Welcome to Lived Experience Academy

The Life Promotion Philosophy: Transforming suicide prevention by supporting Post-Suicidal Growth

Please note: The Lived Experience Academy does not provide counseling services. If you are thinking about suicide then we urge you to reach out for help. In the US, you can call 988. If you are outside the US, consult with https://findahelpline.com.

Post-Suicidal Growth?

It’s possible to learn from a suicidal crisis, planting the seeds for Post-Traumatic Growth.

There is a 5-Stage path toward Post-Suicidal Growth (PSG) that is grounded in lived experience and backed by research.


At the Lived Experience Academy, you will find guidance and resources to support healing, recovery, and growth after a suicidal crisis. You will also be joining a community of people who believe in the potential for going beyond recovery in the aftermath of trauma.

If you want the confidence to support recovery and growth after a suicidal crisis, then join the Lived Experience Academy today.


About me

I’m DeQuincy Meiffren-Lézine, a suicide attempt survivor and internationally-recognized scholar with more than 25 years of experience in suicide prevention.

Following advocacy work on the road to my Sc.B. from Brown University, I earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from UCLA. My psychology background was augmented by a postdoctoral fellowship in epidemiology and public health at the University of Rochester

Near the end of my time as a postdoctoral fellow, I wrote the book Eight Stories Up, blending guidance from clinical research and lived experience in a book written for adolescents.

While serving as the principal author of The Way Forward for the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, I became the inaugural Chair of the Attempt Survivor and Lived Experience Division of AAS and served as a Co-Chair of the Consumer Survivor Committee for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. 

In 2015, I was honored to be awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the SAMHSA Voice Awards.

As the Director of the Lived Experience Academy, I’m excited about the opportunity to engage in life promotion with you as part of a positive lived experience community.