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Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam
Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam

Grieving a Child After Suicide: A Mother's Story of Healing and Hope

59 min•29 april 2025
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Om avsnittet

When you lose a child, everything changes. In this episode, Kristen Schindler shares her journey through the loss of her 21-year-old son, Gavin, to suicide, and how she has found her way toward healing, hope, and purpose.

If you or someone you love is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or text HOME to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line. If you've lost someone to suicide, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and The Compassionate Friends offer support for grieving families.

👉 If you're parenting your other kids through grief or worry, you don't have to do it alone. Parenting Teens Academy offers a judgment-free community of parents and steady support from me. Try it free for 7 days

Kristen opens up about grieving while still parenting her other children, how undiagnosed physical and mental health issues played a hidden role in her son's struggles, and what has helped her heal. Her story is a reminder that love alone can't shield our kids from life's hardest battles, that loss is never a measure of a parent's love, and that healing, while messy, is possible.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

  • Why suicide loss is never a measure of how much a parent loved or tried
  • How undiagnosed physical health issues can affect mental health
  • Why "grief masking" hurts more than it helps, and how to let yourself grieve
  • How to support your other children while you're grieving
  • How new family traditions can honor a loved one and help a family heal

EPISODE CHAPTERS

  • 00:00 Kristen's story of loss
  • 03:02 How loss changes a family
  • 06:04 Understanding mental health struggles
  • 08:58 The role of faith in healing
  • 11:59 Why grief and healing are so complex
  • 15:00 Lessons learned from loss
  • 18:14 Why open communication matters
  • 21:04 Finding joy in the middle of grief
  • 23:59 Supporting parents facing loss
  • 32:06 Living with grief
  • 34:55 How addiction affects families
  • 37:04 Finding purpose in pain
  • 39:54 Why community and support matter
  • 43:14 Turning grief into empathy
  • 48:00 Honoring loved ones through kindness
  • 52:39 Lessons for grieving parents

RESOURCES MENTIONED

CONNECT WITH KRISTEN SCHINDLER

CONNECT WITH DR. CAM CASWELL

ABOUT THE SHOW

Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam is hosted by Dr. Cam Caswell, an adolescent psychologist and certified parenting coach. Each episode gives you practical strategies, expert advice, and real-world insight to build a stronger relationship with your teen.

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