Surviving and Thriving After Tragedy with Sally Raymond
Host: Dr. Allen Lycka
Guest: Sally Raymond, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Introduction
Dr. Allen Lycka welcomes back Sally Raymond, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Sally's journey into advocacy and mental health began after the tragic suicide of her eldest son in 1992. Since then, she has dedicated her life to helping others through therapy, teaching, writing, and speaking on suicide prevention, wellness, spirituality, and mental health. In 2021, she published her book, The Son I Knew Too Late: A Guide to Help You Survive and Thrive, based on her experiences and her son's story.
Lessons from Personal Tragedy
Key Points:
- Sally reflects on the painful lessons learned from her son's life and death.
- As a newly licensed psychotherapist at the time, Sally realizes she missed critical signs of her son's pain due to a lack of awareness about developmental stages and core issues in each stage of a child's growth.
- Her experience led her to understand the importance of parents being aware of these stages to support their children's development effectively.
Early Signs and Missed Clues
Key Points:
- Sally shares that the first missed clue was at her son's birth when he cried excessively due to a broken collarbone that went undiagnosed, leading to a deep mistrust from the outset.
- This incident created a lifelong impact on her son's ability to trust and form bonds, which Sally believes contributed to his eventual suicide.
Overcoming Adversity in Childhood
Key Points:
- During the early years of her son's life, another critical incident occurred when he was molested as a toddler, severely affecting his development.
- Despite these traumas, Sally's son excelled academically, demonstrating his resilience and intelligence.
- Sally emphasizes the need for awareness and support systems for children who have experienced trauma.
The Impact on Sally's Other Son, Brett
Key Points:
- Sally's younger son, Brett, faced his own struggles, feeling overshadowed by his older brother's brilliance.
- Brett’s journey from struggling in school to excelling and working on major projects like the visual effects for The Lord of the Rings showcases resilience and self-responsibility.
- Brett’s story highlights the importance of learning how to learn, a skill he mastered on his own terms, which led to his success.
Turning Tragedy into Triumph
Key Points:
- After her son’s suicide, Sally chose to view her son as a teacher rather than a tragedy.
- She committed to understanding what went wrong and to making a difference in the lives of others by sharing her insights and experiences.
- Sally's work focuses not only on individual and family healing but also on improving societal structures to support mental health and resilience.
The Importance of Taking Responsibility
Key Points:
- Dr. Lycka and Sally discuss the importance of taking responsibility for one’s life and decisions, a critical factor in overcoming adversity and achieving success.
- Sally believes that by taking full responsibility, individuals can transform from being victims to achieving triumphs.
A Message of Hope
BIO:
Since 1991, Sally Raymond is a survivor of her eldest son’s suicide. Since 1992, has been a practicing Marriage & Family Therapist (MFT), a fashion/print model, a high school communication and leadership skills coach, and multiple-award winning, top Toastmaster. Sally has appeared in numerous interviews and published articles on suicide prevention, wellness, spirituality and mental health. In 2021, Sally published The Son I Knew Too Late: A Guide to Help You Survive and Thrive, a unique, story driven suicide prevention book dedicated to help everyone else at any age know what to do and not do to avoid the needless tragedy no one really survives.
Social Media:
Website: sallyaraymond.com
LinkedIn: sallie4th
Facebook: Sally A Raymond
