Don’t be afraid to ask: It is a common misconception that asking about suicidal feelings will in some way “plant the idea” in a child’s mind and cause them to attempt suicide. In fact, the opposite is true.

I overheard my teenage daughter and her friends talking about their favorite show and how one of the characters committed suicide. I was a little nervous overhearing this conversation and I want to help them have guided conversations around suicide, but I don't know where to start. How can teens talk about suicide with each other?

Are you a planner? As a parent or caregiver, what if there was a way to plan for more than just the monumental moments in life? However, there may be unforeseen moments throughout our children’s lives that lead up to these milestones, and we want to ensure that your child reaches these milestones safely. It is important to help your child develop a crisis safety plan for moments when life may feel a bit too heavy to handle on their own. 

Help kids identify ways to cope with stress, relax, and practice resilience in the face of difficult events.

I work as an ICU RN and for the past year or so I’ve been in the COVID ICU. It is like a war zone, where I watch people die every single day. The amount of stress has taken a toll on my health. Things were getting better for a while, but now as the COVID numbers increase again it means managing more cases and experiencing more death. My mom lives with me and has been living with me for about 5 years. We had a great relationship, but this last year her best friend submerged her into conspiracies theories. My mom doesn’t believe COVID is real, doesn’t wear a mask, and thinks vaccines are a way to control us. What can I do?

Connection is incredibly important for kids’ health and well-being. Help your child identify people in their lives they can look to for help.

My teenage son's friend committed suicide and my son is having a really hard time. We haven’t talked together about suicide in the past, and I am not sure what approach to take to have these difficult conversations. How do I start the conversation and how do I best support him at this time?

Suicide prevention is a heavy topic that can be overwhelming. Nexus Family Healing share tips for talking about suicide prevention

Our handout provides ready-to-use notes with inspirational sayings to share with others and to start spreading hope.

My birth mother gave me up for adoption when I was a newborn. I am now 24 years old and connected with my birth mother and her family two years ago. At first, it was great to meet the extended family and learn more about my birth story. However, I am getting more and more uncomfortable with our interactions. My birth mother seems to be very moody and wants more contact than I am prepared to give. She can lash out emotionally quite easily and I have learned that she has a lot of mental health issues. I don’t enjoy this relationship and don’t have that strong of a connection to her. How do I back away without hurting her feelings?