Grief counselor Jolene Lindsey is hosting a Zoom call tonight at 7:00 p.m. for people needing support or wanting to remember a loved one who died by suicide. (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY

Kamloops grief counsellor hosting virtual support group on World Suicide Prevention Day

Sep 10, 2020 | 2:53 PM

KAMLOOPS — It’s World Suicide Prevention Day, bringing to light the prevalence of suicide and the resources available to those struggling with their mental health.

Every year, 4,000 Canadians die by suicide and a local advocate is trying to provide a space for Kamloops residents to express their grief of a lost loved one.

Jolene Lindsey is a grief counselor who lost her father to suicide at 17 years old. She says this is an important day to bring awareness to the issue and reduce the stigma around suicide.

“I really wanted to make it part of my mission, part of my sole purpose to let other people remember their loved ones without the shame and stigma that suicide carries,” noted Lindsey, who is a counsellor with C&C Resources for Life on Tranquille Road. “And to celebrate the lives of our loved ones, the way they lived, how they lived, who they were, instead of how they died necessarily.”

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World Suicide Prevention Day is especially significant this year with the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially adding to someone’s mental health crisis.

“I can honestly say, and I think many of us are not surprised by this. The minute all of that distraction from the outside world is gone and we’re left sitting with ourselves, sitting with some of the things we’ve maybe been hiding and burying and haven’t had a chance to address,” said Lindsey.

“There’s a lot of people coming forward with depression, anxiety, having a difficult time not returning to their jobs. Huge amounts of grief. We specialize in grief and loss and trauma, that’s what’s going on.”

Lindsey is hosting a Zoom call tonight to celebrate World Suicide Prevention Day, inviting anyone needing support to join. You can access the Zoom link on the C&C Resources for Life Facebook page. The virtual event begins at 7:00 tonight.