July 11–14, 2024 • Austin, Texas

• Sessions will begin on Friday, July 12th at 9am CT and will continue through Sunday, July 14th, 2024, at noon in Austin, Texas 
• Downright Austin, A Renaissance Hotel (formerly Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol): 701 East 11th Street, Austin Texas, 78701

If you have any questions about the summit, please email [email protected].

This is the only conference of its kind, best suited for long-term loss survivors who have found healthy ways to integrate the experience of losing a loved one to suicide into their lives. The conference features workshops, expert-led discussions, and social activities exploring how grief evolves over time.

While it can be challenging to define long-term loss survivors solely in terms of time since their loss, most attendees of this conference will be five or more years beyond the date of their loved one’s suicide. Those suicide loss survivors who have engaged in support groups, counseling or other coping strategies will learn ways to increase their support, connect with other long-term loss survivors, and find ways to further understand their loss as a part of their life’s journey.

Presentations focus on the needs of long-term survivors through a variety of mediums and include insight from leading clinicians in the field of suicide loss.

Conference Highlights:

Keynote by David Kessler                                      

David Kessler is one of the world’s foremost experts on grief and loss. His experience with thousands of people on the edge of life and death has taught him the secrets to living a happy and fulfilled life, even afterlife’s tragedies. He is the author of six books, including the new bestselling book, Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief. He coauthored two books with Elisabeth Kubler Ross, including On Grief and Grieving. For most of his life, David has taught physicians, nurses, counselors, police, and first responders about the end of life, trauma, and grief. However, despite his vast knowledge on grief, his life was turned upside down by the sudden death of his twenty-one-year-old son. It inspired him to write his newest book, Finding Meaning. He is the founder of www.grief.com which has over five million visits yearly from 167 countries.

Plenaries

Beyond the Brain: Soul Exhaustion and Soul Care
Sarah Gaer       

Throughout the history of humanity and within every known culture there has been the concept of the Soul. Yet, over the last century or so, its value has lost much ground. For many people, the idea of the soul, the essence of "who" they are, resonates deeply and yet, has been significantly diminished by the medical model of mental health. This keynote will bring the concept of the soul back to the forefront of discussion regarding how we conceptualize ourselves, others, our world, and mental health. Perhaps most importantly, we will also explore how the soul, the essence of who we are as human beings, is impacted by the experience of suicide loss and grief.

Turning Pain into Purpose: The Story of The Defensive Line
Chris & Martha Thomas

On January 23, 2018, Martha, Chris, and Solomon Thomas lost their daughter and sister Ella Elizabeth Thomas to suicide. Over the last six years, that story of profound loss and grief evolved into The Defensive Line, whose mission is “To end the epidemic of youth suicide, especially for young people of color, by transforming the way we communicate and connect about mental health.” In this plenary, Chris and Martha Thomas will share their family’s journey of turning pain into purpose and founding The Defensive Line.

Sessions Include

• A to Z Grief Healing Technique: Practice different grief healing exercises and tools with Lori Jark from the book, A to Z Healing Toolbox: A Practical Guide for Navigating Grief and Trauma with Intention by Susan Hannafin-MacNib.

• The Second Word: Participate in a discussion about how to confront the centuries-old stigma around “mental illness” and speak openly and honestly about suicide losses.

• Finding My Voice...How I Became a Suicide Prevention Speaker: Share stories about being vocal about suicide loss after learning about the different grief journeys the presenter has taken.

• Murder/Suicide: The healing process after a murder-suicide can be especially hard for the families of the responsible person to navigate as they may face social isolation, fear for their safety, and intense media presence. Simultaneously, they are also grieving the loss of their loved one, trying to make sense of it all, and potentially experiencing a sense of guilt.

• Who am I now? Reflections on Identity and Loss: Participate in a discussion and reflection about the impact of suicide loss on a person’s identity, as well as how these changes in identity affect the grieving and healing processes. 

• His Living Legacy: Healing and Posttraumatic Growth after Suicide Loss: Discuss what posttraumatic growth and healing means after a suicide.

• Continuing Journey; Your Story Now: Participants will have an opportunity to examine where they are in their grief journey, where they want to be, and ways to continue moving along on their healing path. 

• Men Talk: Men Heal: A “safe space” for men to discuss the unique challenges they face regarding mental health and grief.

• Suicide and The Other Side: Discuss our connection to spirituality and what happens when our soul leaves this plane and goes to “the other side”.

• Tragedy: How to Reclaim Hope by Telling Your Story: Learn how storytelling can help manage difficult situations and feelings. Participants will walk away with the tools to begin telling their stories in whatever form most resonates with them.

• HealthRHYTHMS Therapeutic Drumming: Harness the power of group drumming to promote connection, support cognitive function, encourage self-expression, and inspire engagement. 

• Survive Suicide Loss. Yes You Can.: Gain an understanding of the complexities of death by suicide and how to move through your loss using Peggy Green’s Four Cornerstones of Healing.

• Breaking the Silence: Learn tips and tools for starting conversations about suicide within families.

• Four Phases of Suicide Loss - Tailoring Individual Healing: Discuss Journey Thru Grief’s four phases of suicide loss and unpack the importance of tailoring bereavement resources to each individual in order to facilitate healing.

• Suicide Loss and The Soul: Learn about and reflect on the impact of suicide loss on your deeper self, often referred to as the soul.

• Advocacy and Action as Suicide Loss Survivor: Workshop ways to get involved in advocacy as a long-term loss survivor.

• The Journey of Loss, Love, and Hope - How in Supporting Others, there are True Gifts to Receive: Engage in dialogue about how long-term loss survivors can search for hope and meaning after their loss.

• JourneyDance - Transforming Grief through Movement: Release tension and create space for transformation and healing through guided movement.

Additional Offerings

• Sound Bath
• Drum Circle
• Art Therapy Room
• Sharing Circles