OM DENNE EPISODE
What happens when the pain feels too heavy, the trauma feels impossible to escape, and thoughts of giving up begin to take hold?
In this powerful episode of On The Couch Podcast, Sherita, Connie, and Joshua are joined by Brandon and Tamera for an open and deeply human conversation about suicidal ideation, survivor’s remorse, grief, trauma, and the journey toward healing.
“Breaking Through Ideations” goes beyond statistics and clinical terminology to explore the people behind the pain—and the importance of creating spaces where someone can say, “I’m not okay,” without fear, shame, or judgment. ️
Brandon shares his personal experience of loss connected to the Charleston church shooting, bringing a unique perspective as both a survivor and mental health professional. The conversation explores survivor’s remorse, the complicated emotions that can follow tragedy, and why our usual ways of checking on someone who is grieving may not always reach the person who needs us most.
The discussion also examines the emotional weight carried by first responders, law enforcement officers, medical professionals, therapists, and other professional caregivers. Behind the uniform, title, or professional role is still a human being who can experience trauma, grief, exhaustion, and emotional distress.
Tamera discusses how trauma can remain connected to the body and explores EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) as one therapeutic approach used in trauma treatment. The conversation challenges the idea that healing means simply “getting over” a painful experience. Instead, healing can mean learning how to live, feel, remember, seek support, and continue moving forward.
Most importantly, Breaking Through Ideations reminds us that conversations about suicide should not begin only when someone reaches a crisis point
