When Noemi lost her 21-year-old nephew to suicide nearly five years ago, it marked a turning point in both her life and her work. She had already been deeply immersed in behavioral health, serving as a program manager at a school district, where she provided students and families with mental health services and crisis support.
Earlier in her role, the loss of two middle school students to suicide had deeply impacted her and shifted the way she approached her work. In the wake of their deaths, she began pushing more intentionally for prevention work to reach families sooner.
“I worked hard to educate our parents to get comfortable openly discussing suicide prevention and mental health,” she recalled, “because unfortunately—in the school world too—the minute you say suicide, everybody shuts down.”
Then came the loss of her nephew which brought her work painfully close to home.
“It really hit hard when I found out it was my nephew,” she shared. “Here I was doing crisis protocols, creating a program for kids who had emotional and suicidal thoughts. I felt like I didn’t do enough for my own family.”
The accumulation of grief, which she had not faced, finally took its toll.
“I’ve burnt out many times [in my career]. That’s still something that I work on to this day,” she says. “This was the first time I really had to take a step back and realize that I was trying to save the world when I couldn’t save myself.”
After taking time to reflect on what was missing, both personally and professionally, Noemi recognized the need to reconnect with her why. She wanted to continue this work in a way that felt more grounded and sustainable. This led her to Didi Hirsch, where she now works as a Lead Clinical Supervisor, supporting clinicians across both Orange County and Los Angeles.
In this role, she mentors therapists who walk alongside individuals and families navigating suicidal ideation, attempts, or loss. In many ways, everything she’s lived and worked through has led her here—where her experience, empathy, and leadership make her uniquely equipped to guide others in this deeply human work.
“Since I got here, I tell my team that they have no idea what they have given me. [Working here] I’ve come to understand that my grief for my nephew will never go away; it just gets a little easier.”
By mentoring new therapists, Noemi finds meaning in helping others grow and knowing her work extends beyond herself.
“Our therapists have very special hearts,” she says. “If they believe they’re here for a reason, then they’re able to provide unconditional care to our clients.”
For Noemi, the most rewarding part of her work is guiding the next generation of therapists and helping them discover their own strength and purpose.
Having faced profound loss herself, she draws strength from her lived experience. Through the lessons learned both personally and professionally while navigating grief, she pays it forward by showing up every day—with a renewed sense of commitment to this work, her family, and herself.
Need to talk with someone? You can call or text 988 for free, confidential suicide & crisis support, 24/7. You’re not alone.
Teen Line offers free, confidential peer-to-peer support—for teens, by teens. Text ‘TEEN’ to 839863 (6 p.m. – 9 p.m. PST), call (800) 852-8336 (6 p.m. – 10 p.m. PST) or send an email.
