Moving Beyond Fear and Defensive Practice with Suicidal Clients

In this course, Dr. Stacey Freedenthal, Ph.D., LCSW, directly addresses what is said to be the greatest fear among clinicians: that their client will die by suicide. Defining defensive practice and detailing fear-based responses clinicians have around suicide, Dr. Freedenthal shows why interventions such as avoiding the topic of suicide, trying to talk the client out of it, or requiring a suicide contract are ineffective and often counterproductive. Instead, she recommends client-centred interventions, such as directly asking about suicidal thoughts, using a narrative approach, validating the wish to die, collaboratively developing a safety plan, and avoiding the use of emergency services unless they are necessary. Ultimately, the more that therapists can learn about effective techniques and simultaneously do self-care, the more they can experience the rich rewards of working in this area with so much potential to help a client.