The Leftover Pieces: Suicide Loss Conversations
Suicide loss changes everything. This show is about life after suicide—real talk and practical support for grief after suicide: parents, partners, siblings, and friends finding their footing again. Each week, we explore what helps in suicide bereavement so you can keep going with honesty and hope.
Hosted by Melissa Bottorff-Arey, whose 21-year-old son, Alex, died by suicide in 2016, the podcast blends intimate conversations with survivors, healers, and mental health experts with short solo “Daily Nugget” episodes you can actually use. We cover child loss, trauma and nervous-system care, anniversaries and seasons, stigma, faith and meaning, legacy, and the everyday practices that make life livable again. You’ll hear grounded tools, language that honors your person, and the reminder that you are not broken—you are grieving.
For supporters and educators, these episodes offer insight into the realities of suicide grief and what genuine, non-fixing support looks like. If you’d like to share your story or expertise, you can request to be a guest via my website. 💜
Content Note
This podcast speaks candidly about difficult experiences and may feel activating. We avoid method details and graphic description. Please care for yourself as needed. I’m not a doctor or licensed therapist; nothing here is medical or mental-health advice.
The Leftover Pieces: Suicide Loss Conversations
Accepting She Died by Suicide; Erin's Yoga is Healing Grief & Trauma
In this episode, hear Erin share about how for a long time she could not even say that her daughter died, let alone ‘ended her own life. Now she is brave and not only talks about it, but she teaches yoga to help others heal their trauma and grief
Erin Burden is Canadian-born but her family moved to Botswana, Africa at 2 and she mostly was schooled in Bulawayo Rhodesia. For college, she went to South Africa. Having lost both parents by the time she was only 11, Erin’s sister became her guardian and she was brought up mostly in an all-girls boarding school.
She became an entrepreneur in Transport Broking in 1989 and met her husband Charles through work. They worked together and soon got married and had 3 daughters. Dakota was the youngest, born in 1994. As a family, they left South Africa for the 1st time in 1997 and moved to Canada - only to return to South Africa by 2002. But Canada called to them and in 2008 they moved to Vancouver Island and have been there ever since.
In 2018 Dakota died by suicide and after a month of barely surviving Erin chose to ‘get up and decided to continue the yoga studies they had begun together. She now teaches in person and has even started online as well. Erin considers herself both a teacher and student of yoga and loves to share with other grievers, trauma survivors, and beginners.
To this day, Erin credits yoga and prayer for getting her through the loss of Dakota. She knows her daughter is with Jesus and is grateful for that.
ERINS IG Profile HERE - find lots of links in her daily posts!
HERE is her BIO LINK to all other things she offers!!
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My website "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is LIVE and that means my different SUPPORT SPACE Options are available and much more will be coming in 2022
Go DIRECTLY to my SUPPORT page here where yo9u will find ALL of the ways to connect and find support
My first two books (tools I am creating for you!) in the "Facing Life After Suicide" series are available on Amazon
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out:
The National Suicide Lifeline is there for you
IN a cri
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💜 The Leftover Pieces is support central for grieving hearts.
🔗 Stay connected: Join my free email community for weekly check-ins, resources, and encouragement.
🌟 For moms: Explore the $9 Lighthouse Community — safe connection, tools, and hope.
🛠 Resources for all grievers: Start here.
🤝 One-on-one grief coaching for moms after child loss to suicide: Learn more here.
📞 Need help now? If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 in the U.S. & Canada, or text HOME to 741741.