Rita A. Schulte - Surviving Suicide Loss: Making Your Way Beyond the Ruins

This is not just another good book about surviving a suicide. Its actually a book about life and hope and new beginnings. Rita writes with the compassion of a survivor and the wisdom of a therapist. She doesnt minimize the pain. She addresses the difficult issues head-on. Its realistic and faith-affirming. I so wish that Id had this resource when I lost a young adult son to suicide. This is a book that you will want to read more than once.

GARY OLIVER, THM, PHD

Licensed Clinical Psychologist; Executive Director, The Center for Healthy Relationships; Professor of Psychology & Practical Theology, John Brown University

Surviving Suicide Loss is a valuable contribution to suicide literature and a gift to the survivor community. Written with wisdom and grace, the book offers solid support for those grappling with the profound grief that follows the suicide of a loved one. Schulte writes beautifully, and she has shared her story in a way that will make a difference for others who are grieving a suicide. Information and helpful suggestions, along with kindness and compassion permeate every sentence of this book. Reading it was like talking with a friend who understands suicide grief completelybecause they have traveled that same journey.

RONNIE SUSAN WALKER MS, LCPC

Founder & Executive Director, Alliance of Hope for Suicide Loss Survivors

Too many books of this type are strictly personal accounts of survival or an impersonal self-help guide. This is different. Not only does Schulte write about her own journey after her husbands suicide, but she offers an amazing amount of helpful advice in poignant, caring language. I was especially impressed with the practical challenges in her Consider This at the end of each chapter. Although every chapter is impressive, the one I rarely see much written about is chapter 9, Making Peace with Ourselves.

CECIL MURPHEY

Author or coauthor of 140 books, including bestsellers such as Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story and 90 Minutes in Heaven

Deaths by suicide are catastrophes, and the bereaved are left behind to face a lifetime of sometimes unanswerable why questions and the possibility of a shattered belief system, among other woes. In this book, Rita Schulte provides the dual insight of both clinician and suicide loss survivor, giving the reader a roadmap through the darkness that can overtake survivors. With numerous exercises and practical teaching for healing, this book will be an excellent resource to help survivors create new sustainable frameworks of meaning in areas of life challenged by a suicide loss.

DR. THOMAS JOINER

The Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Florida State University

There is no word by itself that triggers more alarm, fear, and pain than suicide. Its impact shakes families, schools, churches, and communities. In her latest book, Surviving Suicide Loss, Rita takes us on a rare journey on how to process and work through one of lifes most difficult situations. In sharing her story, Rita helps bring clarity, comfort, and peace to those who have been deeply impacted by suicide. Ritas words remind us that in the midst of great tragedy and loss, there is hope found in Christ.

DR. TIM CLINTON

President of the American Association of Christian Counselors

Brutally honest poignantly helpful, not a casually written book, but rather profound from page to page. Rita is real before us, and wise with her words. To help you heal, heed her call to make room for spiritual growthshe even helps us with the how.

JUNE HUNT

Founder, CEO, CSO (Chief Servant Officer), Hope For The Heart; author, Counseling Through Your Bible Handbook

2021 by
RITA A. SCHULTE

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible copyright 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. The Living Bible, TLB, and the The Living Bible logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked ISV are taken from the The Holy Bible: International Standard Version. Release 2.0, Build 2015.02.09. Copyright 19952014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.

All emphasis in Scripture has been added.

Names and details of some stories have been changed and others are composites to protect the privacy of individuals.

Published in association with the literary agency of Hartline Literary, 123 Queenston Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15235.

Edited by Amanda Cleary Eastep

Interior Design: Ragont Design

Cover Design: Connie Gabbert Design

Cover image of path copyright 2019 by Milosz Aniol / Shutterstock (396940942). All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Schulte, Rita A., author.

Title: Surviving suicide loss : making your way beyond the ruins / Rita A. Schulte.

Description: Chicago : Northfield Publishing, 2021. | Includes bibliographical references. | Summary: If you are struggling with suicide loss or you need to come alongside someone who is, Rita Schulte wants to help. As a suicide loss survivor, she understands the pain because she has been there too. Her science-based therapy model that takes human spirituality into account offers hope-- Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2021014630 (print) | LCCN 2021014631 (ebook) | ISBN 9780802420985 (paperback) | ISBN 9780802499103 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Loss (Psychology) | Grief. | Suicide. | Psychic trauma. | Counseling--Religious aspects--Christianity.

Classification: LCC BF575.D35 S368 2021 (print) | LCC BF575.D35 (ebook) | DDC 155.9/37--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021014630

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021014631

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Mikesafely home

When darkness overtakes him, light will come bursting in.
Psalm 112:4 TLB

Id like to first acknowledge my husband, Michael William Schulte. Strange, I know, since this book is about his death by suicide, but I wanted to take a moment and acknowledge his life. In the pages that follow, you will hear about my husbands illness and death by suicide; but that isnt his story. The real story is a story of faith, hope, and love. Its about how he touched peoples lives and brought hope and healing to them, not only through his dental office, but through his just being who he was. He was a good man. A loving man. A very generous man. A man who loved God with a passion and who loved his family and friends. He used his gifting as a dentist to minister to those who were less fortunate, and in his practice, which at times seemed more like my counseling office, he prayed with the weary and brokenhearted, pointing them to God.