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
A Mother's Love is Forever; Calvin's Legacy Lives On
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Today, I have the unique privilege of having a conversation with a podcast listener. Vickie Stam and I began messaging earlier this year after she reached out to tell me that she was enjoying the podcast. Vickie lost her 31 year old son Calvin to suicide on Dec 9, 2019. She is a bubbly, genuine and warm soul. It became obvious to us fairly soon after she reached out that our sons connected us and they continue to communicate that through music shared for us! I appreciate our connection so much and am honored to share her brave journey through grief.
If you wish to connect with Vickie, you can do so here vickie stam (@vickiestam) • Instagram photos and videos
AND her ETSY Page (Hand crafted, one of a kind crochet apparel) BeachButteflyStudio
Here are some links from items Vickie and discussed AND some that I am sharing per her requests Thanks Vickie!!
Matt Haig (books)
Barbara Erskine (fiction book author) - Her Author Page
Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown – Mayim Bialik
Good Mourning – Sally Douglas & Imogen Carn
Grief Seeds – Shelby Forsythia
Grief Dreams Podcast – Dr. Joshua Black
Life, Death & The Space Between – Dr. Amy Robbins
We Can Do Hard Things With Glennon Doyle
Death Is Hilarious – Tawny Platis
Where’s The Grief – Jordon Ferber
Grief Unfiltered – Jayme Aills
Portraits of Grief – Tiffany Bernal & Thera Storm
Drift With Erin Davis
Heavyweight – Gimlet
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My brand NEW website "The Leftover Pieces; Rebuilding You" is LIVE and that means my 2 x/mo FREE SUPPORT GROUP is available and much more will be coming in the months ahead leading into 2022
The website will be at www.theleftoverpieces.com (naturally, right?)
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with suicidal thoughts PLEASE reach out:
The National Suicide Lifeline is there for you
IN a crisis you can also TEXT--->
TEXT the word "HOME" to 741741 in the USA
in Canada TEXT 686868
in the UK TEXT 85258
And Grievers, I am always here. You can find me on at The Leftover Pieces
Click to Send a Text or Voicemail to Melissa
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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
Support After Suicide Loss
If you are grieving after suicide loss, you do not have to carry this alone.
Visit The Leftover Pieces for podcast episodes, grief support, resources, and ways to connect with Melissa’s work: https://theleftoverpieces.com
or Join Melissa’s email list: https://theleftoverpieces.com/join
If you someone you love is in immediate crisis or may be in danger, please call or text 988 in the United States. You can also text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line