Many know Michelle Kelaher for her work at Afterglow on Main in Waitsfield. But what many don’t know, is that Kelaher, Warren, is an advocate, lobbyist, and agent for change when it comes to the stigma of suicide.
Kelaher is an outspoken advocate for mental health and suicide prevention – a journey shaped by deeply personal experience.
“I lost my grandfather to suicide before I was even born,” she said. “He never even got an obituary. Suicide was shameful back then, and I’m trying to change that. I want to bring the subject out of the darkness and allow people to talk about it more freely.”
Kelaher is a loss survivor and also a suicide attempt survivor – a truth she shares openly in her work with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). For the past few years, she’s represented Vermont at AFSP’s advocacy events, both in Montpelier and Washington, D.C., pushing for legislation and awareness that could save lives.
ONE MOMENT
But the heart of her story – and her purpose – begins with one moment, 25 years ago when she attempted to take her own life.
“When I regained consciousness after my attempt, I was blind. Everything was black,” Kelaher recalls. “There was a doctor in the room, and he put his arm on my shoulder and said, ‘You, young lady, have a purpose.’”
That memory resurfaced recently during an AFSP visit to Capitol Hill. As the group walked between Senate and House office buildings, a fellow advocate turned to Kelaher and said, “You have a purpose.”
“I hadn’t told her that story,” she said. “But when she said it, everything clicked. That doctor was right.”
Kelaher’s advocacy work is deeply rooted in science and empathy. With degrees in molecular genetics and applied science, she was driven to understand how intergenerational trauma affects mental health outcomes. She is a guardian ad litem in Washington County, and sees cycles of abuse and emotional distress repeat across generations.
“I kept seeing these families struggling, generation after generation. And I started wondering: what’s happening to these children’s brains, to their genes?” she says. “That’s what brought me into the world of genetics. I wanted to understand how much was nature, how much was nurture – and what we could actually change.”
According to Kelaher, while there are genetic predispositions to depression and trauma, hope lies in epigenetics– how lifestyle, relationships, nutrition, and emotional support can impact gene expression.
HAVE CHOICES
“We have choices. Not everything is under our control, but we can be intentional about the environments we create – for ourselves and others,” she says.
Kelaher believes that hope is the most powerful antidote to suicide.
“Hopelessness is the enemy. That’s what AFSP does – it gives people hope,” she said. “Everyone is valuable. We all have a purpose, even if we don’t always see it in ourselves.”
Kelaher says her salon became an unexpected platform for connection and healing.
“People feel comfortable talking to me. Sometimes more than they do with their own family,” she said. “And it’s not just small talk. We talk about real things – loss, anxiety, despair, trauma. I wanted to have the tools to be there for them.”
Through her work with AFSP, she became certified to deliver “Talk Saves Lives,” an evidence-based presentation that teaches community members how to recognize warning signs and support someone in crisis. She has also applied to present at the upcoming Vermont Suicide Prevention Symposium on September 11 in Burlington, hosted at FacingSuicideVT.com.
And this October, she’ll be leading and participating in the Out of the Darkness Walk on October 5 at the Vermont State House in Montpelier – a community gathering organized by AFSP to raise awareness, honor lost loved ones, and fund suicide prevention efforts. More info and donation opportunities can be found at afspwalks.donordrive.com/CentralVT.
Kelaher is actively seeking sponsors for the event and encourages local businesses to get involved.
LEGACY LIVES ON
The legacy of Kelaher’s grandfather, though shrouded in silence for decades, lives on in her advocacy. After his death, her grandmother was left to raise seven children alone – without a license, a job, or community support.
“My grandmother was everything to me. She was stoic and strong. She got her license, went back to school, and worked at the Vermont State Hospital,” Kelaher said. “Now that I’m older, with four children of my own, I realize how much she carried, and how little she was allowed to talk about it.”
Her mother, who was just 15 at the time of the loss, never spoke of it.
“There was no conversation. No processing. Just silence,” she said. “That’s exactly what I’m trying to change.”
Kelaher is now expanding her advocacy even further. In addition to her salon work and public speaking, she’s closely connected to the Afterglow Foundation (afterglowfoundation.com) and is supporting their upcoming mental health and wellness event on September 20, 2025, at Hard’ack Hill in St. Albans. The all-day gathering will include community outreach, presentations, and healing activities designed to support those affected by suicide and mental illness.
Through every conversation, every event, and every haircut, Kelaher hopes to keep moving the needle on a cause that is still too often hidden in shame.
“This work is so cathartic,” she says. “Before, that pain from the void – that was the power. Now the power is back in my hands. I’m saving lives. And that is powerful.”
Kelaher said that her husband Kasey is one of her biggest supporters and attends all her events with her.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Help is available 24/7.
