Kenneth “Lou” Koon

Crisis Calls – Courage Answers - Hope Wins!

Suicide Intervention Expert | Founder, Stop Suicide USA | Author, One Reason to Live

America is facing a suicide crisis—and most people don’t know what to say or do when it matters most.

Dr. Kenneth “Lou” Koon is a nationally recognized suicide intervention expert who has spent decades on the front lines of despair—training leaders, equipping communities, and personally intervening in thousands of life-and-death moments. As the founder of Stop Suicide USA, Lou has dedicated his life to one mission: empowering ordinary people to intervene when hope is fading and lives are at risk.

A former U.S. Army Reserve Chaplain and trusted trainer to military units, first responders, faith communities, and civilian leaders across the country, Lou developed the Listen • Learn • Lead (L3) model—a practical, compassionate framework that teaches people how to recognize suicide risk, ask the right questions, and take decisive, life-saving action.

Lou is also the author of One Reason to Live, a powerful and deeply human work that blends real-world intervention experience with spiritual insight, offering hope to those who are struggling and guidance to those who want to help. His message resonates because it is not theoretical—he has been there, personally and professionally.

🎙️ For podcasters: If you’re looking for a guest who brings clarity, credibility, urgency, and hope to the conversation around suicide, mental health, faith, leadership, and intervention—Dr. Kenneth “Lou” Koon delivers conversations that move audiences from awareness to action.

Why Podcasters Invite Lou Koon

Lou doesn’t just talk about suicide prevention—he teaches how to intervene.

He can speak with authority on:

• The current suicide crisis in the U.S. and why awareness alone is not enough

• What actually works in suicide intervention (and what doesn’t)

• How to ask hard questions without fear

• The role of leadership, faith, and community in saving lives

• Military, first responder, prison, and church-based suicide risk

• How personal pain can be transformed into purpose

• Why intervention—not just prevention—must be the focus now

Audiences walk away with practical tools, renewed hope, and the confidence to act when someone they love is in crisis.

Suggested Podcast Episode Titles

• “From Awareness to Action: Why Suicide Intervention Saves Lives”

• “What to Say When Someone Is Thinking About Suicide”

• “The Hidden Suicide Crisis in Faith Communities”

• “Listen. Learn. Lead.: A Framework Anyone Can Use to Save a Life”

• “Why Good Intentions Fail—and What Actually Helps in a Suicide Crisis”

• “One Reason to Live: Finding Hope at the Edge of Despair”

• “The Leadership Skill No One Teaches—but Everyone Needs”

What Leaders Are Saying

“Intervention saves lives. Chaplain Koon's L3 model is a proven and powerful resource in the fight against isolation and hopelessness.”
— Lieutenant General A.C. Roper, U.S. Army (Ret.), Former Commanding General, 80th Training Command

“Listen Learn Lead is a practical and compassionate model anyone can follow.”
— Natalie Ford, PhD, LPC, Liberty University

“Nobody I know has helped more people find a reason to live—and keep on living—than Lou Koon.”
— Dr. Keith Moore, Pastor, Dogwood Church

“There is no one I trust more on the subject of suicide intervention.”
— Justin DuBose, PhD, Founder & President, Communicate to Care

“Lou has dedicated his life to serving and saving the lives of others… One Reason to Live is a must read.”
— Frank Campbell, PhD, Founder, LOSS Teams

(Additional endorsements available upon request)