top of page

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 

1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Crisis Textline text

'START' 741-741

Recommended Reading
Suicide Bereavement Support Books 

Suicide would appear to be the last taboo. Even incest is now discussed freely in popular media, but the suicide of a loved one is still an act most people are unable to talk about–or even admit to their closest family or friends...

Suicide would appear to be the last taboo. Even incest is now discussed freely in popular media, but the suicide of a loved one is still an act most people are unable to talk about–or even admit to their closest family or friends. This is just one of the many painful and paralyzing truths author Carla Fine discovered when her husband, a successful young physician, took his own life in December 1989. And being unable to speak openly and honestly about the cause of her pain made it all the more difficult for her to survive.

No Time to Say Goodbye Book.jpg

No Time to Say Goodbye:

Surviving the Suicide of a Loved One

​

By Carla Fine

​

actually correct amazon button.png

You may be torturing yourself with repetitive questions such as “What if…?” “Why didn’t we…?” and “Why, why, why?” Healing After the Suicide of a Loved One will steer you away from this all-too-common...

You may be torturing yourself with repetitive questions such as “What if…?” “Why didn’t we…?” and “Why, why, why?” Healing After the Suicide of a Loved One will steer you away from this all-too-common tendency to blame yourself and will put you on the path to healing and recovery. Remember, your wounds can heal and you can recover. Filled with case studies, excellent information, valuable advice, and a completely up-to-date reading list and directory of suicide support groups nationwide, this valuable book will give you the strength and hope to go on living.

Healing after the suicide of a loved one 

By ann smolin, C.S.W and
John Guinan

actually correct amazon button.png
Healing after Suicide Loss Book.jpg

Grief counselor June Cerza Kolf is repeatedly asked for specific guidance in helping suicide survivors function and heal. Their grief is unique in that the trauma of suicide leaves them in such a devastated state that the typical coping mechanisms no longer work...

With deep sensitivity, Kolf leads readers through mourning to acceptance. She helps them realize the tragedy was out of their control, release their guilt and anger, and gain the power of prayer. Standing in the Shadow covers the heart of thirty-four topics, including depression, forgiveness, and the salvation of those who commit suicide. The gentle, honest writing provides answers, hope, and comfort for the bereaved.

Standing in the shadow: help and encouragement for suicide survivors 

​

By june cerza kolf

​

actually correct amazon button.png
Standing in the Shadow Book.jpg

Fifteen years ago, Joyce Sackett opened her daughter’s bedroom door and saw the unthinkable: the girl had committed suicide. How does a mother-or anyone-cope with such a devastating loss? Is it really possible to sweep up the shattered pieces of a grieving heart and find healing again?...

Fifteen years ago, Joyce Sackett opened her daughter’s bedroom door and saw the unthinkable: the girl had committed suicide. How does a mother-or anyone-cope with such a devastating loss? Is it really possible to sweep up the shattered pieces of a grieving heart and find healing again? Goodbye Jeanine is a faith journey–from the despair of a family member’s suicide back to hope and joy. This poignant and honest account reveals how Sackett learned to survive both physically and emotionally with the mixed emotions of loss, anger, guilt, fear, and shame–and how you can too. Despite tragic circumstances, God is near to the brokenhearted, bringing comfort and joy from grief and pain.

Goodbye jeanine: a mother's faith journey after her daughter's suicide

​

By joyce sackett

​

actually correct amazon button.png
Goodbye Janine Book.jpg

Help and Hope for an Unexpected Journey Do real Christians commit suicide? Yes, they do. And for those left behind, the journey following such a tragedy is unbearably painful. Finding Your Way after the Suicide of Someone You Love is a compassionate and practical guide... 

Help and Hope for an Unexpected Journey Do real Christians commit suicide? Yes, they do. And for those left behind, the journey following such a tragedy is unbearably painful. Finding Your Way after the Suicide of Someone You Love is a compassionate and practical guide that addresses the intensely personal issues of survivors of suicide (SOS). This gentle and faith-affirming resource helps survivors know what to expect, especially during the first year following a suicide. It includes personal stories of survivors and suggestions on how to move beyond survival to live life again. Designed for use by individuals, couples, and SOS groups, this book offers help for parents, siblings, friends, and extended families, as well as practical guidelines for pastors, Christian counselors, and other church leaders.

finding your way after the suicide of someone you love

​

By david b. biebel, DMIN & Suzanne L. Foster, MA 

actually correct amazon button.png
Finding Your Way after Suicide Loss Book

A modern-day fable, told in a richly illustrated children's book format. Tear Soup, a recipe for healing after loss, centers around an old and somewhat wise woman, Grandy. Grandy has just suffered a big loss in her life and so she is headed to the kitchen to make a special batch of Tear Soup. There she chooses the size pot that is right for her loss, ...

A modern-day fable, told in a richly illustrated children's book format. Tear Soup, a recipe for healing after loss, centers around an old and somewhat wise woman, Grandy. Grandy has just suffered a big loss in her life and so she is headed to the kitchen to make a special batch of Tear Soup. There she chooses the size pot that is right for her loss, and she puts on her apron because she knows it's going to be messy. Slowly the pot is filled with tears as the old woman steeps away. To season her soup Grandy adds memories like the good times and the bad times, the silly and the sad times. She does not want to forget even one precious memory of her loss.

Tear soup: A recipe for Healing after loss 

By chuck deklyen and pat schwiebert

actually correct amazon button.png
tear-soup-a-recipe-for-healing-after-loss.jpg

All families eventually face the loss of a loved one. When it happens, it can place great strain on a marriage, as well as on other relationships. That's partly because we don't know what to do with our feelings and partly ...

All families eventually face the loss of a loved one. When it happens, it can place great strain on a marriage, as well as on other relationships. That's partly because we don't know what to do with our feelings and partly because every family member grieves in his or her own way. In this book, Nancy and David Guthrie explore the family dynamics involved when a loved one dies and debunk some myths about family grief. Through their own experiences of losing two young children and interviews with those who've faced losing spouses and parents, they show how grief can actually pull a family closer together rather than tearing it apart.

When your family's lost a loved one: finding hope together

By david guthrie and nancy Guthrie 

actually correct amazon button.png
When your Family's lost a loved one.jpg

Loss came suddenly for Gerald Sittser. In an instant, a tragic accident claimed three generations of his family: his mother, his wife, and his young daughter. While most of us will not experience loss in such a catastrophic form, all of us will taste it. And we can, if we choose, know as well the grace that transforms it ...

Loss came suddenly for Gerald Sittser. In an instant, a tragic accident claimed three generations of his family: his mother, his wife, and his young daughter. While most of us will not experience loss in such a catastrophic form, all of us will taste it. And we can, if we choose, know as well the grace that transforms it. A Grace Disguised plumbs the depths of our sorrows, whether due to illness, divorce, or the loss of someone we love. The circumstances are not important; what we do with those circumstances is. In coming to the end of ourselves, we can come to the beginning of a new life -- one marked by spiritual depth, joy, compassion, and a deeper appreciation of simple blessings.

A grace disguised: How the soul grows through loss

By gerald lawson sittser

actually correct amazon button.png
A Grace Disguised.jpg

When a loved one completes suicide, the reaction to such a sudden and final act can sometimes delay the healthy grieving process. This book describes and offers guidance for each emotion and issue that one encounters following a loved one's suicide

When a loved one completes suicide, the reaction to such a sudden and final act can sometimes delay the healthy grieving process. This book describes and offers guidance for each emotion and issue that one encounters following a loved one's suicide

The empty chair: The journey of grief after suicide 

By beryl S. Glover

actually correct amazon button.png
The Empty Chair.jpg

Those who have lost a loved one to suicide experience tremendous shock and trauma, with a confusing mixture of emotions: anger, guilt, grief and despair. Suicide also raises heartrending questions: ...

Those who have lost a loved one to suicide experience tremendous shock and trauma, with a confusing mixture of emotions: anger, guilt, grief and despair. Suicide also raises heartrending questions: Why did this happen? Why didn't we see it coming? Many also wonder if those who chose suicide are doomed to an eternity separated from God and loved ones. Some may even start to ask whether life is worth living at all.

After his father's death by suicide, Albert Hsu wrestled with the intense emotional and spiritual questions surrounding suicide. While acknowledging that there are no easy answers, Hsu draws on the resources of the Christian faith to point suicide survivors to the God who offers comfort in our grief and hope for the future.

Grieving a suicide: a loved one's search for comfort, answers and hope

By albert Y. Hsu

actually correct amazon button.png
Grieving a Suicide.jpg

Where do you go with the heartache you can’t even put into words?
Whether you have lost a loved one to a prolonged illness or to an unexpected tragedy, it helps to encounter others who have walked a similar road and faced similar questions ...

Lynn Eib, a longtime patient advocate and grief support group facilitator, shares her gift of encouragement in this heartening message for mourners. You won’t find pat answers, clichés, or easy-fix formulas, but you will see that God specializes in consoling those who grieve. As Psalm 34:18 promises: “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” This is the spirit of When God & Grief Meet: A book that will give comfort for your present and courage for your future.

When god and grief meet: true stories of comfort and courage

By lynn elb

actually correct amazon button.png
When God & Grief Meet.jpg

Whether you are struggling with fresh grief at a loved one’s death by suicide or your loss happened years ago, you should know that you are not alone. 5 million Americans are affected—directly or indirectly—by this tragedy each year ...

Whether you are struggling with fresh grief at a loved one’s death by suicide or your loss happened years ago, you should know that you are not alone. 5 million Americans are affected—directly or indirectly—by this tragedy each year. And it sends us on a lifelong search for answers, both to the practical questions and the deepest question of all: Why? In this definitive guide book, Michael F. Myers, MD, a leading psychiatrist, and Carla Fine, author of the acclaimed No Time to Say Goodbye: Surviving the Suicide of a Loved One, combine their perspectives as a physician and a survivor to offer compassionate and practical advice to anyone affected by suicide.

Touched by Suicide: Hope & Healing after loss

By michaels f. myers, carla fine

actually correct amazon button.png
Touched by suicide .jpeg

The authors present the only practical book to guide friends and families of suicides through a program of grief recovery to mental health. To be of special interest to parents and educators of teenagers.

The authors present the only practical book to guide friends and families of suicides through a program of grief recovery to mental health. To be of special interest to parents and educators of teenagers.

Silent grief: Living in the wake of suicide 

By christopher lukas and henry m. seiden 

actually correct amazon button.png
Silent Grief .jpeg

Filled with expressive sentiments and beautifully simple illustrations from the personal grief journal of award winning artist/author Joanne Fink, this special edition of When You Lose Someone You Love offers a healing connection with all who are dealing with one ...

Filled with expressive sentiments and beautifully simple illustrations from the personal grief journal of award winning artist/author Joanne Fink, this special edition of When You Lose Someone You Love offers a healing connection with all who are dealing with one of life’s most challenging times. Readers will understand that they are not alone, that there will be days when you feel overwhelmed, nights when you can’t sleep, and times when waves of sadness wash over you unexpectedly. Affirming and cathartic, this book will help bring healing without sugarcoating the challenges of losing a loved one. When You Lose Someone You Love is an incredible gift of comfort for anyone who endures the journey of losing a spouse, a family member or close friend. 

When you lose someone you love

By joanne fink 

actually correct amazon button.png
When You Lose Someone You Love .jpeg

If you've lost a spouse, child, family member, or friend, you've discovered that few people understand the deep hurt you feel. Where do you turn for daily comfort and help? Where do you find the tools to move forward? Through a Season of Grief is the first 365-day devotional designed to support and uplift you in that first, most difficult year of bereavement. ...

These devotions offer biblical comfort and practical teaching that will enable you to take steps forward toward healing each and every day. You will better understand the grieving process and will receive needed encouragement along the way.

More than thirty respected Christian professionals–including Kay Arthur, Jack Hayford, and Luis Palau–share their insights on how to walk through the devastation of grief toward wholeness and hope. You will also hear from people like you who lost a loved one and found God's healing presence in the midst of despair.

Through a season of grief: 365 Devotions for your journey from mourning to joy

By bill dunn and kathy leonard

actually correct amazon button.png
Through A Season of Grief .jpeg

Written by a former physician and recent widower, this warmly practical book guides the bereaved through the grief process and explains how to live after the death of a spouse. Taking excerpts from his personal journal, Dr. Mabry discusses the situations and feelings... 

Written by a former physician and recent widower, this warmly practical book guides the bereaved through the grief process and explains how to live after the death of a spouse. Taking excerpts from his personal journal, Dr. Mabry discusses the situations and feelings he encountered during the grief process. A valuable resource for anyone coping with the death of a loved one.

The tender scar: life after the death of a spouse

By richard L. Mabry

actually correct amazon button.png
The Tender Scar .jpeg

This book is meant for anyone who has lost a brother or sister to suicide - and those who want to support them. Any loss is difficult, but a loss to suicide is heightened because of the helplessness and confusion surrounding it. ...

This book is meant for anyone who has lost a brother or sister to suicide - and those who want to support them. Any loss is difficult, but a loss to suicide is heightened because of the helplessness and confusion surrounding it. A sibling loss to suicide is even more unique because the sibling(s) left behind are often forgotten - mourning the loss of their brother or sister alone in the shadows of their parents' grief.

The forgotten mourners:sibling survivors of suicide 

By magdaline desousa aka John's sister

actually correct amazon button.png
The Forgotten Mourners .jpeg

For those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, here are strength and thoughtful words to inspire and comfort.

For those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, here are strength and thoughtful words to inspire and comfort.

Healing after loss: Daily meditations for working through grief

By martha w. hickman

actually correct amazon button.png
Healing After Loss.jpg

Child survivors of suicide: a Guidebook for those who care for them 

By rebecca parkin with Karen dunne-maxim

Child Survivors of Suicide .jpeg

Child Survivors of Suicide is a guidebook for those who care for them and has been written for all adults who are concerned about the impact of a suicide on children under the age of 10.

Child Survivors of Suicide is a guidebook for those who care for them and has been written for all adults who are concerned about the impact of a suicide on children under the age of 10.

bottom of page