Speaking
Fearlessly Always
Welcome to my blog!
This is the space where I share professional insights, personal stories, creative writing, and day-to-day reflections. My writing chronicles my living experiences and acts as a place where I can personally offer you professional expertise and best practice ideas.
I hope you will join my journey and stay in touch!
❤️
SUSIE 수지
I’m sitting behind a wall of tears waiting for the curtains to drop. My body aches to feel the release of emotion that would pour from the salty waters of […]
There are certain behaviors that, even if unintentional, can damage trust and harm those who disclose suicide-centered experiences. In the field of suicide prevention, there’s often guidance on what *not* […]
There are simple and effective behaviors that can deepen trust and offer support. The field of suicide prevention has long discussed what individuals should and shouldn’t do in response to […]
I forget people exist. Not always, but a lot.
I can’t tell anyone. I definitely can’t tell the people I love. They would find me callous and cold. I've heard that a lot over the years. They would assume they understand, but they would only see the surface and not the substance underneath. They wouldn't look at the pain it causes me to acknowledge this.
One day, all that will be left of me are these words.
My website will run its annual course, and the internet will eat me out of ethernet existence all because I didn't pay my dues. I won't have ever been anything more than a faded Facebook page, a languished LinkedIn, and a scattered social media presence that was nothing more than bits and bytes here and there.
Research indicates that youth involved in the child welfare system have higher rates of suicide ideation and attempts than their peers. During Suicide Prevention Month, the National Center for Adoption […]
There have been a lot of moments throughout my career where I have asked myself, ‘why am I doing this work?’ It’s not rewarding. It isn’t ever going to “pay […]
My recent keynote in St. Louis led to a quick interview by Voyage St. Louis magazine. Learn more about my journey, the work I’m doing right now, and how I […]
I used a bad word.
It will upset some.
The bad word shouldn't be read or said. But that doesn't stop it from existing.
My not saying the word doesn't make it less true. It doesn't change the fact that many have been taken for granted, tossed aside, or dismissed beyond the parts of them that were deemed useful. "We," the lived experience community, have sometimes outlived our use in professional spaces.
Delivered in Arkansas at a state peer (recovery/substance use prevention) conference on August 29, 2024. We need congruence, compelling approaches, and care on several levels. Sharing intimate details can be […]
I will never forget the established community leader who said, “That’s a waste of time. Everyone has tried it before you.” She looked at me like a young and inexperienced drifter, one who would be gone soon enough, on to something outside of community service.
[Content Warning: this post shares an intimate view of the author’s experience of suicide. It could be interpreted as glamorization. The post is intended to highlight the complex nature of […]