What happens when the truth you’ve believed your whole life changes overnight?
In this powerful and emotional episode of The Hanley Effect, hosts Dr. Rachel Docekal and Dr. John Dyben welcome Lisa Sugarman—author, columnist, and mental health advocate—for an honest conversation about grief, suicide loss, and finding purpose through pain.
A three-time suicide loss survivor, Lisa shares how discovering the truth about her father’s death 35 years later reshaped her world and mission. From that moment on, she has worked tirelessly to normalize conversations around suicide and mental health, and to provide compassionate support for those in crisis through her work with The Trevor Project, NAMI, and her platform, The HelpHUB™.
Lisa shares how that revelation not only led to years of personal grief but also propelled her into a new purpose: normalizing the conversation around suicide, loss, and mental health. She speaks candidly about the stigma surrounding suicide, what real support looks like for those in crisis, and the importance of simply saying, “I don’t know” when facing pain.
Lisa also introduces listeners to The HelpHUB™, a free online platform she created to connect individuals to mental health resources specific to a wide variety of communities. From her work with The Trevor Project to being a storyteller with NAMI, Lisa’s message is clear: healing starts with honest conversation.
Resources Mentioned:
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Call or text 988
- The HelpHUB – www.thehelphub.co
- NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – www.nami.org
- The Trevor Project – www.thetrevorproject.org
