Jay has the ability to make everyone feel completely safe and comfortable. He sets a tone where everyone's opinion is respected. He gives people the freedom and courage to speak their minds, ask questions, and share their most intimate thoughts. If you have a chance to join such a group, jump at it. - B.R., Colorado
Group Support & Psychoeducation
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MANY SUICIDE LOSS SURVIVORS also attend grief support groups, with varying results. Studies have found, for example, that "general" bereavement groups, focused on grieving a natural or accidental death, tend to be the least helpful. Suicide grief is different. We need to talk about things that make others uncomfortable. Suicide-specific support can be transformative.
Nationwide emotional support groups for suicide loss survivors, both free and for a fee, can be found on the website of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). I encourage you to explore available groups, online or within driving distance, and reach out to those that you might find beneficial. |
Personally, I have hosted a number of in-person and online support groups for suicide loss survivors at the Longmont Senior Center and on AFSP.org, including Poetry Therapy groups and an experimental Why Question group. If you're looking for something distinctly different, you might consider the alternative suicide bereavement support group below, starting soon.
Monthly Drop-In Support Group: April-May 2025
Alternative Practices for Suicide Bereavement
Third Sunday of each month, November 2024 - May 2025, 3-5 p.m. Mountain.
Note: This is an online group only now.
WHAT TO EXPECT: This is a distinctly different sort of suicide grief support group, providing a unique alternative to traditional, open-ended conversational groups with little to no agenda.
Since last November, I have offered two sessions on Poetry Therapy, and two sessions on Mindfulness-Based Practice. For the next two months, I'm offering sessions on Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). I drew upon all three of these evidence-based modalities, personally, to survive the grief and trauma of my own daughter’s suicide in 2018.
Each monthly two-hour session will include a bit of psychoeducation, writing exercises, guided practices, and questions for reflection and discussion. Please bring a journal or notepad to write on; these will be (gentle) “working” sessions.
REGISTRATION: This is a monthly drop-in group. You must sign up for each session you plan to attend. Registration closes 24 hours prior to each session, so please don't wait until the last minute. Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom link.
COST: $25, due at registration.
Please note: refunds will be issued only if I decide to cancel a session. Your contribution enables me to continue offering my services, since I receive no outside funding or philanthropic support like typical non-profit organizations that operate in this field. Thanks!
Note: This is an online group only now.
WHAT TO EXPECT: This is a distinctly different sort of suicide grief support group, providing a unique alternative to traditional, open-ended conversational groups with little to no agenda.
Since last November, I have offered two sessions on Poetry Therapy, and two sessions on Mindfulness-Based Practice. For the next two months, I'm offering sessions on Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). I drew upon all three of these evidence-based modalities, personally, to survive the grief and trauma of my own daughter’s suicide in 2018.
Each monthly two-hour session will include a bit of psychoeducation, writing exercises, guided practices, and questions for reflection and discussion. Please bring a journal or notepad to write on; these will be (gentle) “working” sessions.
REGISTRATION: This is a monthly drop-in group. You must sign up for each session you plan to attend. Registration closes 24 hours prior to each session, so please don't wait until the last minute. Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom link.
COST: $25, due at registration.
Please note: refunds will be issued only if I decide to cancel a session. Your contribution enables me to continue offering my services, since I receive no outside funding or philanthropic support like typical non-profit organizations that operate in this field. Thanks!
