How Can Coaching Help Me When I Am in This Much Pain?!

When I studied to become a life coach, I had a purpose.

My purpose was to bring another alternative for survivors of suicide loss so they could find support in their pain and regain the notion of a productive life.

Within the mental health space, I wanted to be a beacon of hope for the 135 average people who are left behind after one suicide.

The current messaging for people that they should seek help for their mental health is a positive one, however, it comes at a time when therapists are stretched to their limit of availability.

Moreover, it is the real fact that the level of training for mental health providers, related to suicide prevention and postvention (after loss), could be improved.

With that said, it is time for qualified coaches to come in and pick up the slack.

Traumatic loss is both painful and complicated!

Without support, suicide loss survivors are forced to lean on their own devices. But how does this make sense when there is no form of reference? Rarely have they experienced this type of loss before.

There are a wide range of coaches from those within the health and wellness space to those who are coaching through grief and bereavement. 

Grief and bereavement coaches can be effective in this space, but I believe they would be even more effective with additional training related to the complexities of those experiencing suicide loss.

Coaching is supporting! 

And you need supported when you are trying to navigate through something traumatic.

Being alone in the face of tragedy is not productive and can be ultimately fatal. Statistics show that those who lose someone to suicide have an elevated risk to ending their own lives by the same means. 

So, what is the answer?

As a coach, I also bring the element of lived experience to the table.

After losing my daughter to suicide, I didn’t know where to turn. I didn’t know who could help me.

This devastation was painfully new, and I honestly didn’t understand it.

Being alone is scary, especially in the face of tragedy. Early in my grief, I was so grateful when I found someone else who understood.

Those who “got it.” 

Peer support from others with similar experiences was crucial and probably saved my life.

Now I can use the first-hand knowledge of fear, guilt, confusion and the other aspects of complicated grief and meet other suicide loss survivors where they are.

Unfortunately, this is a hard topic that not everyone is willing or comfortable with to delve into. Fortunately, I am deeply aligned with the impact of this work!

I wish I had a nickel for all the people who have approached me in the past decade and asked if they could just sit with me and share their own experience. They needed confirmation that they were not alone.

The need is there, and people are begging for help!

So, how can coaching help someone in pain? It will help those bereaved know they are not alone. 

A coach focused on suicide loss recognizes the nuances that a loss survivor has and can prepare them for the feelings and frustrations they will have. 

Over time, coaches can also guide a loss survivor to the point of acceptance in their new normal. 

Going forward from there, memories of their loved one have the potential to be less painful.

Finally, I am also asked how coaching can take the place of traditional therapy. 

Coaching is not designed as a replacement for therapy. In fact, coaching was derived from positive psychology many years ago.

If your mental health struggle is impacting your daily life to the point of ill-functioning or causing thoughts of self-harm, then it is necessary to secure therapy from a licensed professional who is trained to aid in those symptoms.

But, if you are simply tired of the day-in and day-out general funk and fear that comes with surviving a suicide loss, then seeking out a coach who specializes in coaching for suicide loss is an excellent way to move through the grief much faster.

Additionally, if you want appointments more than once per week or it is easier to meet in the evening, then let's chat about my availability.

Go HERE if you want to get on my calendar and schedule a FREE consultation. 

Or, if you are ready to just come into my world and book some sessions so I can begin helping you, come visit my services list on my WEBSITE.

Whatever you choose to do, I hope you come to realize that there is support and others who have been where you are. 

It takes a village, and we are all in this together, although it doesn’t feel like that when you are trying to push through immeasurable pain.

Take the first step and just ASK for help!

ATTENTION COACHES! If you want to add additional training to your credentials so you can bring relevant help to suicide loss survivors, send an email to me at tracyoesercoaching@gmail.com.