The Therapist Thrival Guide 10. How to Talk About Suicide with Therapy Clients + Safety Plan
Suicide is a topic that can be difficult to talk about-- and sometimes it's even hard for therapists to talk about this with their clients! Instead of shying away from this topic, we brought suicidologist Brittany Miskowiec, LICSW on as a guest to discuss how to talk about this with clients and what to do if a client says that they are suicidal.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
TIPS FOR ASKING ABOUT SUICIDE:
1. Show them the evidence: Tell them what you’ve noticed and why you’re asking about suicide.
2. Normalize it
3. Ask them directly: When asking someone about suicide, it’s important to be direct. We want to show the person that we’re comfortable talking about suicide and that we’re there to listen. This is why it’s important to be direct and say “Are you thinking about suicide?” or “Are you thinking about killing yourself?”
To read more tips and examples, check out Brittany's blog post: https://elliementalhealth.com/three-easy-steps-to-asking-someone-about-suicide/
OUR HOSTS:
Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for several years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, case manager, and the Director of Brand Content at Ellie Mental Health. Follow her on LinkedIn.
Dr. Lucas Volini, LMFT, has been practicing as a marriage and family therapist for over ten years. He has worked as a couple's therapist, a graduate and undergraduate professor, researcher, author, and the Senior Director of Innovation at Ellie Mental Health...But he mostly sees himself as a professional recreational golfer.
The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by Ellie Mental Health. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of thriving by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you! This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise to help us learn how to thrive as therapists.
Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and has expanded to an explosive number of locations across the country.