Suicide loss is one of the most isolating and misunderstood grief experiences there is — and Sara Shelton knows this firsthand. After losing her sister Heidi to suicide in 2019, Sara navigated stigma, Family silence, and a profound lack of resources for suicide loss survivors. Now, as founder of The Postvention Project, she’s working to change that.

In this episode, Sara talks openly about why suicide grief is different, how stigma keeps survivors isolated, and why boundaries during grief are not about pushing people away — they’re an act of Love and self-preservation. She also shares what she’s learning through her survivor research interviews, why finding community with other suicide loss survivors is one of the most powerful steps toward healing, and what to say — and not say — when someone you love is grieving a suicide loss.

If you or someone you know has been impacted by suicide loss, this episode offers honest, compassionate insight from someone who has lived it.

If you are struggling, please reach out to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.

Guest Bio: Sara Shelton is a suicide loss survivor and founder of Griefly Collective, an initiative focused on helping institutions and families navigate what comes after traumatic death. Her work centers on postvention, family systems, and the role of boundaries in grief. Drawing from lived experience and professional leadership in peer support spaces, she speaks candidly about navigating minimizing comments, shifting family roles, and the tension between care and performance after loss. She is especially interested in how boundaries function as an act of love during grief.

Connect with Sara:

www.grieflycollective.com

The Postvention Project: https://www.postventionproject.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarashelton/

GRIEF Ladies: Your Guide to What Comes Next

If you’re ready to move forward without moving on—this show is for you.

🎧 Follow and connect: https://www.griefladies.com/

Kelly Daugherty: https://www.kellydaugherty.com/ Karyn Arnold: https://www.griefincommon.com/

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The GRIEF Ladies podcast offers Education and support for people living with grief after someone they love has died. Our content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional Mental Health care or crisis services. If you are in crisis or concerned about your safety, call 988 in the U.S. or contact local emergency services.

Guest perspectives shared on this platform are their own and may not reflect the views or positions of The Grief Ladies.

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Kelly Daugherty The GRIEF Ladies

The GRIEF Ladies grew from decades of clinical work, community building, and lived experience. It isn’t a checklist to “get over it.” It’s a path you can re-enter on the hardest days and the ordinary ones.

Kelly Daugherty from Center for Informed Grief and Karyn Arnold of Grief in Common first connected when Kelly was leading a collaborative grief book project and posted in a Facebook group looking for authors. Karyn responded, and from their very first conversation, the connection was instant. They discovered a shared passion for supporting grieving individuals and striking similarities in their approaches and professional paths. Both had worked in hospice, and both believed that there are practical tools that can truly help support someone on their grief journey.

That first book became The Grief Experience: Tools for Acceptance, Resilience, and Connection. From there, their collaboration grew naturally. What began with one project has blossomed into an ongoing partnership including building frameworks, workshops, and now the GRIEF Ladies Podcast to help others navigate life after loss with honesty and hope. Sign up for their newsletter to stay informed about their future ventures!

Karyn Arnold has served grievers for 25+ years as a facilitator, educator, and the founder of Grief in Common, an online community that connects people by shared experiences of loss. With a background in psychology and mind–body work, Karyn blends evidence-informed practice with simple daily actions that help people steady themselves and find support. She has guided thousands of grievers through groups, workshops, and online programs, and partners with clinicians and organizations to make grief resources easier to find and use.

Kelly Daugherty, LCSW-R, FT, BCC, is a clinician, educator, board-certified coach, and founder of the Center for Informed Grief in Malta, NY. A Fellow in Thanatology, Kelly has worked with individuals and families across hospice, schools, and private practice for over two decades. Her commitment to grief work began after her mother’s death during Kelly’s teen years, shaping a career focused on practical, compassionate support. Kelly develops trainings for educators and mental-health professionals, consults with schools on grief-informed practices, and leads community programs that normalize grief while teaching concrete skills. She believes accessible, plain-language tools can change how communities show up for one another.