Didi Hirsch pioneered a support group for people bereaved by suicide in 1981 (Survivors After Suicide) that has been replicated around the world. In 2011, it created a support group model for people who have attempted suicide (Survivors of Suicide Attempts) that was placed on a national registry of best practices and has been downloaded by more than 1,200 mental health providers in every state and 30 countries. To learn more about our Survivors of Suicide Attempts groups and/or schedule a 2-day facilitator training, contact Division Director Patricia S. Speelman, M.A., LMFT at pspeelman@didihirsch.org or (424) 362-2901.
While support groups can be lifesaving for people affected by suicide, some people need short-term individual or family therapy to navigate the complex emotions that arise after a suicide attempt or loss. Didi Hirsch’s licensed clinicians offer both kinds of therapy in English and Spanish at our Century City and Santa Ana locations. Affordable sliding scale therapy is available. For more information about therapy, please call (424) 362-2900.
Survivors After Suicide
Created for people bereaved by suicide, Survivors After Suicide addresses the special needs of people struggling with complex grief, which often accompanies a loved one’s suicide. Co-facilitated by a therapist and a peer who has also lost a loved one to suicide, the groups provide activities and sharing opportunities to help survivors cope with their loss in a positive and productive way.
Groups are held in Century City, Sherman Oaks, Redondo Beach, San Marino, Santa Ana and Newbury Park. Participants meet in groups of six to 10 once a week for 90-minute sessions over eight consecutive weeks. Groups are held during day or evening hours.
For more information, contact Didi Hirsch’s Suicide Bereavement Services Program Director Rick Mogil at rmogil@didihirsch.org or call (424) 362-2911. Click here to subscribe to our free SAS newsletter.
Survivors of Suicide Attempts
Didi Hirsch’s Survivor of Suicide Attempts support groups offer a safe, non-judgmental place for people to talk about what led them to attempt suicide and the impact it had on their lives. Participants also learn how to create safety plans to help them cope with suicidal thoughts.
The groups are held in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Participants meet in groups of six to 10 once a week for 90-munite sessions over eight consecutive weeks. They are co-facilitated by a therapist and a suicide attempt survivor who has successfully completed a group.
For more information or to schedule an intake, please contact Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center Lead Psychologist Shawn Silverstein, PhD at ssilverstein@didihirsch.org or (424) 362-2911.
Teen Support Groups
With a grant from the Max Factor Family Foundation we are piloting support groups in our Glendale location for teens who have lost a family member or friend to suicide. The youth bereavement groups provide teens with an opportunity to develop safe and secure bonds with others who have also survived a loss. Co-facilitated by a therapist and loss survivor, the groups help young people overcome trauma and feelings of guilt and develop tools to help them cope more effectively with their loss.
The teens meet weekly for 90-minute group sessions over eight consecutive weeks. Materials about surviving the loss of a loved one to suicide are distributed at the beginning of each session, so teens can continue to learn about the grieving process between group meetings.
If it was not for the lady I spoke to yesterday…I was in a very bad place. Thank you so much, thank you.
They kept me alive. I don’t know how I would have survived without them.
When I hit my lowest point, Didi Hirsch was my lifeline.