About Sarah
The term Soul Exhaustion was born in my mind during a trip to the White Mountains in New Hampshire. My husband and I were on a quick weekend getaway and found what was supposed to be a “short and sweet” hike to Lonesome Lake. We gathered our Bernese Mountain Dogs and hit the trails having no idea that “short and sweet” is a highly subjective description. For us, two non-hikers, the trail would not ever be described in that way. I was exhausted and hot, and what I expected to be a relaxing walk with my dogs turned into a massive physical task. But when we reached the top, it was absolutely majestic and we were met with a beautiful, crystal-clean lake. The sky was blue, the air crisp and clean, and the sun warm and gentle on our faces. The dogs frolicked in the water, and we took in the beauty all while trying not to think about the reality that we would have to find our way back down the mountain at some point. By the time I got back to our car, every muscle in my body burned and ached. It was a Herculean effort to lift my legs into our Jeep Grand Cherokee. Had we been smarter, we would have given up on our special dinner plans at my favorite local restaurant. But alas, we were/are stubborn and of course, had to eat. We were seated next to the windows at the Common Man in Lincoln, NH, and tried to get excited about the meal we had saved for our last night. The restaurant was filled with happy voices, laughter, and the smells of burgers and fries, chicken pot pie, and New England pot roast. Tears began to form in my eyes. I was overcome with sadness and disappointment that I was simply too exhausted to enjoy this dinner I had been looking forward to for weeks. As I fought the urge to put my head in my hands and cry, I thought to myself, “I have never been this exhausted.” Almost as soon as the words crossed my mind, I realized it wasn’t true. I had been this exhausted before. In fact, I had been more exhausted, and it lasted for months. I was instantly teleported back to one of the most horrifically traumatic and painful times in my life. The days, weeks, and months after my best friend had died by suicide. Even though my brain had hardly any energy to function, I also instantly thought, “But that was different. This is physical exhaustion causing all of it. The exhaustion I felt when she died though, that was soul exhaustion.” The more that I dove into the idea of soul exhaustion and talked to many people all around the world, I started to understand that many life experiences can fuel Soul Exhaustion and that it is a term or concept that most people can and do relate to. As a professional in Trauma Recovery and suicide prevention, I have worked tirelessly not to put myself or others into boxes. To see each of us as a unique soul who makes sense in the context of our lives and experiences. The concept of Soul Exhaustion will give you a new and different lens to consider yourself. I hope that it brings you deep validation of your struggles and also fantastic hope that there is a path toward peace. There is no right or wrong path on the journey toward Soul Care that can be proven, that is the beauty of this discussion. It is intended to allow each of us another way to think about ourselves that doesn’t start with the question “what is wrong with me?” but rather asks “What is happening to the deepest part of me as a human being and what does that part of me need to find peace and maybe even joy?” But …. And this is a big BUT, Soul Care is not a quick fix. It is not a one-and-done. It is not a fad diet. It is a lifelong effort and a shift in how you view and live your life. There is no destination of self-actualization. It is an ongoing journey toward finding peace within ourselves, our past, and our relationships with others. While this concept may have been born in my mind in the White Mountains several years ago, this workbook is the labor of love of many beautiful and brilliant people. People who have both dedicated their lives to helping others and in most cases, have been driven to do so because they themselves had to walk the journey of reclaiming themselves. This workbook, while often supported by best practices and/or research, is first and foremost meant to speak to the deepest parts of the “who” you are. Welcome to the Soul Exhaustion & Soul Care Community. We hope that the content and resources here can act as a compass on your journey and that you will find practical suggestions as well as validation here. From all of us to you, may the road be filled with sunshine and rain, green fields and beautiful mountains, and most of all, may you realize that you are enough.
Our Soul Care Team
Cassandra Kelly is a professional marketer, storyteller, and changemaker. Through her work, she hopes to empower others with knowledge and understanding about science, history, and above all themselves. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Ohio University. After a brief stint as a journalist in New York, Cassandra moved back to her home in Columbus, Ohio to serve her community as a nonprofit communicator. She has worked with multiple nonprofits to achieve visibility around topics such as suicide prevention, mental health, affordable child care, and the environment. She also continues to freelance as a science writer for national publications, including Mechanical Engineering Magazine.
Cassandra Kelly
Dr. Pata Suyemoto is a feminist scholar, writer, educator, curriculum developer, equity trainer, mental health activist, jewelry designer, and avid bicyclist. She earned her PhD. from the University of Pennsylvania and did her research on anti-racist education and issues of race and racism. She is the Executive Director for the National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA). She also is the Associate Director of Equity for the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention (MCSP). Pata is founder and co-chair of the MCSP Alliance for Equity and one of the authors of Widening the Lens: Exploring the Role of Social Justice in Suicide Prevention – A Racial Equity Toolkit. She has spoken and written about being a suicide attempt survivor and her struggles with chronic depression and complex PTSD. She is also the chair of SPRC’s (Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s) Lived Experience Advisory Committee. Her claim to fame is that she rode her bicycle across the country in the summer of 2012.
Dr. Pata Suyemoto
Ms. Oss is a person with lived experience and started volunteering in Idaho’s Correctional facilities at one year of sobriety. She has worked inside and outside juvenile and adult correctional institutions, hospitals, and treatment agencies as a Correctional Officer and an SUD Counselor. She opened her own outpatient facility in Idaho between the years 2008-2013 and offered SUD Education, Relapse Prevention, Anger Management, and various Cognitive-Behavioral groups. Marsha also completed SUD Assessments to determine the level of need and developed individual treatment plans to address SUD issues as well as TBI’s, and challenges related to pre-natal SUD exposure. Marsha Oss relocated to Alaska from Idaho in 1996 and went to work for Tanana Chiefs Conference between 1997-2002. She worked in the Community Health Department, traveling the Interior of Alaska working with prevention and chaperoning elders and youth for Denakkanaaga. In 1998, she moved to the position of Primary Counselor, then Clinical Supervisor, and finally Acting Director of Old Minto Family Recovery Camp. Marsha spent the past 6½ years as the Fairbanks Reentry Coalition Case Manager, helping justice-involved folks return to the community. Marsha joined the City of Fairbanks in 2022 as the Reentry Coalition Coordinator. Marsha completed her AA and BA in Interdisciplinary Studies with Minors in Justice, Political Science, and History through UAF in August 2022. She currently holds an NCAC-I and is certified through Alaska as a CDC/BHC II, and Peer Support Specialist III. Other training includes Suicide Prevention using the Gatekeeper model, Grief Specialist, and Domestic Batterer’s Education Facilitator.
Marsha Oss
Jen Kelliher is the Managing Director for the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention, co-chair of the MCSP Alliance for Equity, and co-author of the Widening the Lens Racial Equity toolkit. She graduated from Smith College with a degree in Women's Studies, and currently lives in Lowell, MA. Jen's soul care includes listening to Jagged Little Pill on repeat, watching her cats chase each other around her condo, writing and journaling, and carbs.
Jen Kelliher
Karen’s career is steeped in human service and program development, highlighted by work as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Board Certified Music Therapist, Program Director, and most recently as an advocate, public speaker, and mental health training facilitator. Her passion for change making and awareness building has been lifelong and significantly influenced by the suicide death of her teenage son, in 2018. Karen is a member of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention MA Chapter Board of Directors and co-chairs their Advocacy and Public Policy Committee. She is a certified trainer in Adult, Youth, and Teen Mental Health First Aid, QPR and AFSP programs, facilitating training and engagement across New England. She co-chairs the Pioneer Valley Regional Suicide Prevention Coalition and is an Advisory Board member of the Ludlow CARES Coalition. In Southern VT, Karen supports the mental health initiatives of the Nathan M. Carreira Endowment Fund for Mental Health and this past March she was a recipient of the 2024 Massachusetts Leadership in Suicide Prevention Award.
Karen Carreira, MA, LMHC
Jill Wallace is a retired Probation and Parole Officer and the President of Kodiak Reentry, Inc. in Kodiak, Alaska. She has a BS in criminal psychology and is currently a master’s student in forensic psychology. In 2014 Jill co-founded the Kodiak Area Mentor Program (KAMP), a faith-based nonprofit organization that serves the needs of people who have been impacted by the criminal legal system. She presented this model of filling in the gaps between parole/probation and meaningful community integration for reentrants and their families to the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) conference in Boston in 2021. In 2019 she co-developed The Treatment Game, designed to teach empathy and understanding of the stages of change for individuals who struggle with addiction to controlled substances and alcohol, and presents the game to local and state agencies and conferences. Jill facilitates a weekly discussion group, KAMP Growth Group, that focuses on topics related to healthy boundaries, relationships, and personal growth and has co-facilitated an online CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) based support group for families with loved ones in addiction. Her passion for working with people inspires her soul care journey for herself and those she serves.
Jill Wallace
I am glad you are here and congratulations on taking another step forward in your journey. Finding and maintaining wellness is an individualized process that is ongoing and ever changing. We all deserve a path towards wellness that fits our needs. As a person in recovery from substance use, a recovery coach, and a peer specialist, I use my lived experience to deepen connections with those I work with and help them find a path that works for their lives. I will soon be a recipient of a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling and am so grateful for the opportunity to grow. I support all methods towards wellness, traditional and non traditional: peer support, therapy, nature, animals, yoga/exercise, social connection, personal development, spirituality and more. Come find what works for you!