Survived to Thrive - Life After Suicide Loss Podcast

Amy Miller
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Mental Health
  • Daily

Survived to Thrive: Life After Suicide LossReal conversations, practical tools, and HOPE for suicide loss survivors. Losing someone you love to suicide changes everything. The grief can feel overwhelming, the questions can seem endless, and the path forward can feel impossible to navigate. But even after unimaginable loss, there is hope. And you don't have to figure it all out alone. Welcome to Survived to Thrive: Life After Suicide Loss, a podcast dedicated to helping suicide loss survivors navigate grief, rediscover themselves, and learn how to live a meaningful, fulfilling life while continuing to honor the people they love. Hosted by Amy Miller, Certified Life Coach, Certified Grief Educator, and fellow suicide loss survivor, this podcast offers honest conversations, compassionate support, and practical tools to help you work through the complicated emotions that often follow suicide loss. Together, we'll explore topics like guilt, anger, anxiety, regret, relationships, finding purpose, and learning to experience joy again without feeling like you're leaving your loved one behind. Through personal experiences, mindset coaching, grief education, and real-life strategies, Amy helps survivors understand that while we cannot change what happened, we can begin to reclaim our power over what happens next. This isn't about getting over your loss. It's about learning how to carry your love and your grief while creating a life you want to live. Because your story doesn't have to end with tragedy. There is still life to be lived, love to be experienced, and hope to be found. You have survived something incredibly difficult. Now, together, let's discover what it means to thrive. Learn more and find additional resources at www.survived-to-thrive.com.

  1. 2d ago

    Episode 140: Moving Forward after Loss Without Leaving Them Behind

    Moving forward after suicide loss can feel like you are leaving your loved one behind, so I slow it down and redefine what progress actually looks like. I name the fears and guilt that keep us stuck, then offer three gentle practices that let love and living coexist.  • the crossroads where we choose stagnation or the next step  • why “moving forward” can feel like departure  • how the relationship continues through memory and influence  • why progress often looks ordinary and small  • the pressures that make healing hard: questions, anger, guilt, shifting roles, changed relationships  • the myth that you need full answers before you can live again  • three ways to begin: one small act of self-care, one way to bring them with you, one small moment of living  • how to handle guilt after a good moment without punishing yourself  • the fear underneath it all: “If I keep living, will I lose them again?”  Go to my website at www.survived-to-thrive.com to become a part of the Survive to Thrive Life After Suicide Loss community.  Now, if you would like support exploring what moving forward could look like for you, I offer a free 30-minute discovery call. We can talk about where you are, what feels difficult, and whether my grief coaching would be a good fit for the support you're seeking.  As always, thanks for listening! We are a community dedicated to empower survivors of suicide loss along their grief journey. We invite you to check out our website to sign up for our weekly newsletter, along with other free materials." Website: https://www.survived-to-thrive.com/ Email: amy@survived-to-thrive.com

    Episode 140: Moving Forward after Loss Without Leaving Them Behind

  2. Nov 4

    Episode 139: When There Was No Goodbye: Living With the Conversation You Never Had

    We make space for the unfinished goodbye after suicide loss and the weight we place on the last text, last call, or last argument. We practice separating regret from self-blame so the final moment stops standing in for the whole relationship.  • making room for the longing for one more conversation  • noticing how “lasts” can distort the full story of a relationship  • using compassionate reframes to challenge assumptions and accusations  • addressing arguments, boundaries, and complicated relationships without assigning responsibility  • asking what you truly wanted the goodbye to give you  • letting uncertainty exist without demanding a perfect ending  • writing a letter with prompts like “What I wish I could tell you today is”  • allowing mixed emotions like love, anger, gratitude, and hurt on the same page  • getting your grief witnessed by a trusted person, coach, therapist, or counselor  • seeking extra help when distress is intense, including calling 988  • choosing remembrance over forced closure, forgiveness, or “letting go” language  If this episode helped you feel less alone please share it with another survivor who may be carrying an unfinished conversation.  As always, thanks for listening! We are a community dedicated to empower survivors of suicide loss along their grief journey. We invite you to check out our website to sign up for our weekly newsletter, along with other free materials." Website: https://www.survived-to-thrive.com/ Email: amy@survived-to-thrive.com

    Episode 139: When There Was No Goodbye: Living With the Conversation You Never Had

  3. Oct 28

    Episode 138: Therapy, Grief Counseling, or Coaching? What Kind of Support Do You Need Right Now?

    If you’ve ever stared at a list of providers after a suicide death and thought, “I don’t even know what I’m supposed to pick,” you’re not alone. I’m Amy Miller, and I’m walking you through a question I hear from suicide loss survivors all the time: Do I need therapy, grief counseling, coaching, or something else entirely? We start with a simple but powerful practice, checking in with yourself to name what you’re actually dealing with right now. Then I break down the titles that can get blurry: what a licensed therapist is (and why requirements vary by location), why “grief counselor” can mean either licensed clinical care or non-clinical community support, and what grief life coaching does and does not do. Coaching can help you work with everyday patterns, boundaries, relationships, and goals, but it does not diagnose, treat trauma, prescribe medication, or provide crisis care. I also share clear signs that point toward licensed clinical support, like intrusive images, nightmares, panic, worsening hopelessness, big sleep or appetite changes, or relying on substances to get through the hours. And I say this plainly: if you’re having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, you deserve immediate support. In the US, you can call or text 988, and if you can’t keep yourself safe, call 911 or seek emergency help right now. You’ll leave with practical questions to help you choose the right next step, plus permission to stop trying to figure it all out alone. If this helps, subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more survivors of suicide bereavement can find real support. As always, thanks for listening! We are a community dedicated to empower survivors of suicide loss along their grief journey. We invite you to check out our website to sign up for our weekly newsletter, along with other free materials." Website: https://www.survived-to-thrive.com/ Email: amy@survived-to-thrive.com

    Episode 138: Therapy, Grief Counseling, or Coaching? What Kind of Support Do You Need Right Now?

  4. Oct 21

    Episode 137: I'm Afraid I'll Forget Their Voice: When Memories Start to Fade

    What happens when the memories start to blur and you panic that you might forget their voice? For many survivors of suicide loss, that fear lands like a fresh wave of grief, because you have already lost what you would do anything to keep. I walk through why this is so common in grief after suicide and how quickly sadness can turn into guilt, self blame, and the feeling that you are “moving on” when you do not want to. We get practical without making it overwhelming. I share simple, doable ways to preserve connection, like creating one place to catch memories as they arrive, asking someone else for one specific story, and saving what you already have without turning photos or voicemails into a nightly requirement. We also talk about something many people do not name out loud: when comfort items start to feel like an exam, and why setting boundaries can be an act of love and self care. Suicide bereavement can also make the ending take up all the space, crowding out the ordinary moments that remind you who they really were. Together, we widen the lens with prompts that bring the full person back into view, and we address the guilt that can hit when your life gets busy and you realize you have not consciously thought about them for hours. Your love does not need constant supervision, and you do not have to remember everything perfectly for your relationship to remain meaningful. If this resonates, share it with someone who may need it, and please subscribe, leave a review, and pass the show along so more survivors can find real support. One last thing. Here is your special invitation to my free Navigating the Holidays after Suicide Loss Class as promised in this episode.  Be sure to save your seat by clicking the link below. https://www.survived-to-thrive.com/how-to-feel-better-course As always, thanks for listening! We are a community dedicated to empower survivors of suicide loss along their grief journey. We invite you to check out our website to sign up for our weekly newsletter, along with other free materials." Website: https://www.survived-to-thrive.com/ Email: amy@survived-to-thrive.com

    Episode 137: I'm Afraid I'll Forget Their Voice: When Memories Start to Fade

  5. Oct 14

    Episode 136: Bending Without Breaking, Finding Flexibility After Suicide Loss

    A hurricane can teach a surprising lesson about grief after suicide loss: the trees that survive are not the ones that stay perfectly still, they are the ones that can bend. That image guides our conversation about flexibility, because suicide bereavement often makes us crave certainty, routines, and rules just to feel safe again. When we cannot control the storm, we can still choose how we meet it. We talk about what it means to stay rooted while changing your plans, your pace, and even your traditions. If you have ever worried that laughing more means forgetting, or that changing a holiday means leaving your loved one behind, you are not alone. We explore “roots versus branches,” where your values stay steady but the way you express them can shift. We also name the rigid pressure many survivors carry in the language of I have to, I should, I must, then replace it with choices that honor your real capacity today. You will hear practical coping tools for grief waves that return after calmer days, plus a simple word that makes room for complicated emotions: and. “I miss them and I had a good moment.” We also cover boundaries with family and friends, building a gentler version of a plan that still counts, and the reminder that support is part of healing. Sometimes flexibility is not only adapting yourself, it is changing what surrounds you. If you want one sentence to carry with you, try: “I can stay connected to what matters and change what I need.” Subscribe for more guidance on life after suicide loss, share this with someone who could use permission to adjust, and leave a review so more survivors can find the support they deserve. As always, thanks for listening! We are a community dedicated to empower survivors of suicide loss along their grief journey. We invite you to check out our website to sign up for our weekly newsletter, along with other free materials." Website: https://www.survived-to-thrive.com/ Email: amy@survived-to-thrive.com

    Episode 136: Bending Without Breaking, Finding Flexibility After Suicide Loss

  6. Oct 8

    Episode 135: Navigating the Holidays This Year

    The holidays can feel like a spotlight on everything that changed after suicide loss. One ornament can knock the air out of your lungs. One seat at the table can feel impossibly empty. And on top of the grief, there’s often a second weight: the pressure to act cheerful, grateful, and “normal” when your nervous system is doing everything it can just to get you through the day. I’m Amy Miller, and I’m sharing a grounded, compassionate guide to navigating the holidays after losing someone you love to suicide. We talk about why holiday triggers hit so hard, how tradition and repetition amplify grief, and why you don’t have to choose between grieving and living. You’ll hear practical ways to redesign traditions, decide ahead of time what you can realistically handle, and set boundaries when other people’s discomfort, stigma, or unsolicited opinions show up in the room. We also go straight at one of the biggest holiday landmines: guilt. If you catch yourself thinking you don’t “deserve” to laugh or enjoy a moment, I want you to remember this truth: suffering is not proof of love. We’ll cover simple self-care that actually helps, plus how to make a holiday grief plan for hard moments, including what you’ll need on the day after. If you want more support, I’m also inviting you to a free live class on navigating the holidays after suicide loss. Click the link below to sign up! https://www.survived-to-thrive.com/how-to-feel-better-course Subscribe, share this with a fellow survivor, and leave a review so more people can find this help when they need it most.  As always, thanks for listening! We are a community dedicated to empower survivors of suicide loss along their grief journey. We invite you to check out our website to sign up for our weekly newsletter, along with other free materials." Website: https://www.survived-to-thrive.com/ Email: amy@survived-to-thrive.com

    Episode 135: Navigating the Holidays This Year

  7. Jun 3

    Episode 134: Losing a Father, Losing a Son, Losing a Daughter, and the Silent Grief of Fathers After Suicide Loss

    We talk about the grief fathers carry after suicide loss, especially the pain that stays hidden behind “being strong” and taking care of everyone else. We challenge guilt, self-blame, and the need for certainty, and we hold out a real kind of hope: you can carry love and loss together and still build a meaningful life.  • why Father’s Day can amplify silent grief for dads  • the complicated impact of losing a father to suicide, including identity and unanswered questions  • what fathers often experience after losing a son, including replaying conversations and “standing trial”  • what fathers often carry after losing a daughter, including helplessness and mourning future milestones  • how strength and pain can coexist, and why vulnerability supports the whole family  • why suicide grief can feel invisible after the funeral, and how it shows up in everyday moments  • what healing looks like as ongoing love, not forgetting or “moving on”  If this resonated with you, please share it. I want to get it out to all the fathers out there.  As always, thanks for listening! We are a community dedicated to empower survivors of suicide loss along their grief journey. We invite you to check out our website to sign up for our weekly newsletter, along with other free materials." Website: https://www.survived-to-thrive.com/ Email: amy@survived-to-thrive.com

    Episode 134: Losing a Father, Losing a Son, Losing a Daughter, and the Silent Grief of Fathers After Suicide Loss

  8. May 21

    Episode 133: Five Things I Know Now That I Wish I Knew the First Month After Losing Someone to Suicide

    We speak directly to the raw first month after suicide loss and name what’s happening in the brain and body when traumatic grief takes over. We share five truths we wish we’d known sooner so you can survive the moment you’re in without carrying impossible blame.  • traumatic grief and why your brain feels hijacked  • brain fog, shock, numbness, and survival mode in early bereavement  • letting go of performing grief and focusing on basic care  • guilt after suicide loss and the false promise of control  • regret versus responsibility and practicing self-compassion  • painfully wrong comments people say and why presence matters  • protecting your energy with clear boundaries  • grief revealing relationships and finding one safe person  • reclaiming the whole person beyond the death  • trusting that the intensity will change over time  If you like this podcast, please share with your friends and write a review on iTunes. Also, check out survived-to-thrive.com for more information and to subscribe to get free tools you can begin to use immediately to feel better, directly sent to your inbox. As always, thanks for listening! We are a community dedicated to empower survivors of suicide loss along their grief journey. We invite you to check out our website to sign up for our weekly newsletter, along with other free materials." Website: https://www.survived-to-thrive.com/ Email: amy@survived-to-thrive.com

    Episode 133: Five Things I Know Now That I Wish I Knew the First Month After Losing Someone to Suicide
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About

Survived to Thrive: Life After Suicide LossReal conversations, practical tools, and HOPE for suicide loss survivors. Losing someone you love to suicide changes everything. The grief can feel overwhelming, the questions can seem endless, and the path forward can feel impossible to navigate. But even after unimaginable loss, there is hope. And you don't have to figure it all out alone. Welcome to Survived to Thrive: Life After Suicide Loss, a podcast dedicated to helping suicide loss survivors navigate grief, rediscover themselves, and learn how to live a meaningful, fulfilling life while continuing to honor the people they love. Hosted by Amy Miller, Certified Life Coach, Certified Grief Educator, and fellow suicide loss survivor, this podcast offers honest conversations, compassionate support, and practical tools to help you work through the complicated emotions that often follow suicide loss. Together, we'll explore topics like guilt, anger, anxiety, regret, relationships, finding purpose, and learning to experience joy again without feeling like you're leaving your loved one behind. Through personal experiences, mindset coaching, grief education, and real-life strategies, Amy helps survivors understand that while we cannot change what happened, we can begin to reclaim our power over what happens next. This isn't about getting over your loss. It's about learning how to carry your love and your grief while creating a life you want to live. Because your story doesn't have to end with tragedy. There is still life to be lived, love to be experienced, and hope to be found. You have survived something incredibly difficult. Now, together, let's discover what it means to thrive. Learn more and find additional resources at www.survived-to-thrive.com.

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