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The Leftover Pieces: Suicide Loss Conversations
Suicide loss changes everything. The Leftover Pieces® Podcast explores life after suicide through honest conversations with survivors, experts, and grieving parents learning to live forward after unimaginable loss. Parents, partners, siblings, and friends share what it means to keep living when the world has been forever changed.
Hosted by Melissa Bottorff-Arey, whose 21-year-old son Alex died by suicide in 2016, the show blends intimate conversations with survivors, healers, and mental health professionals with short solo reflections you can actually use. Together we explore child loss, trauma and nervous-system care, anniversaries and seasons, stigma, faith and meaning, legacy, and the everyday practices that help make life livable again.
At its heart, this podcast is about learning to live forward after loss. We never move on from the people we love, but we can learn to carry the grief differently. This road can feel incredibly lonely—but you are not alone here.
For supporters, educators, and professionals, these conversations also offer insight into the realities of suicide grief and what genuine, non-fixing support can look like.
If you’d like to share your story or expertise, you can request to be a guest through Melissa’s website.
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Content Note
This podcast speaks candidly about grief and suicide loss and may feel activating for some listeners. We avoid graphic descriptions and discussion of suicide methods. Please care for yourself as needed. Melissa is not a doctor or licensed therapist, and nothing shared here should be considered medical or mental-health advice.
The Leftover Pieces: Suicide Loss Conversations
How to Begin Healing After Suicide Loss; Transform with Support & Tools at Casa Alternavida
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Today I release a conversation with the founder & owner of Casa Alternavida which is on the beautiful, lush Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico - which now happens to also be where I call home as well!
CLICK for The Leftover Pieces RETREAT INFO HERE
In Yancy's words:
"Casa Alternavida - A House of Transformation. Fresh perspective for a more fulfilling life.Casa Alternavida is a boutique wellness retreat center located in Puerto Rico offering a high-touchpoint, guided retreat experience for curious, growth-minded individuals and groups.
Our approach is to get people out of their heads and into their body, a vast and commonly untapped intelligence that can bring deep insight and guidance. We work with nature as a metaphor during our daily adventures, supporting mindset shifts that give our guests opportunities to reconnect to their essential self.
I am Yancy, the founder, is a master facilitator, somatic healer and I have a wealth of knowledge around retreat planning, nature guiding, and conscious communication. I am also a seasoned nature adventure guide with an abundance of knowledge and passion for their local flora and fauna."
READ ABOUT THEM HERE in Preferred Magazine
Today Yancy & I discuss:
- His story that includes loss & his ‘why’ for starting a retreat center of this type
- The life changing realizations he had
- The mindful way he put together Casa Alternavida
- An example of a ‘day in the life’ at a retreat
- Some of the specifics of our retreat that will be July 17-22, 2024
- What the takeaways will be from The Picking up the Pieces Retreat
- And more...
Again, CLICK for The Leftover Pieces RETREAT INFO HERE
You can FIND Yancy /Casa Alternavida through the links on my website!
Find CASA ALTERNAVIDA's Website HERE
FOLLOW the, on INSTAGRAM HERE
Follow them on FACEBOOK HERE
Support the show
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My WEBSITE
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💜 The Leftover Pieces is support for life after suicide loss. Click links below
🎙 Leave me a message: Share a question, your story, or your person’s name for a future episode → theleftoverpieces.com/voicemail
🔗 Stay connected: Join my email community for weekly support, resources, and honest conversations.
🛠 Start here: Explore website for suicide loss resources for early grief, family support, and next steps.
🤝 For moms: One-on-one grief coaching for mothers navigating life after child loss.
📞 Need support right now? If you or someone you love is struggling, call or text 988 (U.S. & Canada), or text HOME to 741741.