After Losing Their Son to Suicide: Finding Hope, Healing & Purpose | Joel & Amy Newsom
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains sensitive discussions of suicide, the loss of a child, and traumatic grief. Please listen with care. How do you begin to heal after an unimaginable loss? And how do you find purpose when life will never be the same? In this deeply moving episode of Metabolic Matters, host Christina Mason welcomes Joel and Amy Newsom, parents of seven who lost their 13-year-old son, Joshua, to suicide eight years ago. Joshua was a bright, curious, and loving young boy whose unexpected passing forever changed their family. With Joel deployed overseas at the time, Amy and their children faced a devastating tragedy that would reshape their lives in ways they never imagined. Joel and Amy share an honest look at their family's journey through grief, including the guilt, anger, trauma, and unanswered questions that followed. They discuss how each family member grieved differently and the role that counseling, EMDR therapy, faith, and community support played in helping them navigate their loss. Amy also opens up about the physical effects of prolonged grief, including insomnia, weight changes, and chronic stress, and how rebuilding daily habits became part of her healing journey. Over time, their experiences inspired a new purpose. Amy became a nurse practitioner, and she and Joel founded Newsom Family Wellness, where they now help others navigate difficult health journeys through a personalized, metabolic health approach. One of the most powerful messages from their conversation is the idea of moving from post-traumatic stress to post-traumatic growth. Not because the grief disappears, but because hope, purpose, and healing can exist alongside it. This is a heartfelt conversation about family, resilience, faith, and finding ways to honor a loved one's legacy by helping others. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the United States. Click here to find a list of therapeutic modalities. Connect with Amy & Joel: Website: newsomwellness.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newsomwellness/ About Your Host: Christina Mason is a lifelong storyteller, educator, and truth-seeker whose journey—from music and teaching to entrepreneurship—has always been guided by curiosity. Following her own breast cancer diagnosis, she turned her focus toward metabolic health and healing. As host of Metabolic Matters, she creates space for real people to share real stories and the many paths that shape how we understand health. Follow the Show: Website: www.metabolicmatters.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metabolicmatters_/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577488944537 Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@metabolicmatters LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/metabolic-matters</a