Eight Months After the Eaton Fire, a Call to ‘Listen Bravely’

Stacey Freedenthal. [Courtesy photo]

Eight months after the Eaton fire, Los Angeles County mental health experts are promoting a deceptively simple intervention to address rising youth suicide rates: “brave listening.”

The technique will be featured at the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health’s 15th Annual Suicide Prevention Summit at Pasadena City College on September 12–13, during National Suicide Prevention Week.

“I would recommend to ‘listen bravely,’ because so many people are probably holding inside feelings and thoughts that they’re scared to share or that maybe they’ve even tried to share and been met with minimization or fear,” said Stacey Freedenthal, keynote speaker and University of Denver associate professor.

The summit comes as nearly 900 Los Angeles County residents died by suicide in 2022, with suicide ranking as the third-leading cause of death for youth aged 10–24 locally.

Freedenthal, who attempted suicide twice in her twenties, will introduce brave listening as an intervention families can implement without professional training.

“In one of my books, I define brave listening as asking the questions, whose answers you fear and listening to what’s hard to hear without trying to change what the person is thinking or feeling in the moment,” Freedenthal explained.

The event features two days of programming: September 12 (Collaborative Care Day, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) for healthcare professionals, and September 13 (Community Day, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.) open to the public with survivors’ panels and interactive sessions.

Carol M. Calandra, Pasadena City College Interim Dean of Student Wellness & Support Services, spotlighted the summit’s timing: “Eight months after the Eaton fire, our community is still reeling. The goal is to provide opportunities to talk about mental help and suicide prevention, and to de-mystify these conversations.”

The summit represents a shift from coercive prevention toward collaborative approaches. It will include over 13 workshops on topics including trauma-informed care and creative healing approaches.

Despite the tragic topic, the summit maintains a hopeful message with the theme “Transforming Pain into Purpose: Building Communities of Hope.”

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo has proclaimed September 7–13 as National Suicide Prevention Week.

Registration is required through the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health’s EventsHub system. Free parking and meals will be provided for registered attendees.

Pasadena City College, 1570 East Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. For more, call (626) 449-5320 or visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-suicide-prevention-summit-tickets-1450521251109. Free.