Eye of the Survivor Curriculum

Storytelling around suicide has unique caveats. Eye of the Survivor helps people who have personal experiences with suicide learn to prepare for and deliver safe and effective storytelling about their experiences. Throughout the Eye of the Survivor Workshop & Retreat, participants are introduced to the healing power of storytelling and get to experience the strength of community-building among those with lived experience of suicide. At the end of the Retreat, participants have a chance to share their stories and receive feedback. If resources allow, there may be an opportunity to videotape polished stories for the storytellers’ advocacy efforts – on their own or on behalf of the organization they serve.

Learning Objectives

• Learn best practices for safe and impactful storytelling

• Explore how storytelling can promote healing and advocacy

• Develop narratives appropriate for peer, community, or policy engagement

• Receive feedback and support from trained facilitators and peers

Key Take Aways

• A safe and impactful way to share their lived experience of suicide

• Ability to create change in participants’ communities and organizations by leveraging their own lived expertise

• Encourage others to tell their story to promote personal and collective healing and empowerment

Who Should Attend?

People with lived experience of suicide, including those grieving suicide loss, those living through a suicide attempt, those living with suicidal despair, thoughts or feelings, or those who are a caregiver for someone who has been suicidal. No matter where someone is on their journey related to suicide, participants will find value in these exercises and lessons. Audiences often include:

• People in mental health or addiction recovery

• Family members, friends and loved ones of people who have died by suicide or overdose

• Peer specialists/peer supporters

• Suicide prevention and mental health trainers

• Public health professionals

• Those preparing for media engagement

• Those preparing for legislative testimony

• Those preparing for public speaking events

• Content developers, artists, YouTubers, influencers, and potential influencers

• Therapists who would like to explore or use narrative therapy to help clients

• Employees working to make change within their organizations

• Students, advocacy-oriented youth

• Those wishing to connect more deeply with those around them