words that come to mind when reflecting on this year’s Long-Term Survivors of Suicide Loss Summit. Held in Austin, Texas, from July 11^th through July 14^th, this was AFSP’s third time presenting this unique conference designed for long-term suicide loss survivors who have found healthy ways to integrate the experience of losing a loved one to suicide into their lives.

This conference, with the theme Living Our Story, is near and dear to my heart as I have either chaired or co-chaired each of these special gatherings that have previously been held in Chicago in 2016, and Cleveland in 2022. My co-chair, Tammi Ginsberg, along with a committee comprised of national AFSP staff, members of the Loss and Healing Council, and local Texas volunteers knew that we had planned an amazing program. Even so, the reality of it far exceeded our expectations and truly filled our hearts.

Attendees were welcomed on Thursday with an Opening Reception and the excitement around the weekend was evident from the very beginning. Friday started out with a warm welcome from Dr. Christine Yu Moutier, Chief Medical Officer for AFSP and an enthusiastic supporter of suicide loss survivors. Dr. Moutier was followed by keynote speaker David Kessler, one of the world’s foremost experts on grief. David spoke on Releasing the Pain of Grief, Guilt and Trauma and offered a number of techniques and strategies to help with releasing guilt and shame in order to encourage post-traumatic growth. Next up was Amy Grosso, who serves on the Chapter Leadership Council and as a board member of the Central Texas Chapter. Amy gave a fantastic presentation on the importance of setting boundaries — a fresh look at self-care that really resonated with me! Before breaking for lunch, attendees were given an overview of the Open Art Studio they could access during the weekend and were introduced to a powerful journaling activity: Six Word Stories.

Friday afternoon consisted of fourteen different breakout sessions which focused on the unique needs of loss survivors who are further along on their grief journey. The day ended with another powerful plenary session by Sarah Gaer, a suicide loss survivor and Suicide Prevention Specialist. Her presentation, Beyond the Brain: Soul Exhaustion and Soul Care, explored how the soul, the essence of who we are as human beings, is impacted by the experience of suicide loss and grief.

Saturday brought us back together to hear from Chris and Martha Thomas on Turning Pain into Purpose: The Story of the Defensive Line. In the six years since losing their daughter, Ella, to suicide, they have made it their mission to help prevent youth suicide, “especially for young people of color, by transforming the way we communicate and connect about mental health.” The rest of the day, attendees were able to attend a wide variety of breakout sessions that included such topics as Who Am I Now? : Reflections on Identity and Loss, Grief & Vulnerability, Men Talk: Men Heal and experiential experiences like a drumming circle, sound bath and dance movement. Other highlights from Saturday included a panel discussion on Culture and Suicide Loss, an Author’s Meet and Greet, and Sharing Circles in which individuals with the same type of loss relationship (i.e. parent, partner, child, sibling) could connect on a deeper level. Saturday evening culminated in an Austin-style barbeque dinner with entertainment by Casey McPherson, a gifted musician/songwriter who himself is a loss survivor, having lost his father and brother to suicide.

Sunday morning came way too quickly, as it meant the conference was winding down. The attendees were given an opportunity to reflect on their summit experiences and share their thoughts and takeaways. We took a group photo of everyone wearing their #LivingOurStory t-shirts and enjoyed a fun and wonderfully healing Soulshine Rhythm/Drumming Experience. The final element of the closing was an Honor Bead Ceremony in which representatives placed colored beads around a candle to indicate their connection to the person they have lost and a guided meditation led by Tammi Ginsberg, in which attendees wore special bead colors indicating their connection to the person they have lost.  With that, this amazingly inspirational and rejuvenating conference came to an end.

I am so appreciative of the different opportunities my volunteer work with AFSP has provided me, and for having the honor of meeting so many incredible people: other loss survivors, people with lived experience, and people who are generally making the world a better place. As a self-proclaimed “professional volunteer,” I’ve been able to turn my pain into purpose and create meaning from my tragic loss.

This year’s conference was definitely a success and I’m eternally grateful to AFSP, the entire planning committee and the inspirational speakers/presenters who all came together to offer an experience that was full of connections, healing and hope. I can’t wait for the next Long-Term Survivors of Suicide Loss Summit, and encourage anyone who’s a long-term survivor of suicide loss to consider attending. You will gain more than you could ever imagine…

Click here to learn more about AFSP resources for survivors of suicide loss.