The Leftover Pieces; Suicide Loss Conversations
You have found a podcast about surviving life after a suicide loss, which is nothing short of devastating, leaving you not knowing how to begin picking up the leftover pieces of your shattered heart. The host, Melissa Bottorff-Arey, who lost her 21-year-old son Alex to suicide on August 7, 2016, speaks to this from her own experiences. You will hear her have honest, hard conversations with other loss survivors, healers, and mental health experts on the podcast. She also produces shorter, solo episodes where she shares her own thoughts & experiences in this journey (thus far). She explores relevant topics and asks the hard questions. Nothing is 'off limit' as she delves into all areas of this grief, such as trauma, hope, healing, self-care, legacy & stigma. Melissa believes we learn to live alongside our grief, not get over it. We can make a difference only through authentic, meaningful connections and mindful choices. For a supporter or educator, these conversations hold nuggets of awareness and shine a spotlight on suicide and grief honestly and unapologetically. As a suicide loss griever, one can find the comfort of a community and hope for a little brighter tomorrow. Melissa wants to help others, like herself, go from surviving to finding a life with meaning, maybe even happiness, amid their own leftover pieces.
[Please NOTE: This podcast is for only relational, informational, and entertainment purposes. It candidly and openly discusses sensitive and sometimes activating topics. There will be no in-depth or graphic descriptions of the method, but merely the possible mention of suicide, murder, rape, and the like. Be guided and care for yourself accordingly. Also, Melissa is not a doctor or licensed therapist, and nothing on this podcast should be taken in place of, or as, medical/mental health advice or recommendations.]
The Leftover Pieces; Suicide Loss Conversations
"Are They Really Gone?; Alchemy of Science and Spirit"
Today I am sharing my conversation with Lenore Matthew PhD, MSW. She is a researcher/practitioner from the field of social work, as well as a young widow and a survivor of suicide loss of her husband. Prior to her loss, Dr. Matthew worked as an expert of advocacy and program evaluation for organizations across the globe, including the United Nations. She has presented her research and advocacy widely at institutions such as Harvard Medical School.
Since losing her husband, her interests have shifted to trauma and traumatic loss, and healing through a mind, body, and spirit connection. She recently established the Alchemy of Science and Spirit, a project that melds science and empirical data with the exploration of intuition and the afterlife, to heal trauma and grief. Upon losing her husband, Dr. Matthew's own intuitive gifts of psychic intuition and mediumship awoke, as she immediately began receiving messages from her husband from the afterlife.
She is currently training with leading mediums in the US and the UK, and aims to bring her mediumship into her healing practice as well as her advocacy, normalizing the less-talked about aspects of loss, including communicating with our loved ones in spirit.
AND Again ---> FIND HER HERE AT Alchemy of Science and Spirit
Some Links to things mentioned in our conversation:
The Forever Family Foundation Where science and spirituality work hand in hand to bring comfort to the bereaved
Laura Lynne Jackson - Author/Psychic Medium
Somatic Experiencing International
Dr Brian Weiss MD Author & Scientist
All things John Edward Psychic Medium
The Windbridge Research Center Studying Dying, death & what comes next
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AND ALWAYS ... THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT! It means the WORLD to me ... we are in this together!
As with everything you hear on my podcasts, please take that which serves you & leave the rest. I hope you will find something of value & I am so sorry that you need to be here, but so honored you are here.
Please reach out to me if you know of someone that I should talk to or if you yourself would like to have a conversation around the suicide loss and grief space. Instagram is probably still the best way to contact me or directly through email. I am already scheduling people into this Spring so it's not too soon to reach out!
Let's have a conversation Let's keep talking Let's be there for each other. Let's make a change. TALK SOON!
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out & talk to someone
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 on Instagram at The Leftover Pieces