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of the Survivor: Continuing Bonds, 2023 Intuition, Imagination and Innovation in Suicidology Conference
Storytelling and Healing for People
Bereaved by Suicide
Invited lecture · Sally Spencer-Thomas
Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas holds a deep commitment to not only help prevent su-
icide, but also to encourage people to sustain a passion for living. As a clinical
psychologist, mental health advocate, and researcher, she sees the issues from
many perspectives. Her heart, however, is called, and her dedication to the missi-
on unwavering due to the suicide death of her brother. Her goal is to give voice to
people who have lived through depression, addiction, and the impacts of suicide
and leverage their wisdom to develop bold, gap-filling strategies and program-
mes – approaches that empower cultural and systems change in our workplaces,
education systems and communities. Internationally she is a Farberow Award re-
cipient and currently Sally is the president of United Suicide Survivors Internatio-
nal. She is an accomplished speaker with a popular TEDx talk and a White House
address to her credits.
Abstract. Too many people bereaved by suicide feel alone in a ‘Canyon of
Why.’ What are ways we can support people in their time of grief and trau-
ma and help them turn their pain into purpose? In the first part of the pre-
sentation, Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas will share grief and trauma recovery pa-
thways through the devastation that the tsunami of suicide leaves behind.
She begins by sharing her personal story of the trials and tribulations she fa-
ced after losing her brother to suicide. She then helps participants appreciate
the complexities that arise after a suicide and shares research on ‘continuing
bonds’ after suicide. For the second part of the presentation, she argues that
storytelling can be a powerful meaning-making tool for people bereaved by
suicide. At the heart of any community change effort are the stories. The ba-
sic narrative is this: ‘This is me. This is how my life and others like me have
been systematically destroyed. This is how I see change is possible.’ We are
hardwired for storytelling – stories move our hearts and build community. As
part of a suicide prevention and mental health promotion strategy they let
others know they are not alone and collectively, they can tell a powerful tale
of hope, recovery and change.
https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-293-251-0.4 13
Storytelling and Healing for People
Bereaved by Suicide
Invited lecture · Sally Spencer-Thomas
Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas holds a deep commitment to not only help prevent su-
icide, but also to encourage people to sustain a passion for living. As a clinical
psychologist, mental health advocate, and researcher, she sees the issues from
many perspectives. Her heart, however, is called, and her dedication to the missi-
on unwavering due to the suicide death of her brother. Her goal is to give voice to
people who have lived through depression, addiction, and the impacts of suicide
and leverage their wisdom to develop bold, gap-filling strategies and program-
mes – approaches that empower cultural and systems change in our workplaces,
education systems and communities. Internationally she is a Farberow Award re-
cipient and currently Sally is the president of United Suicide Survivors Internatio-
nal. She is an accomplished speaker with a popular TEDx talk and a White House
address to her credits.
Abstract. Too many people bereaved by suicide feel alone in a ‘Canyon of
Why.’ What are ways we can support people in their time of grief and trau-
ma and help them turn their pain into purpose? In the first part of the pre-
sentation, Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas will share grief and trauma recovery pa-
thways through the devastation that the tsunami of suicide leaves behind.
She begins by sharing her personal story of the trials and tribulations she fa-
ced after losing her brother to suicide. She then helps participants appreciate
the complexities that arise after a suicide and shares research on ‘continuing
bonds’ after suicide. For the second part of the presentation, she argues that
storytelling can be a powerful meaning-making tool for people bereaved by
suicide. At the heart of any community change effort are the stories. The ba-
sic narrative is this: ‘This is me. This is how my life and others like me have
been systematically destroyed. This is how I see change is possible.’ We are
hardwired for storytelling – stories move our hearts and build community. As
part of a suicide prevention and mental health promotion strategy they let
others know they are not alone and collectively, they can tell a powerful tale
of hope, recovery and change.
https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-293-251-0.4 13
