Therapists Talk Therapy

Today we are discussing the topic of suicide as an issue we may encounter in our client work. I am joined by Shane Morrow and Aisling Reidy for this important discussion. Shane is an integrated therapist working from a cognitive base and has been working as a counsellor since 2005. He has worked with schools in Northern Ireland and in the community, including Lifeline, the crisis intervention telephone service. Shane is a faculty lecturer with PCI College, as well as Year Head for years three and four. Aisling is an accredited therapist and supervisor with a wide range of training. This includes an MA in Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy, a Postgraduate Diploma in Supervision and Reflective Practice, suicide intervention training and mindfulness. She is also a qualified yoga teacher. Aisling works in private practice in Galway, is an associate lecturer with PCI College and runs educational programmes in the HSE's National Counselling Service. In this episode, we explore the practical reality of working as a therapist with the issue of suicide after our core training. Shane and Aisling share personal and professional examples from their own lives. These examples show that suicidal ideation and behaviour can be viewed as a spectrum. We are all on that spectrum and can move along it, in both directions, at various stages of our lives. It is also important to remember that we may meet clients in pre-contemplation, in active crisis or after a suicide attempt. These are distinct phases and require different responses. We discuss useful theoretical and practical approaches to working with suicidal clients. Both Aisling and Shane emphasise the importance of a strong support network for the therapist in this work. We hope you find this discussion useful in your own practice.