Michelle Linn-Gust
Encyclopedia
Michelle Linn-Gust, born Michelle Linn (December 12, 1971), is an American author and speaker on coping with grief following suicide, especially that of siblings. As of 2011, she is the President of the American Association of Suicidology
. She has written several books about the experiences of families following the suicide of a member, given workshops to survivors on dealing with their grief, and spoken widely on the topic. For the past several years, she has offered workshops in the Southwest for the Navajo
and Pueblo people
s of the reservations, who have suffered high rates of suicide among young people.
, the third of four children. Her family included a younger sister. She wanted to be a writer since elementary school. After attending public schools, Linn attended Ball State University
, where she worked toward a degree in magazine journalism
. She also wrote for the student newspaper, the Ball State Daily News.
Her younger sister Denise Linn suffered in high school from depression and bulimia, an eating disorder
. She died by suicide suicide
in 1993 at age 17, an event that had a profound effect on Linn. Michelle Linn published her first piece about her sister and her death two weeks later in her university newspaper. Linn eventually changed the direction of her studies and writing as a result of her loss, having learned there were few sources to help siblings of suicides.
In the summer of 1993, Linn had a communications internship with USA Boxing at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado
. While there, she befriended LaRita Archibald of the HEARTBEAT survivors of suicide loss support group
s and became interested in how such groups help families. Linn-Gust finished her B.S. degree at Ball State in May 1994. That fall she began graduate work at the University of New Mexico
and earned an M.S. in Health Education in May 1996. Later she returned for more study, earning her Ph.D. in Family Studies from the University of New Mexico in 2008.
book, she wrote about her strategies for dealing with grief after a sibling's death. Following its publication, Linn-Gust was invited to speak nationally and, later, internationally about the experiences of family members after a suicide. She also writes about grief after sibling
loss, which often is not given as much societal attention as the loss of parents or spouses.
Linn-Gust has made these associated topics her major field of study, writing, and education. She is recognized as an expert on sibling and family experiences of grief after the suicide of a member. While working on her dissertation, she got her first dog. This prompted her to explore how animal companions help people through grief and other life challenges. She published an article and a memoir in 2007 that address the role of companion animals.
She has continued to write about family survivors of suicide and how they can deal with grief. She is also working on the broader issue of helping people to cultivate hope. Since 2003, Linn-Gust has worked with Navajo
and Pueblo
communities on reservations
in the Southwest
because of their high rates of suicide. She has been careful to listen to the people and learn about their cultures.
Linn-Gust's first fiction novel, The Australian Pen Pal, was released April 19, 2011.
On the Board of Directors of the American Association of Suicidology, Linn-Gust was elected president in 2011. She is the first person to serve as president who does not have clinic
al experience. Founded in 1968 by Edwin S. Shneidman, this is the oldest organization in the United States dedicated to suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention.
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. She has written several books about the experiences of families following the suicide of a member, given workshops to survivors on dealing with their grief, and spoken widely on the topic. For the past several years, she has offered workshops in the Southwest for the Navajo
Navajo people
The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
and Pueblo people
Pueblo people
The Pueblo people are a Native American people in the Southwestern United States. Their traditional economy is based on agriculture and trade. When first encountered by the Spanish in the 16th century, they were living in villages that the Spanish called pueblos, meaning "towns". Of the 21...
s of the reservations, who have suffered high rates of suicide among young people.
Early life and education
Michelle Linn was born in 1971 and reared in the Chicago suburb of NapervilleNaperville, Illinois
Naperville is a city in DuPage and Will Counties in Illinois in the United States, voted the second best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2006. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 141,853. It is the fifth largest city in the state, behind Chicago,...
, the third of four children. Her family included a younger sister. She wanted to be a writer since elementary school. After attending public schools, Linn attended Ball State University
Ball State University
Ball State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
, where she worked toward a degree in magazine journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
. She also wrote for the student newspaper, the Ball State Daily News.
Her younger sister Denise Linn suffered in high school from depression and bulimia, an eating disorder
Eating disorder
Eating disorders refer to a group of conditions defined by abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake to the detriment of an individual's physical and mental health. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are the most common specific...
. She died by suicide suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in 1993 at age 17, an event that had a profound effect on Linn. Michelle Linn published her first piece about her sister and her death two weeks later in her university newspaper. Linn eventually changed the direction of her studies and writing as a result of her loss, having learned there were few sources to help siblings of suicides.
In the summer of 1993, Linn had a communications internship with USA Boxing at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
. While there, she befriended LaRita Archibald of the HEARTBEAT survivors of suicide loss support group
Support group
In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic...
s and became interested in how such groups help families. Linn-Gust finished her B.S. degree at Ball State in May 1994. That fall she began graduate work at the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
and earned an M.S. in Health Education in May 1996. Later she returned for more study, earning her Ph.D. in Family Studies from the University of New Mexico in 2008.
Career
While student teaching in Albuquerque, Linn-Gust continued to write about her experiences following the loss of her sister. She began work on what eventually developed into her first book, Do They Have Bad Days in Heaven? Surviving the Suicide Loss of a Sibling (2001). Creating a self-helpSelf-help
Self-help, or self-improvement, is a self-guided improvement—economically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a substantial psychological basis. There are many different self-help movements and each has its own focus, techniques, associated beliefs, proponents and in some cases, leaders...
book, she wrote about her strategies for dealing with grief after a sibling's death. Following its publication, Linn-Gust was invited to speak nationally and, later, internationally about the experiences of family members after a suicide. She also writes about grief after sibling
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
loss, which often is not given as much societal attention as the loss of parents or spouses.
Linn-Gust has made these associated topics her major field of study, writing, and education. She is recognized as an expert on sibling and family experiences of grief after the suicide of a member. While working on her dissertation, she got her first dog. This prompted her to explore how animal companions help people through grief and other life challenges. She published an article and a memoir in 2007 that address the role of companion animals.
She has continued to write about family survivors of suicide and how they can deal with grief. She is also working on the broader issue of helping people to cultivate hope. Since 2003, Linn-Gust has worked with Navajo
Navajo people
The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
and Pueblo
Pueblo people
The Pueblo people are a Native American people in the Southwestern United States. Their traditional economy is based on agriculture and trade. When first encountered by the Spanish in the 16th century, they were living in villages that the Spanish called pueblos, meaning "towns". Of the 21...
communities on reservations
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
in the Southwest
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
because of their high rates of suicide. She has been careful to listen to the people and learn about their cultures.
Linn-Gust's first fiction novel, The Australian Pen Pal, was released April 19, 2011.
Additional works
- 2007, Ginger’s Gift: Hope and Healing through Dog Companionship,
- 2010, Rocky Roads: The Journeys of Families through Suicide Grief.
- 2010, co-authored with John Peters, Winding Road: A Handbook for those Supporting the Suicide Bereaved
- 2011, Seeking Hope: Stories of the Suicide Bereaved, Eds. Linn-Gust, M., & Cerel, J. The proceeds from the book are going to a fund at the American Association of Suicidology to support suicide bereavement research.
Associations and public speaking
Linn-Gust became active in associations supporting survivors of suicide. In 2006 she served as president of the New Mexico Suicide Prevention Coalition. She has also edited Surviving Suicide, a newsletter published by the American Association of Suicidology.On the Board of Directors of the American Association of Suicidology, Linn-Gust was elected president in 2011. She is the first person to serve as president who does not have clinic
Clinic
A clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...
al experience. Founded in 1968 by Edwin S. Shneidman, this is the oldest organization in the United States dedicated to suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention.
External links
- Michelle Linn-Gust - Official Website
- LegacyConnect – Michelle's Blog at LegacyConnect
- Sibling Survivors - Online Support for Survivors of Sibling Suicide
- Bereaved by Suicide - Resources for Survivors, Michelle's Blog