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By Karen Kennedy, MSW Many people who have had a loved one die by suicide often report others avoid them or dance around the topic of suicide. For some people, they don’t know the right thing to say, are worried about upsetting the survivor, or feel uncomfortable discussing the topic of suicide. Those grieving a … Continue reading What to Say and What Not to Say, Especially for Suicide Loss

by Audrey Walls, M.Ed, MFA, with Liza Roesch, MS Anyone who has been in the room during our Hands on Healing family group can tell you about the impact and magic that gets created between our facilitators, volunteers, children and teens, and their parents and guardians. In 2025, when we made the difficult decision to … Continue reading Celebrating the Return of Hands on Healing Family Groups

By Audrey Walls, M.Ed, MFA, with Karen Kennedy, MSW In her work with survivors of suicide loss, Karen Kennedy has heard hundreds of stories from individuals, families, and communities that have lost a loved one to suicide: parents, spouses, children, teens, coworkers, teammates, neighbors, and more. Although their individual stories are unique, the questions, shock, … Continue reading Built on Hope: Full Circle’s Suicide Intervention and Postvention Manuals

by Karen Kennedy, MSW Suicide isn’t a bad word. In fact, the more we learn and talk about it, the easier it is for ourselves and others to share life experiences and find support. We can help save lives. Understanding passive suicidal ideation is important because it is a significant, often overlooked indicator of emotional distress … Continue reading Understanding Passive Suicidal Ideation

By Audrey Walls, M.Ed, MFA, with Full Circle Staff With July in full swing, it’s common to find lists of books and podcasts for light summer reading to beat the heat. While sometimes an easy beach read or a fantasy novel can provide a great escape for grievers, finding content that affirms and informs your … Continue reading Griefy Podcasts for the Pool

By Karen Kennedy, MSW Storytelling is one of our most ancient forms of communication. I have had the privilege of bearing witness to many people’s stories of grief. Of losing a loved one unexpectedly and tragically. Of sorrow and pain. Of love and deep longing. Of guilt. Of sadness peppered with humor. Of shock and confusion. Of trauma. Of … Continue reading Telling Your Story of Loss

by Karen Coyner, LCSW, DCSW and Audrey Walls, M.Ed., M.F.A. https://youtu.be/88qx8SZH_7Q Join Full Circle's Karen Coyner in the video above as she provides fun and thoughtful instructions for creating an "always-with-me" box. This is an easy, no-stress remembrance activity that's appropriate for kids and adults of all ages. As we head into the summer, holidays … Continue reading Craft Corner: Always With Me Box

By Laura McDonald, LCSW What if the worst thing that ever happened to you… brought you some good? If this feels like a sentence too outrageous to even contemplate, then let it go. After all, nothing can change a crushing blow like the loss of a loved one, especially if that loss was tragically sudden, … Continue reading Post Traumatic Growth

by Audrey Walls, M.Ed., M.F.A. If you’re new to the services we provide at Full Circle, we understand that the number of options and specialties available for therapy can seem overwhelming. Whether you’re an individual, couple, or family, there is some basic information that can be helpful to getting a better understanding of what types … Continue reading Support Groups or Individual Counseling: Which is Right for Me?