Guidance on Dealing with Individuals Contemplating Suicide | Provide Insight
In a commendable effort to improve mental health education and support, Malta recently hosted the Ngħidu Kelma workshop, focusing on working with suicide and suicidal clients in therapeutic settings. The collaborative nature of the session reflected Malta's commitment to high-quality mental health care.
The main purpose of the workshop was to explore how professionals can effectively manage clients experiencing suicidal ideation during therapy. Attendees left the workshop with increased confidence and awareness when addressing suicide-related challenges through evidence-based approaches.
The session offered valuable tools for mental health professionals dealing with suicidal clients and their families. Practical strategies for engaging with suicidal patients and offering guidance to their families were discussed. These strategies encompassed direct communication, evidence-based psychotherapies, family involvement, and safety planning.
Direct communication involved asking compassionate questions about suicidal thoughts, encouraging openness and honesty. The use of evidence-based psychotherapeutic approaches, such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), was also emphasized. Family therapy techniques, including programs like the SAFETY Program and Attachment-Based Family Therapy, were highlighted for their potential to involve relatives in the safety and emotional support of the person.
The workshop also introduced Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS), a method where the patient works jointly with the clinician to identify drivers of suicidal impulses, improve problem-solving, and develop a personalized safety plan.
Participants engaged in group exercises to explore collaboration methods across professional networks when dealing with suicide-related cases. The workshop fostered interdisciplinary collaboration by encouraging group work and shared learning across different professional backgrounds.
Attendees developed a stronger understanding of support systems and the importance of collaborative care. The workshop emphasized the significance of establishing support systems for both clients and mental health practitioners in crisis scenarios. It also encouraged participants to reflect on professional responsibilities and approaches in high-risk clinical situations.
The workshop highlighted the importance of reflecting on personal values, biases, and boundaries when supporting at-risk individuals. It also emphasized the need to maintain social interactions and regular activities with the suicidal person without solely focusing the relationship on their suicidal thoughts.
In addition, the workshop provided essential knowledge and tools for professionals working with suicidal clients in therapeutic settings. Various case studies allowed participants to examine ways of working effectively with suicidal clients. The workshop also stressed the importance of identifying and removing potential means of self-harm in the environment, with family members helping to make the home safer.
Recommending professional evaluation and prompt intervention when suicidal risk is identified was another key aspect of the workshop. Participants were encouraged to involve mental health specialists for thorough assessment and treatment planning. The workshop also supported family members and friends emotionally, recognizing their grief, guilt, and other complex emotions after suicide attempts or deaths, and suggesting counseling or support groups when needed.
In conclusion, the Ngħidu Kelma workshop provided mental health professionals with practical, evidence-based strategies for working with suicidal clients and their families. These approaches emphasize collaboration, empathy, safety, and structured intervention to support clients effectively. While the specifics of the workshop are not detailed in the search results, these evidence-based practices align with leading professional guidelines and the therapeutic focus such workshops typically promote.
- The Ngħidu Kelma workshop, focusing on working with suicide and suicidal clients in therapeutic settings, emphasized the use of evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in mental health care.
- Participants at the Ngħidu Kelma workshop left with increased awareness and confidence in addressing suicide-related challenges, learning practical strategies like Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) and family therapy techniques to engage with suicidal patients and offer guidance to their families.
- The workshop also underscored the significance of interdisciplinary collaboration and establishing support systems for both clients and mental health practitioners dealing with high-risk clinical situations, promoting health and wellness in mental health and therapies and treatments.
