An introduction by Founder Jenny Thrasher
During a time when there are more mental health providers than ever and more open discussions about mental health than ever, why is it that mental health challenges and the rate of suicide are higher than ever?
As the stats prove to us, just because we have more of something doesn't make it better. Having more providers or conversations isn't enough if the primary approach being used for over twenty years isn't working. We are overdue for change.
All That We Are® is leading the transformation in how we respond to mental health, emotional crises, and suicide. Our movement transcends traditional suicide and crisis prevention—it is a call to action. One that I am inviting you to be a part of.
Our mission is to shatter stigmas, challenge the traditional path of health and wellness, and embrace all that we are so it's possible to live lives we love.
Through strong pillars of connection, possibility, love, accountability & empowerment, we're devoted to creating a world where everyone feels worthy and capable of living their best life. We believe this is the key to effective suicide prevention.
We bring people together
The All That We Are® approach respects individuality and emphasizes the importance of connection as an essential element of the healing journey. Knowing that we can’t be our best selves by ourselves, our goal is to support the formation of supportive and empowered communities across all areas of life; home, school, work, spiritual institutions, and social gatherings.
One way that we put our mission into action is by offering two free online events each month. “Start the Conversation” is a repeating event where you can learn about our approach and how to have comfortable and effective conversations about mental health, grief, and suicide. Our “Community Conversations” vary each month, focusing on different, relevant, and real topics that affect our everyday lives.
We are proof that healing and living a life of purpose, passion, and pleasure is possible.
Losing my dad to suicide at the age of twenty nearly destroyed me. Twenty years later, almost losing my daughter to a mental health crisis shook me to my core and made me question everything I thought I knew. So much of what we do at All That We Are® is founded in lessons learned from the challenges I faced.
Our work is the result of over 20 years of finding the good in difficult moments, desperately searching for answers, and trying new things even at the risk of failing. This is why I can say with gratitude that my dad's death saved my life while my own challenges taught me about wellness, and my daughter's suicide attempt showed me how to live.
We believe that each of us can heal and live a life of purpose, passion, and pleasure when we stop trying to mask the symptoms and start addressing the root causes of the problem.
We love without conditions
LOVE is a vital element of All That We Are®. We acknowledge that while everyone’s circumstances and experiences are unique when we are suicidal, we all have one thing in common—a lack of love and the devastating belief that we are unworthy of love.
Unfortunately, most people’s experience with love has been conditional or transactional, even in their most fundamental family relationships. The “I will only give you what you need if you give me what I want” paradigm contributes to feelings of shame, fear, and confusion about relationships and our own self-worth. We know that withholding love causes pain and that loving ourselves and others unconditionally has the power to heal.
All That We Are® believes that the love within us is the most profound tool, and learning to experience unconditional self-love is the key to achieving our best life. It replaces fear and judgment with understanding so that we know that healing is possible even in our darkest moments. Always remember that even when you’re at your worst, I will love you as if you’re at your best.
We hold ourselves and each other accountable
While many mental health advocates rely heavily on hope, we rely on ourselves and the support systems we have in place. The sad truth is that hope doesn’t save lives, but love combined with understanding, knowledge, and action does.
It's time to realize there's more than pharmaceuticals and talk therapy. By understanding the connection between our physical, mental, and emotional health, we develop the knowledge to take appropriate action in achieving and maintaining wellness. This awareness empowers us to take accountability for our own health and healing.
We empower people & organizations to take action
We believe that each and every one of us has the power to propel real change in our society, as well as a responsibility to do so.
Business and community leaders are uniquely positioned to make a significant impact. It’s natural for employees to turn to their boss and for students to turn to their teachers during times of need.
When my dad was in his darkest moment, he turned to his boss for support. But, like many leaders, his boss wasn’t equipped to help him because he didn’t know how ... Roughly six months later, I lost my dad to suicide.
We’re here to support you so you can support the people you care about.
We provide a comprehensive community-wide training solution to school and business leaders. In addition to providing the tools and resources to achieve and maintain wellness, we teach you how to have effective conversations about mental health and suicide and how to respond to someone in crisis.
This is where traditional suicide prevention ends. But we know that a single effort isn't enough to achieve sustained results. We need to reshape cultures. With a solid understanding of each community and organization we support, we help our partners create customized programs and inspiring content to keep people engaged for years to come.
The time for action is now
"Faith without works is dead." This means we must believe healing is possible and take consistent action to bring about the changes needed to save lives and help people live lives they love.
With action, we can have accountability.
With accountability, we can have change.
With change, we can have endless possibilities for a healthier and happier society where we live in awareness of and take ownership of all that we are.
Now it's up to you. Will you keep hoping that someone else does something to move the needle forward, or will you be part of the change?
If you have recently experienced a loss or want to take a proactive step in helping yourself and those in your family, organization, or community, let’s start the conversation.
All That We Are® (ATWA) is changing how society responds to mental health, emotional crises, and suicide. By challenging the traditional path of health and wellness, we're making it possible for everyone to live a life they love.
Founder, Jenny Thrasher, has a B.A. in Psychology, extensive training as a crisis counselor, and is a public educator on crisis and suicide prevention. With the knowledge she'd gained over her career and her own firsthand experiences, she founded ATWA with an inspiring vision: to help people heal by living a life they love — something traditional suicide prevention practices have failed to do.
Jenny has successfully implemented her approach in communities and organizations across the U.S. and Canada, Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama, Sudan, Italy, Dubai, the U.K., Australia, and Ireland.