Together After Loss: Inside AFSP’s 2026 Long-Term Survivors of Suicide Loss Summit

This past summer, over 230 people gathered in Baltimore, Maryland, for AFSP’s Long-Term Survivors of Suicide Loss (LTSSL) Summit. From July 16–19, long-term survivors of suicide loss participated in a weekend of workshops, expert-led discussions, and activities that encourage connection, creativity, and wellness.  

The Loss Summit is the only conference of its kind, offering a weekend of events and activities created specifically for long-term survivors of suicide loss, most of whom are five or more years beyond the date of their loved one’s suicide. Held every two years and co-chaired by AFSP Loss & Healing Council members Tammi Ginsberg and Diane Gillen, this multi-day event encourages fellow suicide loss survivors to gather for connection and healing. 

“The Loss Summit is a powerful reminder of the role community can play in someone’s grief journey,” said Trisha Calabrese, AFSP senior vice president of Programs. “Long-term suicide loss survivors spend the weekend sharing their experiences, learn new tools to help navigate grief, and explore different paths to healing.”

Below, you can read about top moments from the 2026 Loss Summit. 

Seeing Old Friends and Making New Ones

For those who lost someone to suicide many years ago, being around others who understand can be deeply comforting. At this year’s Loss Summit, participants were able to reconnect with familiar faces and also meet new ones, with 73% of attendees being first timers. From the welcome reception to sharing circles, the Loss Summit gave those connections a chance to grow.  

Throughout the weekend, an on-site AFSP Care Team was available to provide short-term support and guidance for attendees, along with a quiet room where attendees could rest, reflect, or simply take a break. 

By the end of the weekend, 93% said they had built new connections that will support them in their long-term grief, and participants shared that they felt understood and less alone. 

Learning, Listening, and Growing  

Throughout the conference, breakout sessions allowed attendees to learn from experts and fellow loss survivors sharing their experiences, perspectives, and journeys. Sessions explored topics from coping and spirituality to storytelling, wellness, and finding meaning after loss, inspiring attendees to reflect on their own grief throughout it all. Some sessions focused on the experiences of specific groups, including Hispanic and Black suicide loss survivors.  

Keynote speaker Dr. Stacey Freedenthal, a psychotherapist and expert in suicide prevention, spoke about guilt, responsibility, and “what ifs” that survivors may carry after a loss. Her session encouraged survivors to approach the difficult feelings of guilt and blame with greater self-compassion. Plenary speaker Dr. Amy Bigbee Grosso brought both personal and professional experience to the weekend, sharing her perspective on holistic wellness and inviting comfort, strength, hope, and joy throughout the grief journey. 

AFSP staff also led breakout sessions covering programs and resources available to loss survivors, as well as ways to support other suicide loss survivors by sharing your story, remembering what helped you during the initial days, and exploring what you wish people knew about suicide loss. Sharing circles offered another way to connect, bringing people who had experienced similar types of loss together to tell their stories and offer support.  

Unleashing Inner Artists, Yogis, and New Experiences 

Healing looks different for everyone. Sometimes it comes from having deep conversations. Other times, it may look like picking up a paintbrush, taking a walk, or trying something completely new. The Loss Summit welcomed all those approaches to healing, offering attendees different ways to slow down, reflect, and discover what felt right for them.   

The Artful Grief Open Art Studio was available throughout the weekend, allowing attendees to stop in whenever they liked. Loss survivors were encouraged to collage, paint, or create memory boxes to explore their grief through art. One loss survivor who didn’t consider themselves “artsy” even noted that the art studio allowed them to step outside their comfort zone and find healing through creation.   

Drumming circles, led by Andre Toney from Big Infinite, encouraged attendees to feel the pulse of a shared rhythm, while a sound bath invited them to enter a state of deep relaxation. Walking and wellness activities brought movement into the weekend, with opportunities for yoga and breath work. 

On Sunday morning, attendees came together for a smudging ceremony, an Indigenous tradition that involves burning herbs to cleanse negative energy, led by Donna Wolff, an enrolled member of the Santee Sioux Nation of Nebraska and AFSP Nebraska Chapter volunteer. As the final plenary and reflections wrapped up, people exchanged hugs and expressed gratitude and hope. From creating art and practicing yoga to experiencing sound, movement, and moments of reflection, the Loss Summit honored the many ways healing can take shape. 

Visit afsp.org/loss for more information and additional resources for suicide loss survivors.