The Leftover Pieces: Help for Survivors after Suicide Loss

The Leftover Pieces is a website created by Melissa Bottorff-Arey after she lost her son, Alex, to suicide in 2016. She believes that ‘traumatic loss changes us, on a cellular level deep inside,’ but she was able to survive it and now she provides support for ‘fellow grievers’.

On her website, Melissa provides resources to help those grieving such as other websites, charities, guides and meditation practices. On top of this, Melissa hosts her own podcast named the ‘The Leftover Pieces: Suicide Loss Conversations.’ Each episode follows a conversation of loss and grief after suicide with other loss survivors, mental health experts and healers or solo episodes where she talks about her own thoughts and her journey. Melissa ventures into all areas of grief, such as stigma, trauma, self-care, healing and more. Melissa aims to help others to survive their loss ‘amid their leftover pieces.’ You can listen to the podcast on Spotify here.

Additionally, Melissa has her own support community here specifically for mother’s who have lost children to suicide which costs $37 (£30.09) a month and allows you to access monthly Zoom support groups and courses which aims to teach you how to grow with their grief, and be part of a community of people who also ‘get it.’ Melissa also teaches a 6 week virtual course called ‘Growth in Grief; Trauma in our Mind, Body and Spirit,’ which is all about healing trauma and the knowledge required. This costs $250 (£203.25) for the whole course and then you will also receive access to all of the material and recordings to keep. 

We think that this website is a great resource for anyone who is struggling with the loss of someone to suicide and is looking for a community to join to help them to feel less alone. It is also a place to help you to remember your loved one and connect with people who have experienced a similar loss.