Books

Having gone through the loss of my brother to suicide, I was eager to read Cindy Tank-Murphy's book, The Strength to Live. I sometimes had difficulty reading it, realizing I've yet to fully deal with my brother’s loss. It brought up many feelings that I didn’t know what to do with, but Cindy’s book relays extremely practical advice on understanding, coming to terms with, and healing from this loss.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has been touched in any way by suicide or is seeking understanding about this complex topic shrouded in shame, guilt, and misunderstanding. Be prepared to work through your grief with the help of Cindy's healing techniques.  

“Cindy Tank Murphy's book, The Strength to Live, takes on this most personal and challenging topic with heart, compassion, and sensitivity. She keeps it REAL for all of us. This book needs to be read by everyone who wants to deepen their understanding of themselves and those around them. Truly a compelling and beautiful read.”

The Strength to Live is a treasure in the hands of those that are suffering from grief and uncertainty. Every word gives you the feeling of being wrapped in warmth, love, and support. Cindy puts her hands in yours and walks you through your journey to overcoming the pain within and attaining peace, hope, and acceptance. This book opens the door to shedding light on mental health diseases and those impacted; it is the voice for those who suffer in silence. It encourages us all to advocate for change and inspires us to see the strength within ourselves, even in the darkest of times. A truly life-changing read that is a must-have for everyone.

Cindy Tank-Murphy’s The Strength to Live is a book like no other on the crucial topic

of surviving suicide. As a psychotherapist, I would recommend this book to survivors and urge other clinicians and people with depression in the family to read it. In a time when suicidality is reaching unprecedented levels in this country and an ongoing mental health crisis, this book helps people understand the nuances of depression and anxiety and how they can (and sometimes do) lead to suicide. Often, the parents I counsel ask what to look for and what to do when their teen is struggling with suicidality – I would feel confident that Cindy’s book would provide an excellent guide for these families.

What I love about the way this book is presented is that it is easy to jump directly to the chapters that best align with where a person is in their grief journey. Grieving people can’t always read long books, so the easy-to-read format allows people to learn and heal at their own pace. As a therapist, I plan to bring this book into my sessions to work on the exercises along with my clients on this difficult journey.

Cindy chooses wonderful vignettes and masterfully describes each stage of healing from a loved one’s death by suicide. For those looking for something to “do” to facilitate their

healing process, her easy-to-follow exercises at the end of each chapter will give people many opportunities to apply the strategies she so clearly illustrates. I am thrilled as someone who lives with depression, as a parent of a child who has been suicidal, and as a clinician to finally have a powerful book that takes suicide out of the darkness and into the light.”

“It was my honor to read Cindy’s book about suicide. It is generally not a subject that people like to discuss, but this book is very cathartic to those who have lost a loved one to suicide. I liked this book for several reasons. First, it gave a lot of insight into those you care about that might be suffering from the emotional trauma that could lead to them taking their life. Next, it gives step-by-step activities to consider and use. The interactive quality of this book allows one to work through these activities immediately, almost like using a workbook! I could feel the

emotional release Cindy obtained by writing this book. I experienced suicide by one of

my best friends from high school. Too many times, as a teenager, I tried to talk him off his

emotional cliff. He finally achieved what he had tried many times—his death. In retrospect, this book would have been very helpful back then, for me and maybe for him. Cindy—hold your head high because this book is a much-needed read for many people.”

Author Cindy Tank-Murphy gives her personal account of her father's death by suicide. Intrigued by the many suicides that plagued her hometown, along with the recent death of her father, Cindy began a mission to save others from the fate of suicide, educate loved ones on prevention, and help survivors to cope with their loss. Fortunately, her passion for this subject helped her see the signs of suicide in her daughter, and she got her the help she needed. 

I can appreciate this book because I, too, lost my dad to suicide due to the torturous pain of cancer. Her writing helped me to see my dad's death from a perspective that removed any shame I felt. This powerful book removes the negative stigmas concerning suicide. It shines the spotlight on mental illness and the need to take the disease of suicide as seriously as illnesses such as cancer. She also encourages the reader to see their deceased loved ones for the life they lived, not how they died. 

I recommend this book to all, whether or not you've lost someone to suicide. This book will help you to possibly identify suicidal ideations that those who are close to you may be experiencing. I appreciate the author's transparency concerning her dad and daughter. I can feel her heart on each page and her strong desire to bring healing to those who need it."

“Cindy has shared such thought-provoking information on suicide and mental health in a fashion that speaks directly to the reader. This book brought to my attention many aspects that survivors of suicide deal with. It has helped me understand how my behavior, actions, and words can impact someone positively or not. The many faces of mental health and the toll it takes on families are far-reaching, and this book is an inspiration, and hopefully, it will enlighten and inspire readers to shift their perceptions.”

“Cindy is a brilliant champion for survivors and has a unique perspective on uplifting individuals and families with grace and compassion as well as steadfast ways of coping with trauma and healing.”

"Cindy is one of the most heart-centered people that I have met. Her writing is truly heartfelt, raw, and sincere. For anyone that has experienced a loss of any kind and is in need of healing, Cindy will enlighten the path of wisdom, strength, and hope for you.” 

"Exquisitely raw, heartfelt, powerful, and beautiful.

The Strength to Live by Cindy Tank-Murphy is quite simply the best and most important book I have read in years. If you, or someone you know, have lost a loved one to suicide, or perhaps you know someone who is struggling with mental illness and possibly suicidal thoughts, this book is a vital and powerful guide to help you and to equip you to help others. Cindy shares gracefully and passionately from a position of deeply personal experience. However, this book provides so much more than sharing other people’s raw, heartfelt experiences of death by suicide. This book offers the most relevant, insightful, and impactful guidance and support to help you and those you care for to navigate unfathomable grief and a myriad of turmoiled emotions carrying you gently yet powerfully to the point of acceptance and love, which you may have believed impossible. In today’s world, this is vital reading for us all."