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
As I have become seasoned, I have wondered what communication processes and sense-making might be found across “sharers,” or those who speak publicly about their personal experiences. I have considered my journey and the lessons I’ve learned and pondered if others have undergone similar learning. Do those of us who share our lived experience narratives engage in similar communication processes? Am I experiencing a journey that is only my own? Can we do a better job of communicating expectations to those who may be new to this arena? Can we provide lessons learned to those considering sharing? Can we positively influence the wellbeing of those who would share? In asking these questions, I realized what I wanted to know was what ethical considerations or best practices should be taken when deciding to disclose publicly.
People think personal stories are static. Maybe it’s because many of us wrote our English assignments in pen on paper—fewer today than years past, though. Or because we haven’t been […]
How many conversations have there been about including individuals with lived (and living) experience(s) over the years? As a field, the mental health space has prescribed answers for those of […]
Early in my prevention career, I attended an annual employee training. I was new with the company and had only met a handful of my coworkers at that time. The […]
Join the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for the newest episode of Elevating Voices for Long-Lasting Change, A Candid Conversation About Suicide in the AAPI Community! AFSP Vice President for Health […]
I was asked what happened to me so I could be studied and understood. The only problem was that the words they wrote didn’t sound like mine. I said a […]
If you want to stand out, you can talk shit about the folks who are forced to remain voiceless. They are the easiest ones to discuss. You know the ones. Well, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]