Best Paula Fontenelle Podcasts (2024)

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Ep. 116 - How parents can help kids at risk | Nicole and Caroline 25:20

2M ago25:20

25:20

My guests today are Nicole Siegfried and Caroline Nichols. In this interview, they help us figure out how parents and families can help kids who struggle with suicidal thoughts, ideation, and previous attempts. This interview is the fourth of a week-long series, during which I will be publishing at least one episode every day directly from the 57th…

1
Ep. 115 - Why are support groups healing? | Joan Hoff 31:57

2M ago31:57

31:57

My guest today is Joan Hoff. She has been facilitating loss groups for over thirty years, including support groups for children, families, and suicide loss survivors. Joan lost her husband to suicide and in this interview, she shares with us her experience with her own grief and why she believes in the healing power of groups. This interview is the…

1
Ep. 114 - When a therapist loses a client to suicide | Khara Croswaite 21:03

2M ago21:03

21:03

My guest today is the therapist Khara Croswaite and the topic is "When therapists lose a client to suicide." What does the grief look like? Who do we go to? What helps? What about the shame of sharing with colleagues that you have lost a client in this manner? Khara knows some of those answers because she recently lost a client to suicide and she h…

1
Ep. 113 - Teen bereavement | Joanne Harpel 24:31

2M ago24:31

24:31

My guest today is Joanne Harpel, president of Coping after suicide and executive producer of the film “Talking Out Loud: Teen suicide loss, a Conversation.” She lost her brother Stephen to suicide in 1993. Since then, Joanne has been working on prevention and postvention, particularly with support groups. Our focus today is teen bereavement, a topi…

1
Announcement: Daily episodes this week 2:09

2M ago2:09

2:09

This week, beginning tomorrow (Tuesday), I will be publishing at least one episode every day directly from the 57th conference of the American Association of Suicidology. Join me daily for interviews with key speakers, researchers, and loss survivors. Are you looking for an online suicide loss support group? Join mine: https://t.ly/gYW-G ⁠⁠ Find my…

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Ep. 112 - How can a partner help with grief? | Michelle Collins 47:25

4M ago47:25

47:25

After a series of losses, including the death of her mother and her husband’s suicide, Michelle Collins combined the tools she had collected as a yoga therapist and wellness coach and studies in positive psychology and neuroscience to turn post-traumatic stress disorder into post-traumatic growth and resilience. She is the author of two books: “Sur…

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Need an online suicide loss support group? 2:13

6M ago2:13

2:13

Are you looking for an online Suicide loss support group?We all know how heartbreaking this kind of loss is, and how we tend to isolate ourselves because we believe nobody will either listen to us or understand what we're going through. That’s when a support group can be a source of comfort, familiarity, and compassion, no matter where you are in y…

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Ep. 111 - He lost his mother at age seven | Dr. Richard Brockman 51:55

6M ago51:55

51:55

Richard Brockman is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Attending Clinical Psychiatrist at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. When he was seven years old he found his mother’s body after she died of suicide. This traumatizing experience re-shaped the narrative of his life. In his book,…

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Ep. 110 - Two sisters grieving their mother's suicide | Kristyna and Veronika 54:14

8M ago54:14

54:14

Kristyna and Veronika Delmar are from the Czech Republic and they lost their mother to suicide a little over a year ago. In this interview, they share with us the different paths they took to live through their grief. Kristyna tried to “learn" everything she could about the topic by reading books and trying to get in touch with people who were goin…

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Accepting new clients 1:04

10M ago1:04

1:04

From time to time, some of my listeners contacted me for therapy but in the past, I have not been able to accept new clients due to a lengthy waiting list. That has recently changed because I just opened my own practice, so I am taking new patients and have a few available spots. If you are searching for a therapist and you live in Oregon, in the U…

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Ep. 109 - Spirituality as a path to healing | Suzanne Anderson 1:06:14

10M ago1:06:14

1:06:14

Suzanne Anderson lost her husband David to suicide and with it, her life as she knew it. As it happens in many cases, after his death, she found out secrets he kept from her, so she had to rebuild not only her life but her internal experience of what they had shared and built together.In this interview, she shares her path and how her spiritual bel…

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Ep. 108 - Long COVID & suicide: a growing concern | Dr. Jim Jackson 43:49

11M ago43:49

43:49

Among specialists, there has been a growing concern about suicidal ideation among long COVID patients. In this interview, Dr. Jim Jackson shares his experience with long COVID patients and the struggles they experience when searching for answers, recognition, and proper treatment. Dr. Jim Jackson, PhD, is a neuropsychologist at Vanderbilt Medical C…

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Ep. 107 - He is a murder-suicide loss survivor | Michael 1:06:43

1y ago1:06:43

1:06:43

My guest today, Michael, is a murder-suicide survivor. Nine years ago, his wife took the life of their two daughters, Kennedy, 13, and Bella, 6 years old. Then, she took her own life. In this interview, Michael talks for the first time about his experience, the impact it had on his life, how he dealt with suicidal thoughts after his losses, and wha…

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Ep. 106 - Losing a husband to suicide | Alexandra Wyman 44:55

1y ago44:55

44:55

Alexandra Wyman lost her husband to suicide in August of 2020 and like many of us, she was numbed, in shock, then she was filled with questions. Now, almost three years later, she has found some answers, which she shares in her book "The Suicide Club: What to Do When Someone You Love Chooses Death.” In this interview, she talks about her journey, w…

1
Ep. 105 - Reducing social isolation in older adults | Laura Shannonhouse 23:11

1y ago23:11

23:11

Dr. Laura Shannonhouse, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at Georgia State University. In this interview, we talk about the results from her latest research regarding suicide among older adults. She wanted to know if a small dose of sincere connection would improve mental health outcomes in this population and the findings are shared with us in this…

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Ep. 104 - Where are we in field of suicidology? | Leeann Sherman 27:05

1y ago27:05

27:05

Leeann Sherman is the president of the American Association of Suicide Prevention, AAS. In this interview, we discuss the role of AAS in the field of Suicidology, her personal involvement in this area, how we’ve evolved in terms of stigma and empirical knowledge, and much more. This interview is part of a series that covers the American Association…

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Ep. 103 - Grief and soul exhaustion | Sarah Gaer 27:36

1y ago27:36

27:36

Sarah Gaer is a loss survivor and advocate who works with the concept of soul exhaustion. Her keynote today was a "wow" moment for me because it gave language to something most of us feel but have no way to describe. I'm sure many of you will feel similar when you hear what she has to say. This interview is part of a series that covers the American…

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Daily interviews this week during the American Association of Suicidology's Conference 9:48

1y ago9:48

9:48

This week, the American Association of Suicidology will hold its annual conference in Portland and I will be posting daily interviews, so come back every day because I will be talking about many topics of interest to you. Check the agenda of the conference here: https://bit.ly/3mAuEEq Find my book "Understanding Suicide: Living with Loss, paths to …

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Ep. 101 - A secret too heavy to carry | Marie Beckley 48:04

1+ y ago48:04

48:04

Marie lost her husband, Joe, in June 2020. They had been together for thirty years and were also business partners, so as you may imagine, after his death, she had to pick up the pieces of her life. In this episode, she shares her journey, including the family secret he kept from her for years and its impact on his mental health. “He could not come…

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Ep. 100 - A special guest for the 100th episode | Dr. Kirk Honda 1:45:09

1+ y ago1:45:09

1:45:09

On my 100th episode celebration, I interviewed Dr. Kirk Honda, a therapist and host of the podcast Psychology in Seattle. He has a Doctorate in Psychology, a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy, has been working as a psychotherapist since 1996, and he’s been a professor since 1998. In the first part of this interview, Kirk talks about his exper…

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Ep. 99 - My grief journey | Interview to Georgena Grace 53:00

1+ y ago53:00

53:00

This interview was given to Georgena Grace, CEO of the Integrated Wellbeing Institute. Georgena knows suicide from a personal perspective: she lost both her brother and son to suicide. She currently works with grief patients and trains mental health professionals. Find the Integrated Wellbeing Institute: https://integratedwellbeinginstitute.com/ Wa…

1
A request 1:34

1+ y ago1:34

1:34

This is a quick request: Could you please go to YouTube and subscribe to my channel? It’s called Understand Suicide. This way I can maybe monetize the channel and pay someone to edit the videos and audios. It would mean a lot to me and I would be able to do more interviews. As you know, I don’t have ads, sponsors, or Patreon, because I just never f…

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Ep. 97 - Loving someone with suicidal thoughts | Stacey Freedenthal 50:55

1+ y ago50:55

50:55

In this episode, I talk to Stacey Freedenthal, who just came out with a wonderful new book entitled "Loving Someone with Suicidal Thoughts: What Family, Friends, and Partners Can Say and Do.” I’m sure this will be tremendously helpful to those who have loved ones struggling with suicidal thoughts and ideation. Watch this interview on my YouTube Cha…

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Ep. 96 - Dealing with the holidays | Dr. Doreen Marshall 21:41

1+ y ago21:41

21:41

In this conversation, Dr. Doreen Marshal, Ph.D., vice President of Mission Engagement at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, talks about how to avoid - or at least diminish - stress during the holiday season. Doreen has a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Georgia State University and a master’s degree in Professional Counseling. I…

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Ep. 95 - He lost two sons within a year | Major Gen. Mark Graham 59:28

1+ y ago59:28

59:28

In this episode, Army Major General, Mark Graham talks to us about the loss of his two sons, Jeffrey and Kevin, one of them being of suicide. He tells us how his family dealt with the shock and pain brought up by Kevin’s suicide, how it affected each member of the family, and how they came together to heal from the compounded grief of losing both k…

1
100th episode reminder 0:53

1+ y ago0:53

0:53

Send questions and comments to understandsuicide@gmail.com--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paula-fontenelle/message

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Help me create episode 100! 3:01

2y ago3:01

3:01

We are reaching the 100th episode and instead of interviewing someone, you get to ask ME questions. Please send an audio recording with questions or maybe let me know how my podcast has touched your life. It would mean the world to me. The questions can be about the podcast (curiosities, specific interviews, etc), my life, the making of the podcast…

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Ep. 94 - The "S" Word, stories of attempt survivors | Lisa Klein 45:36

2y ago45:36

45:36

When Lisa Klein was 18 years old, she had already lost her father and brother to suicide, and as it often happens, she felt that their deaths had to be related to who she was: “My thought was that it was a reflection on me, that I wasn’t good enough” she says. Her family shut down, suicide was not discussed. “We couldn’t talk about it and I had so …

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Ep. 93 - Scattering CJ's ashes | Hallie Twomey and Ethan Oser 41:30

2y ago41:30

41:30

When her son CJ took his life at the age of 20, Hallie was numb, confused, and full of guilt. One day, she had an idea: Hallie put out an open call on Facebook asking people to help fulfill her son's wish to see the world by scattering some of his ashes in a place of beauty or special meaning. Her initiative touched the hearts of tens of thousands …

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Ep. 92 - Understanding bipolar disorder | Terri Cheney 50:04

2y ago50:04

50:04

The bestseller author Terri Cheney has struggled with bipolar disorder since childhood. In this amazing interview, she talks about decades of multiple misdiagnoses, which took a toll on her life and stopped her from receiving proper treatment, and her suicide attempts. One of the things I love about this conversation was her openness to sharing not…

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Ep. 91 - Sleep, mental health, and suicide - Nikolaj Høier 50:31

2y ago50:31

50:31

Nikolaj Høier is a researcher at The Danish Research Institute for Suicide Prevention (DRISP) in Copenhagen and at The Chronopsychiatry Research Group at The University of Edinburgh. His study looked at the association between sleep disorders and the risk for suicide. In this interview, Nikolaj talks about the impact of sleep deprivation on mental …

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Ep. 90 - Parents dealing with suicide loss | Kellie Woolf 48:07

2y ago48:07

48:07

In this interview, we discuss the many challenges couples face when dealing with this kind of loss. After the suicide of their son, Chris, in 2020, Kellie and her husband had to retrace their path forward. Through her story, she gives precious tips on how to work on the relationship and ways that help keep the family together after a tragic loss. K…

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Ep. 89 - Her son struggled with addiction, then died of suicide | Linda Morrison 58:55

2y ago58:55

58:55

Linda’s son, Mike, died of suicide in 2012 after years of struggling with addiction. As it’s often the case, his painful path affected the whole family, particularly the way they related to one another. Together, the family had to find a way to support Mike but also keep themselves healthy: "Ultimately, we came to understand that this was Mike’s pr…

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Ep. 88 - Mother and daughter share their loss | Jeanne and Thea 47:19

2y ago47:19

47:19

A few weeks ago, Thea contacted me asking to share her story: she had just lost her father to suicide and wanted to help families navigate this painful experience. Careful not to re-traumatize her, we agreed that it would be best if her mother participated because I wanted to add an extra layer of safety and protection for her. In this interview, m…

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Ep. 87 - Healing through service | Sgt Q 49:02

2y ago49:02

49:02

After coming back from deployment to Iraq, Aaron Quinonez struggled with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, but felt unsupported by the Veterans Administration. One of the questions he would ask himself was “Who am I now past this trauma? I had to understand that the person I was before didn’t exist anymore,” he shared. At the height of his help…

1
Ep. 86 - Gun violence and suicide | Andrew and Linda 55:13

2+ y ago55:13

55:13

Whenever we discuss gun violence in the United States, the conversation usually revolves around homicide, but here is a side of this important topic that goes untouched: 60% of deaths by guns are actually suicide, not homicide. Again, we chose to ignore the majority due to the stigma associated with it. In this episode, I talk to Linda Cavazos and …

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Ep. 85 - When pain is kept inside | Lori Prichard 37:23

2+ y ago37:23

37:23

Two years after the loss of her husband to suicide, the award-winning journalist, Lori Prichard says she still experiences confusion; At times, life feels overwhelming. In this honest interview, she tells us about Travis, his gentleness and generosity, as well as his history of depression, which had never been shared with her. “He wouldn’t let me i…

3y ago47:40

47:40

In light of the Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, I’ve started a short series where I interview fellow podcasters whose podcasts cover the field of mental health. Some of them are specifically about suicide, others are broad but are equally helpful in dealing with a personal crises. My main objective is to offer additional resources to my listene…

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