Unfinished Conversation Book

Unfinished Conversation
Healing from Suicide and Loss-A Guided Journey

Robert E. Lesoine
With Marilynne Chöphel, MFT

Order online:
Parallax Press
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Indiebound
And at booksellers everywhere

Unfinished Conversation chronicles a path of transformation from anger and despair to compassion and liberation.”
—Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, Being Peace

“Beautifully written, this book is pure medicine for the grieving heart.”
—Tara Brach, PhD, Radical Acceptance and True Refuge

“This eloquent book is a personal companion for those left behind, a friend nudging us forward with compassion and wisdom.”
—Christopher Germer, PhD, Clinical Instructor, Harvard Medical School, author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion

“Expertly woven into the raw feelings expressed in the journaling of Lesoine’s loss are the tools and techniques that will help to understand, heighten, experience and refine these emotions. The authors claim this journey will help anyone left after a suicide find greater perspective, meaning, and wellbeing in their lives. I agree without reservation… Unfinished Conversation is a book that I will use in my own clinical practice and one that I will recommend to friends and family. The book helps to create some understanding out of an experience that is largely devoid of it. Most importantly, the book helps to believe that there really is hope that it gets better.”
—American Association of Suicidology

More Endorsements

Book Reviews

Authors’ Acknowledgments

Support with CDs

Available through www.Amazon.com, www.soundstrue.com, or as indicated.

Meditation & Relating with Your Mind

How to Meditate: A Practical Guide to Making Friends With Your Mind (5-CD set)
Teachings on meditation and how they apply to everyday life.
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times
Getting Unstuck: Breaking Your Habitual Patterns & Encountering Reality
The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times
Don’t Bite the Hook: Finding Freedom from Anger, Resentment, and Other Destructive Emotions
Pema Chödron www.pemachodronfoundation.org

Living Without Stress or Fear: Essential Teachings on the True Source of Happiness
A six-hour course for using mindfulness practice to transform anxiety, anger, and despair.
Being Peace
An eloquent meditation on “being peace in order to make peace.”
The Ultimate Dimension
Interbeing, transcendence of self, the practice of non-practice, overcoming the fear of death.
Thich Nhat Hanh www.plumvillage.org

Grief Support

Graceful Passages: A Companion for Living and Dying (2-CD and book set)
Heart of Healing: Music and Messages for the Human Journey
An audio sanctuary for exploring feelings, thoughts, and beliefs regarding living and dying. Each track is
spoken by a leader from the world’s great spiritual traditions, accompanied by peaceful music.
Michael Stillwater www.innerharmony.com & Gary Malkin www.wisdomoftheworld.com

Awakening Compassion: Meditation Practice for Difficult Times (6-CD)
Bodhisattva Mind: Teachings to Cultivate Courage and Awareness in the Midst of Suffering (7-CD)
Pema Chödron www.pemachodronfoundation.org

The Grief Process (3-CD) workshop that explores how to resolve grief.
Merciful Awareness: Natural Pain Management – audio book through www.amazon.com
Steven Levine www.soundstrue.com

A Meditation To Ease Grief
Meditation To Help with Anger & Forgiveness
Moving and gentle guided imagery designed to help tolerate, experience, and go beyond the pain.
Belleruth Naparstek www.belleruthnaparstek.com

Being a Compassionate Companion: Teachings, Stories and Practical Wisdom for Those
Accompanying Someone Who is Dying (3-CD)
Support to prepare for death, serving the dying, and grieving.
Frank Ostaseski, Founding Director of the Metta Institute www.mettainstitute.org
and the Zen Hospice Project www.zenhospice.org.

 

Transforming Trauma

Guided Imagery for the Three Stages of Healing Trauma-9 Meditations for Posttraumatic Stress
Healing Trauma (PTSD)
Heartbreak, Abandonment & Betrayal
Moving and gentle guided imagery designed to help tolerate, experience, and go beyond the pain.
Belleruth Naparstek www.belleruthnaparstek.com

Healing Trauma (6-CD) A detailed course for awakening your body’s innate ability to heal.
Peter Levine, Ph.D. www.traumahealing.com

 

Deep Relaxation

Guided Mindfulness Meditation – Series 1
The first CD provides the guided body relaxation, the “Body Scan,” recommended to do daily to train the
nervous system to deeply relax. The full 4-CD set includes the Body Scan, Mindful Yoga, and Sitting
Meditation, and constitutes the core practice curriculum of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)
in the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. They are meant to be
used in conjunction with Dr. Kabat-Zinn’s books, Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your
Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness, and Wherever You Go, There You Are.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. www.mindfulnesstapes.com

Resting in Stillness: Integrative Restoration
Richard Miller, Ph.D. www.irest.us

Meditations to Relieve Stress
A Meditation for Relaxation & Wellness
Healthful Sleep
Moving and gentle guided imagery designed to help tolerate, experience, and go beyond the pain.
Belleruth Naparstek www.belleruthnaparstek.com Variety of CDs available.

Letting Go of Stress: Four Effective Techniques for Relaxation & Stress Reduction
Accepting Change and Moving On: Loss And Letting Go
Understand how the mind and body can work in harmony to produce healing, balance and wellness.
Emmett Miller M.D. www.drmiller.com Variety of CDs available.

Deep Relaxation: Stress Management & Healing
Sojourn to Healing: Creative Imagery and Visualization
She developed the yoga portion of the Dean Ornish M.D. Program for Reversing Heart Disease, and co-
founded the Commonweal Cancer Help Program. Variety of CDs available.
By Nischala Joy Devi, Abundant Wellbeing Series, www.abundantwellbeing.com

 

Self Acceptance

Radical Self-Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha
ByTara Brach, Ph.D. www.tarabrach.com

Unconditional Self-Acceptance
Suffering is Optional
Cheri Huber, Zen Teacher www.livingcompassion.org

Breath and Energy Practice

Follow Your Breath: A Foundational Technique
Instruction and guided practices.
Sharon Salzberg www.sharonsalzberg.com

Freeing the Breath: Health, Relaxation, and Clarity Through Better Breathing
Instruction and guided practices.
Leslie Kaminoff www.breathingproject.org

The Wisdom of the Breath: Three Guided Meditations for Calming the Mind and Cultivating Insight
Instruction and guided practice.
Bodhipaksa www.wildmind.org

Qigong Meditations
Instruction and guided practices.
Ken Cohen www.qigonghealing.com

Breath Sounds: Measured Music for Breathing
Light Transitions Tapes for practicing breathing relaxation at a gentle relaxed pace with music.
Sandra Summerfield-Kozak www.internationalyogastudies.com

Quantum Light Breath: Dynamic Breath Meditation
Explore your breath as a transformative tool, with music. www.quantumlightbreath.com