Modern Therapist Reflections on Preventing a School Shooting

Curt and Katie chat about an incident within Curt’s practice. We look at how therapists are called upon to make challenging risk assessments. We look at threat to other assessments including threats of serious violence. We explore the therapist’s experience during these intense risk assessments and the tasks that follow. We identify action steps for trauma informed support.

Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!

In this podcast episode we explore a therapist’s role in preventing a school shooting

Recently, Curt was called upon to make an intense risk assessment that required administrative steps to prevent threats of violence. We thought it would be helpful for other modern therapists to understand the experience from a therapist’s perspective, so we can support each other and get the support we need.

What is involved for therapists to complete risk assessments for threats to self and others, including threats of serious violence?

·      Both harm to self and others assessments are indicated

·      How to determine whether a homicide assessment is appropriate

·      Calming the situation, decreasing dysregulation

·      Understanding plans and current thought processes

·      Going through the protocol related to duty to warn, including calling law enforcement and the school

What is the experience of a therapist during and after an intense risk assessment?

·      Deep mindfulness

·      Goal driven conversation (toward safety planning)

·      Frustration and overwhelm related to required reporting to law enforcement

·      Having to switch gears for the next session

·      Potential rupture and loss of client

·      Trauma response, anger, frustration

What kind of support is important for therapists when they have responded to threats of a school shooting?

·      The question of “how are you doing” is less effective in these crisis situations than “what are you going through?”

·      Using a trauma informed approach to provide adequate, planned support

·      The tendency of therapists to compartmentalize that requires more attention from colleagues than others facing these types of crisis situations

·      Plans and best practices for managing these types of incidents

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