The Leftover Pieces: Suicide Loss Conversations

Suicide loss changes everything. The Leftover Pieces® Podcast explores life after suicide through honest conversations with survivors, experts, and grieving parents learning to live forward after unimaginable loss. Parents, partners, siblings, and friends share what it means to keep living when the world has been forever changed.

Hosted by Melissa Bottorff-Arey, whose 21-year-old son Alex died by suicide in 2016, the show blends intimate conversations with survivors, healers, and mental health professionals with short solo reflections you can actually use. Together we explore child loss, trauma and nervous-system care, anniversaries and seasons, stigma, faith and meaning, legacy, and the everyday practices that help make life livable again.

At its heart, this podcast is about learning to live forward after loss. We never move on from the people we love, but we can learn to carry the grief differently. This road can feel incredibly lonely—but you are not alone here.

For supporters, educators, and professionals, these conversations also offer insight into the realities of suicide grief and what genuine, non-fixing support can look like.

If you’d like to share your story or expertise, you can request to be a guest through Melissa’s website.

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Content Note
This podcast speaks candidly about grief and suicide loss and may feel activating for some listeners. We avoid graphic descriptions and discussion of suicide methods. Please care for yourself as needed. Melissa is not a doctor or licensed therapist, and nothing shared here should be considered medical or mental-health advice.

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Trauma to Bipolar; When Suicide Becomes an Option

Today I have a powerful conversation with Jennifer. You will hear her tell her story of the trauma- addiction- mental health-roller coaster that she was on for nearly 27 years before hitting bottom & ...

13 Joulu 202053min

Chasing Joy; Can We Find It?

In this mini "Down the Rabbit Hole " Episode I discuss an often natural feeling in grief - one in which joy eluded me & how I got back to feeling a balance ... & feeling deserving of joy once again. ...

6 Joulu 202010min

Shelby Forsythia; Your Grief, Your Way

In this wonderful conversation with Shelby Forsythia we discuss her new book "Your Grief, Your Way" which is a 366 day (non-religious) daily devotional that I personally think should be in the hands o...

29 Marras 202044min

The First Year; Survival & Beyond

The mini "Down the Rabbit Hole " Episode touches on the 'shoulds' & (possibly) 'shouldn'ts' of the first year(-ish) while you are in survival mode. I offer my own perspective & my advice based on my l...

23 Marras 202015min

Above The Rug; A Suicide Widow's Tale

In this conversation, I talk to Lindsey Doolittle, a suicide (police sergeant's) widow, a loss survivor, but also an advocate and an activist, an artist and an author. We discuss how her husband's pol...

22 Marras 202038min

The F***ing Holidays; Ho Ho NO

In this (second)) Mini Solo "Down the Rabbit Hole" (DTRH) Episode I delve into the topic of "THE HOLIDAYS".... I talk about how they were, and how they are now and how I have (started) to deal with it...

21 Marras 202011min

A Brother Lost; An Unbreakable Bond

This is a conversation is with Parker. We talk about losing his 21 year old brother to suicide at the age of 19 when he was just starting college, just starting his 'adult' life - a life he expected w...

20 Marras 20201h 6min

FEAR; It's Here, What Now?

In this (first) Mini Solo "Down the Rabbit Hole" (DTRH) Episode I delve into the topic of Fear & Grief. I talk about how they overlap & interact as well as how I have (started) to deal with it in my (...

19 Marras 202010min