Samantha Pekh

Award Winning Book

• Silver Award - North American Book Awards (2017)

• Gold Award - International Book Awards Finalist (2018)

• Finalist - International Book Awards (2018)

To access additional resources by Samantha Pekh or to connect with the author directly, visit psychsolutions.ca.

Samantha Pekh, M.A., Registered Psychologist is the author of “Why Did Daddy End His Life? Why Did He Have To Die? A Suicide Bereavement Book For Children And Parents.”

Samantha Pekh is the clinical director of PsychSolutions, a private psychology practice based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. As a trauma therapist, she supports children, adults, and families through the loss of suicide, as well as individuals struggling with suicidal ideation. Through her suicide bereavement groups for children and their caregivers, members are provided the opportunity to understand what they are experiencing, to have difficult questions answered, and to connect with others who have gone through suicide loss. These groups use trauma-informed strategies to ensure a sense of safety and connection among group members occurs. In order to foster stronger bonds and open communication between the children and their respective caregivers, the caregivers play an active role in the groups and participate in attachment-based activities.

Through her work, she has found that parents and caregivers often struggle to find the right words to explain suicide and suicide bereavement to children. This children’s book was written to provide parents and caregivers a resource that they can use to support and guide their children through the difficult process of suicide bereavement. Written from the perspective of a young child, this book includes illustrations that capture many of the thoughts and emotions experienced by grieving. It is written for children between the ages of five and twelve years.

The parent’s guide at the back of the book covers common questions and concerns that many parents and caregivers have, including:

• Fears of disclosing the suicide.

• How to talk about or explain the suicide.

• How to answer difficult questions.

• Deciding how much information should be disclosed, and

• How to respond if your child becomes suicidal.

To access additional resources, you can visit psychsolutions.ca.