Suicide Awareness Month: Honoring Complexity, Holding Hope
By Jen Bennethum
September invites us to pause and reflect on the layered realities of suicide—its impact, its silence, and the courage it takes to speak about it. Suicide Awareness Month is not just about statistics or prevention campaigns. It’s about honoring the lived experiences behind the numbers, validating the grief that lingers, and creating space for healing conversations.
Naming the Unspoken
Suicide often carries a heavy cloak of shame. Families may struggle to talk about it. Survivors may feel isolated in their pain. Clinicians may wrestle with how to hold space without pathologizing. But silence doesn’t protect us—it isolates us. Naming suicide, gently and clearly, allows us to begin the process of meaning-making. It opens the door to ritual, remembrance, and reconnection.
Understanding the Landscape
Suicidal ideation exists on a spectrum. It can be passive (“I wish I didn’t wake up”) or active (“I’m thinking about how to end my life”). Both deserve attention. Both are signals of deep distress. Suicide is not a failure of strength—it’s often a response to unbearable emotional pain, compounded by isolation, trauma, or systemic barriers to care.
As therapists, we listen for the quiet cues. The “I’m tired” that carries more weight. The “I don’t know why I’m here” that echoes with despair. We validate. We assess. We collaborate. And we remind clients that their pain is real—and that help is possible.
Dismantling Shame and Stigma
Talking about suicide should not be taboo. Yet many people fear that even mentioning it will make things worse. In reality, open and compassionate dialogue can be lifesaving. Stigma thrives in silence. Shame festers in secrecy. When we speak openly about suicide, we challenge the myth that it’s a moral failing or a weakness. We affirm that emotional pain is real, that mental health deserves care, and that no one should suffer alone.
“If you put shame in a petri dish, it needs three ingredients to grow exponentially: secrecy, silence, and judgement.” Dr. Brene Brown
Whether you're a clinician, a parent, a friend, or someone navigating your own thoughts—know this: asking about suicide does not plant the idea. It opens the door to support. It says, “I see you. I care. You’re not alone.”
Suicide and Veterans: Honoring Invisible Wounds
Veterans carry unique burdens—moral injury, survivor’s guilt, systemic neglect, and the disorientation of returning to civilian life. Suicide rates among veterans remain alarmingly high, especially among those navigating PTSD, chronic pain, or homelessness. In a 2022 report the average suicide rate among veterans stated was 17 veterans a day in the US. Trauma-informed care for veterans must go beyond symptom management. It must include advocacy, cultural humility, and a deep respect for the stories that shaped their service.
We can honor veterans by listening without judgment, by challenging institutional barriers to care, and by creating spaces where their grief, rage, and resilience are welcome. Suicide prevention for veterans is not just clinical—it’s communal.
Rituals of Remembrance
For those grieving a suicide loss, traditional mourning rituals may feel insufficient or inaccessible. Creating personalized rituals—lighting a candle, writing a letter, planting something living—can offer a sense of connection and release. We can honor the complexity of the person, not just the way they died. We can hold space for anger, confusion, love, and longing—all at once.
Consider inviting clients to create a ritual that reflects their relationship with the person lost. A playlist. A shared meal. A walk in silence. These acts become bridges between memory and meaning.
Talking to Children About Suicide
One of the most tender responsibilities we carry as caregivers and clinicians is helping children make sense of difficult topics—including suicide. While it may feel counterintuitive to bring up something so heavy, silence can be more harmful than honest, age-appropriate dialogue. Children are perceptive. They notice emotional shifts, overhear conversations, and often sense when something is wrong, even if they don’t have the language to name it.
When talking to children about suicide, the goal is not to overwhelm them with detail, but to create a safe space for curiosity, emotion, and connection. Start by asking what they already know. Use clear, simple language. Avoid euphemisms like “went to sleep” or “passed away,” which can confuse or frighten young minds. Instead, you might say, “Sometimes people feel so sad or hopeless that they think about ending their life. That’s called suicide. It’s very serious, and there are people who can help.”
Validate their feelings. Let them know it’s okay to feel confused, sad, angry, or scared. Reassure them that they are safe and that it’s always okay to talk about hard things. If someone in their life has died by suicide, be honest about what happened in a way that matches their developmental stage. Offer space for questions, and be prepared to revisit the conversation over time.
For older children and teens, it’s important to normalize emotional struggles and talk openly about mental health. Let them know that suicidal thoughts are not uncommon, and that help is always available. Emphasize that talking to a trusted adult, therapist, or crisis line is a brave and important step. Model emotional literacy in your own life—naming feelings, asking for support, and practicing regulation.
Above all, remind children that they are never alone. That their feelings matter. That there is always someone who will listen.
Opening the Door to Dialogue
Promoting open conversations about suicide begins with how we show up. When we normalize emotional pain and speak about mental health in everyday language, we make it safer for others to share. Vulnerability is contagious—when we name our own struggles, we give others permission to do the same. Creating a container of safety means setting clear boundaries, offering grounding rituals, and honoring silence as much as speech.
Open-ended questions like “What’s been weighing on you lately?” or “What do you wish people understood about how you’re feeling?” invite depth and reflection. We don’t need to fix—we need to witness. Validation is a powerful balm. Responses like “That makes so much sense” or “I hear how heavy that feels” can shift the entire nervous system toward regulation.
Creative and somatic practices also support dialogue. Art prompts, movement metaphors, and ritual objects can help clients express what words cannot. A stone passed between speakers. A breath shared before speaking. These gestures remind us that healing is not just cognitive—it’s embodied.
For clinicians and advocates, psychoeducation is a key tool. Sharing facts about suicide and recovery in digestible formats—blog posts, handouts, social media—helps dismantle stigma. Cultural humility reminds us that identity and systemic barriers shape how people access support. And sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is hold space for silence, letting the body speak in its own time.
Resources
If you or someone you love is in crisis, help is available:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 to connect with trained counselors 24/7.
You can also visit 988lifeline.org for chat support and resources.
Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255. This connects veterans to responders trained in military culture.
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 to reach a counselor anytime.
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): Offers education, support groups, and advocacy tools for suicide prevention
NAMI’s Suicide Prevention Month resources
Holding Hope
Suicide prevention is not just about crisis intervention—it’s about building lives worth living. It’s about connection, purpose, and the slow, sacred work of healing. Whether you’re a clinician, a survivor, a loved one, or someone quietly struggling, know this: your story matters. Your presence matters. There is space for you here. Please feel free to reach out to us at Integrate Therapy and Wellness Collective and let us know how we can help walk with you on your journey.
