- Date published
Putting an end to the stigma
Tracy Oeser, founder of Postvention Collective and Journey Thru Grief, started her professional career as an Accountant. After losing her 16-year-old daughter to suicide, she decided that it was time for a fresh start.
“Through my grief process, I realized that, due to stigma, support for survivors of suicide loss was dismal,” Oeser said.
Oeser found the lack of support unacceptable. With determination to bring awareness and support, she completed her bachelor’s in psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Years later, she would obtain a master’s in psychology with a concentration in life coaching.
She eventually quit her full-time accounting job as she wanted to focus on something that would culminate change. Oeser created Postvention Collective as a way to educate businesses, behavioral health students, and the general public about what suicide bereavement looks like.
In addition to the educational piece, Oeser also knew it was important to support suicide loss survivors directly. Therefore, Postvention Collective serves as the educational entity which produces webinars and presentations, and Journey Thru Grief supports suicide loss survivors directly with resources and suicide-specific grief coaching.
Oeser’s dedication at Postvention Collective is making a real difference. The company was recognized by Health 2.0 in March 2024 for its groundbreaking work in suicide bereavement, earning itself an Innovation Award.
This award highlights the revolutionary efforts of “leading healthcare disruptors” who are driving change on a global scale. Oeser says she feels blessed to receive this recognition.
“This award means a great deal to me coming from a field who has been historically rigid about listening to outside voices when they propose innovative change to the communication methods and support for suicide loss survivors,” Oeser said.
This award is a well-deserved recognition of Oeser’s impact, and we are incredibly proud to have her as part of our community.
Finding success from coworking
In spring 2023, Oeser moved her corporate headquarters to efactory. She decided to reconstruct Postvention Collective and Journey Thru Grief into two limited liability companies.
Because Oeser and her companies were new to the Ozarks, she opted to get her feet wet with coworking options.
“I found efactory and it felt like home,” Oeser said.
Shortly after moving into a coworking space, she learned about the Early-Stage Business Bootcamp and registered.
Oeser appreciated the number of resources and educational content. She liked the access to weekly speakers and their expert knowledge. Additionally, she found a bonus in gaining access to the staff and mentors at Missouri SBDC at MSU.
“My greatest takeaway to the bootcamp experience was the feeling of camaraderie. I know that I can approach anyone at Missouri SBDC at MSU or efactory and get questions answered about different aspects of my business. In a nutshell, it feels like family,” Oeser said.
Looking ahead
The impact of suicide bereavement affects millions of people in the U.S. every year. Taking the education gained from the Missouri SBDC at MSU, Oeser is excited to bring grief support programs to Springfield County in an innovative way.
Oeser is available for consultations to design support programs within HR departments or to provide direct support for bereaved employees. By the fall of 2024, she will be available to provide presentations about her personal story of resilience. With the support gained at efactory, Tracy’s long-term goal is to eliminate the stigma of suicide bereavement from our communities.
