Four years after he lost his 24-year-old son to suicide, worker wellness advocate John Gaal sat down with his wife and daughter to watch a movie. He said it was one of the first times the family gathered in a relaxed way since his son, John Gaal Jr., died. Then, about 20 minutes into the movie, Gaal’s phone blew up. His friend was calling to ask for support because he just lost his own son to suicide.
“He asked me if I could just sit with him and talk, and that’s what we did for the next hour,” Gaal said.
To understand his friend’s needs, Gaal said he thought back to his headspace when he lost his son…