You have given me comfort, strength and peace because you've suffered the same loss that I have. - H.B., father who lost a son to suicide, Michigan

Scientist, Writer, Speaker, Educator, Therapist & Suicidologist

Jay E. Valusek, M.S., M.Ed.

AFTER A SUCCESSFUL CAREER as a scientist and award-winning writer, I decided to commit myself to a new path as a healthcare professional. I had been pursuing many passions for years.

For example, I had developed a vibrant life story writing program; led retreats and classes in contemplative practices and poetry; facilitated philosophical discussion groups; published three memoirs, including one about existential grief; studied Buddhist death meditation; taught mindfulness meditation to people with chronic stress, pain, illness, and depression; started a private practice in health & wellness coaching and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, and was employed at a local hospital serving low-income patients and older adults.

I have worked with hundreds of people suffering from physical, psychological, and social pain.

Jay has vision, tremendous energy, and a wry sense of humor. I benefited from his open, welcoming, and accepting style. A deeply energizing and gratifying experience. - D.P., positive psychology coaching client, Illinois

For almost three years, I was employed by the Integrative Medicine clinic at Longmont United Hospital as a chronic pain self-management coach, educator, and psychotherapist. In 2018, I had just been awarded a $46,250 grant to fund an innovative new clinical research study that I had designed for opioid users when, tragically, my daughter killed herself. And my whole life went off the rails.

In the aftermath of Beth's suicide, I was forced to reevaluate everything from the ground up. I had to decide what to keep, what to let go, and what, if anything, would make life worth living again. Due in part to the demands of grief, I resigned from the hospital, took time to heal and returned to private practice. During the pandemic, I took a long sabbatical to research and write a book about Beth's life and death, which I published in November 2022.

I lost a friend to suicide and the haunting 'why' took a long time to learn to live with. Reading your unflinching account of Beth's story helped me deeply. I feel like I understand my friend's unseen journey a little better now. - C.H., Colorado

TODAY, I'M FOCUSED PRIMARILY on supporting suicide loss survivors and helping them make sense of, and recover from, the loss of a friend or loved one to suicide, as I have.

Drawing on my background in science, pain management, and high-tech communications, I'm working on a new book on Social Pain & Suicide, in which I aim to synthesize, simplify, and explain the hidden scientific consensus on why people kill themselves (see Home).

In addition,  I'm keen to give talks, keynote speeches and educational presentations, and host innovative support groups and trainings for loss survivors, mental health professionals, and non-profits engaged in suicide prevention and/or postvention.

TED-style talk, Summit County, CO, Sept. 2024.

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Selected Credentials

Licensing & Certifications

• Certified Positive Psychology Coach (CPPC), certified by Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener; trained in the psychology of strengths by The VIA Institute, in foundations of coaching by MentorCoach LLC, and in additional positive psychology applications and skills by Positive Acorn LLC.
• Non-Licensed Counselor #NLC 107288, Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies; exp. Aug. 31, 2025; legally authorized to practice psychotherapy in the state of Colorado. Note: A non-licensed counselor is a mental health professional who has not fully met the state's requirements for licensing, but has acquired a different suite of knowledge and skills through professional training, education, self-directed learning, and life experience.
• MBTI® Certified Practitioner, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Steps I and II; trained by Consulting Psychologists Press and Assoc. for Psychological Type International; my preferences: INFP.

Professional Trainings

• The Neuroscience of Grief, a 1-day training taught by Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor, author of The Grieving Brain (2022)
  
• Clinical Work with the Suicide Bereaved, a 1-day training program  taught by Vanessa McGann, PhD, of the American Association of Suicidology
• Principles of Prolonged Grief Disorder Therapy, a 1-day training led by psychologists on staff at Columbia University's Center for Prolonged Grief
• Facilitating Suicide Bereavement Support Groups, a self-study program created by Dr. John Jordan, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
• Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), 7 intensive 1-2 day courses by the Denver Center for SFBT and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Association
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), 2 levels of instructor training, including Practicum, by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn and senior staff from the Center for Mindfulness, University of Massachusetts Medical School
• Contemplative Group & Retreat Leadership, 1-year training program with 2 residencies, by Dr. Gerald May, Rev. Dr. Tilden Edwards, and Sr. Rose Mary Dougherty of the Shalem Institute​

Graduate Education

• M.Ed., Adult Education & Training, College of Health and Human Sciences, Colorado State University; completed two independent research studies, including one on the impact of informal meditation on mindfulness in daily life; electives in mental health counseling theory and practice, the psychology of happiness, and career counseling 
• Contemplative Psychotherapy, Naropa University; underwent graduate coursework in human development, community building, Buddhist psychology, and the dynamics of career transition; received extensive training in mindfulness, metta, and other forms of Buddhist meditation 
• M.S., Earth Science, Department of Geology, Colorado School of Mines; received a full tuition scholarship, with teaching and research assistantships funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation; taught earth science laboratory courses to over 300 undergraduate students

 NOTE: I am a member of the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Colorado​ (SPCC); the Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Association (SFBTA), where I served on the board; and the Open Path Psychotherapy Collective, a therapy site designed for lower income clients.

​Studies I have conducted and papers I have written may be found on ResearchGate, an international forum for scientists and researchers. For more about my unusual background, visit my LinkedIn profile, where I post regularly on topics related to suicide. Finally, despite my training, education and expertise, I will always be first and foremost a dad who lost his beloved daughter to suicide. 

My LinkedIn Profile

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Selected Publications & Presentations

Valusek, J.E. "How I Survived My Daughter's Suicide," TED-style talk at first annual "Walk With Hope" for suicide loss survivors and attempt survivors, Building Hope, Summit County, CO, September 15, 2024.

Valusek, J.E. "The Why Question: Making Sense of Suicide," keynote presentation at the Annual Memorial Ceremony for suicide loss survivors, SpeakUp ReachOut, Eagle County, CO, World Suicide Prevention Day, September 10, 2023.

Valusek, J.E. "The Why Question & the Healing Power of Narrative," presentation at the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Colorado (SPCC) Bridging the Divide Conference, Colorado Mountain College, Glenwood Springs, CO, May 18, 2023.

Valusek, J.E., Girl of Light & Shadow: A Memoir of My Daughter, Who Killed Herself. Light, Cloud & Darkness Books (2022).

Valusek, J.E., "Solution-Focused Chronic Pain Self-Management Education: A Pilot Study," Journal of Solution-Focused Practices, July 1, 2021.

Valusek, J.E., "Solution-Focused Chronic Pain Self-Management: A Biopsychosocial Alternative to Opioids," presentation at Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Association (SFBTA)  Conference, Boulder, CO, November 9, 2018.

Valusek, J.E., "A Change in Focus: Self-Management of Chronic Illness," keynote presentation at Lymphedema Awareness Day, Longmont United Hospital, Longmont, CO, March 3, 2018.

Valusek, J.E., "Is Informal Meditation Sufficient to Cultivate Mindfulness in Daily Life?", research study submitted to Mindfulness Journal, January 10, 2013.

Valusek, J.E., The Secret Sorrow: A Memoir of Mourning the Death of God. iUniverse (2010).

Valusek, J.E. "Leave Me Alone", "The Molten Core", and "Penetrating Every Cell", poems, Tiferet Journal, Issue 4 (2006).

Valusek, J.E. "My God is Dark: A Half Century of Apophatic Chapters," Tiferet: A Journal of Spiritual Literature, Issue 3 (2005).

Valusek, J.E., Museum of Voices: An Autobiographical Miscellany. iUniverse (2004).

Laucik, S.A. (pseudonym), Darkness & Dreams: A Spiritual Journey Through Separation and Divorce. iUniverse (2000).