Cultivating Hope with Suicidal Clients

Cultivating Hope with Suicidal Clients

A practical framework for compassionate, life-saving therapy

8
CE Hours available
How do I get my CE?
Kathryn H. Gordon, PhD, LP
Licensed clinical psychologist and author

Suicide is a serious and often difficult topic to navigate, but therapists frequently encounter clients experiencing suicidal thoughts. The statistics are staggering: in 2023, 13 million adults in the U.S. reported having serious suicidal thoughts.  

Despite this, many therapists report feeling unsure or overwhelmed when addressing suicidal ideation with their clients. Without proper training, therapists often find themselves: 

  • Avoiding the topic and missing critical opportunities to offer support. 
  • Referring clients to other professionals, sometimes leaving them disconnected from the care they need. 
  • Struggling to alleviate their clients’ pain, unsure of how to help. 

With a challenge this frequent, there has to be a better way to help all clinicians confidently and competently address it. 

Imagine This… 

You have a client in crisis who shares they’ve had thoughts of suicide. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by fear or uncertainty, you feel prepared. You’ve been trained to assess their risk, create a safety plan, and offer support in a meaningful way.  

Through a compassionate and evidence-based approach, you help your client reduce their suicidal thoughts and develop hope for the future.  

That’s the confidence this course can give you.  

As an expert with years of experience in suicide prevention, Katie Gordon, PhD, understands the immense need for clinicians who are not just knowledgeable but equipped to effectively help clients struggling with suicidal thoughts.  

The challenge for many therapists is the fear of liability, anxiety, and burnout—leading to uncertainty in how to properly intervene.  

The solution?  

Empowering therapists with the skills and tools they need to confidently support their clients while fostering hope and healing. 

Empower Yourself to Confidently Support Suicidal Clients 

Suicidal thoughts can be overwhelming to address, and clinicians often face the following struggles: 

Anxiety Around Liability: The fear of saying the wrong thing or making a mistake can leave therapists paralyzed. Master science-backed approaches to risk assessment and treatment, alleviating anxiety and empowering you to take confident action. 

Feeling Stuck with Clients: Chronic suicidal thoughts can leave therapists unsure of how to truly help. Learn effective, practical strategies to address persistent suicidal ideation and help clients move toward healthier, more hopeful futures. 

Uncertainty in Handling Suicidal Thoughts: Clients who have experienced multiple failed treatments can seem impossible to reach. Learn how to tailor interventions to meet each individual’s needs and offer lasting relief from suicidal ideation. 

Help Clients Cultivate Hope and Find Meaning 

In this course, you will gain practical, science-backed tools to confidently assess suicide risk and intervene effectively. This training will help you: 

  • Deeply Understand Suicide Risk Assessment
    Learn to assess suicide risk with confidence and master the art of creating a safety plan to support clients in moments of crisis. Understand the signs of suicidal ideation and the interventions that can make the most difference. 
  • Implement Tailored Approaches for Treatment
    Address the root causes of suicidal thoughts, going beyond temporary safety measures. Discover frameworks like the HOPE Model, designed to increase your clients’ sense of hope and reduce feelings of despair, ultimately leading them to meaningful change. 
  • Be Authentic and Build Trust
    Gain the skills to foster a safe, nonjudgmental space where clients can open up. Learn how to conduct compassionate, effective conversations that build trust and reduce anxiety for both you and your client. 
  • Utilize Comprehensive Coping Strategies
    Equip yourself with strategies to help clients cope with emotional pain, build resilience, and forge stronger social connections. Combat isolation by empowering clients to create a meaningful support network. 

Assisting the Most Vulnerable Populations 

Suicide prevention isn’t just about managing crises—it’s also about addressing systemic issues.  

This course provides the tools necessary to support underserved populations, including those facing the effects of economic inequality, discrimination, and trauma, and are more likely on average to experience suicidality.  

By equipping therapists with the knowledge to work with these communities, this course also addresses a crucial social justice component of suicide prevention. 

Ideal for All Mental Health Professionals 

This course is perfect for therapists, counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, and social workers who are looking to elevate their skills and provide better care for those at risk of suicide.  

Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed by these cases or seeking a more confident and compassionate approach, this training will help you build the tools necessary to transform your practice. 

Start Making a Difference Today 

Ready to empower yourself to make a real impact on the lives of your clients? Join this course and begin your journey toward providing better care, greater support, and lasting healing for those experiencing suicidality. 

Don’t let fear or uncertainty stop you from providing the help that suicidal clients need. Sign up today and gain the confidence to make a lasting difference. 

This training offers 8 CE hours if attended live. We can only provide CE to those who are present via Zoom for the live sessions. However, the sessions will be recorded and available to watch later. Registrants may access these recordings at any time for up to nine months after the live training ends.

Before registering, please review conflict of interest disclosures and complete CE information here.

Session 1 | May 7, 2025, 12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. EDT

  • Understanding Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors: Overview, The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, and the Three-Step Theory of Suicide
  • Comprehensive Suicide Risk Assessment and Documentation

Session 2 | May 14, 2025, 12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. EDT

  • Safety Planning and Lethal Means Restriction
  • Culturally Responsive Crisis Planning

Session 3 | May 21, 2025, 12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. EDT

  • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Tools for Easing Distress/Emotional Pain
  • The HOPE Framework: Hope-Building Strategies for Suicidal Patients

Session 4 | May 28, 2025, 12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. EDT

  • Skills for Building Interpersonal Connections
  • The Power of Meaning & Conclusions

Participants will be able to:

  1. Describe the interpersonal theory of suicide.
  2. Describe the three-step theory of suicide.
  3. Identify suicide warning signs.
  4. Identify ways to increase safety by restricting lethal means during crises.
  5. Discuss how to formulate a safety plan with patients for suicidal crises.
  6. Name therapy tools that help with chronic suicidal thoughts.
  7. Review therapy strategies that soothe pain and distress that drive suicidal thoughts.
  8. Discuss how to engage in effective approaches for talking about suicide with patients and the supports in their lives.
  9. Apply interventions related to meaning-making in the face of suffering.
  10. Describe the HOPE model.
  11. Identify 3 hope-building strategies.
  12. Explain how to create a Hope Box.
  13. Describe therapeutic strategies to help clients strengthen interpersonal connections.
  14. Identify cultural and other therapeutic considerations for patients who hold marginalized identities.
  15. Name 2 components of clinical documentation surrounding suicide risk.
  16. Apply cognitive-behavioral therapy strategies to suicidal thoughts

Please review complete CE and conflict-of-interest disclosure information prior to registering. This live online course is sponsored by Praxis Continuing Education and Training by New Harbinger and is approved for 8 CE Hours. There was no commercial support for this activity. None of the planners or presenters for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

Praxis Continuing Education and Training by New Harbinger maintains responsibility for the program with the CE approvals outlined below:

Joint Accreditation: In support of improving patient care, Praxis Continuing Education and Training by New Harbinger is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Psychologists: Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibly for the content of the programs.

Social Workers: As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Praxis Continuing Education and Training by New Harbinger is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 8 clinical continuing education credits.

National Counselors: Praxis Continuing Education and Training by New Harbinger has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6759. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Praxis Continuing Education and Training, Inc. is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

NY Social Workers: Praxis Continuing Education and Training by New Harbinger is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0467

NY Counselors: Praxis Continuing Education and Training by New Harbinger is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0198.

NY Psychologists: Praxis Continuing Education and Training by New Harbinger is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0002.

NOTE: Many state boards accept offerings accredited by national or other state organizations. If your state is not listed, please check with your professional licensing board to determine whether the accreditations listed are accepted.

For mental health professionals, beginners to intermediate. Advanced clinicians looking for new ideas or updates in suicide-related information may also be interested.

None

Jobes, D.A., & Joiner, T.E. (2019). Reflections on suicidal ideation. Crisis, 40, 227-301.

Klonsky, E.D., M.C. Pachkowski, A. Shahnaz, and A.M. May. 2021. “The Three-Step Theory of Suicide: Description, Evidence, and Some Useful Points of Clarification.” Preventive Medicine 152: 106549. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106549

Marchetti, I., Alloy, L.B., & Korster, E.H.W. (2023). Breaking the vise of hopelessness: Targeting its components, antecedents, and context. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 16, 285-319.

Van Orden, K.A., T.K. Witte, K.C. Cukrowicz, S. Braithwaite, E.A. Selby, and T.E. Joiner Jr. 2010. “The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide.” Psychological Review 117 (2) 575–600. http://doi.org.10.1037/a0018697

Rogers, M.L., A.R. Gai, A. Lieberman, K. Musacchio Schafer, and T.E. Joiner. 2022. “Why Does Safety Planning Prevent Suicidal Behavior?” Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 53 (1): 33–41. http://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000427

Coppersmith, D.D.L., O. Ryan, R.G. Fortgang, A.J. Millner, E.M. Kleiman, and M.K. Nock. 2023. “Mapping the Timescale of Suicidal Thinking.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 120 (17): e2215434120. http://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2215434120

Bush, N.E., S.K. Dobscha, R. Crumpton, L.M. Denneson, J.E. Hoffman, A. Crain, R. Cromer, and J. Kinn. 2015. “A Virtual Hope Box Smartphone App as an Accessory to Therapy: Proof-of-Concept in a Clinical Sample of Veterans.” Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior 45 (1): 1–9. http://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12103

Stanley, B., G.K. Brown, L.A. Brenner, H.C. Galfalvy, G.W. Currier, K.L. Knox, S.R. Chaudhury, A.L. Bush, and K.L. Green. 2018. “Comparison of the Safety Planning Intervention with Follow-Up vs. Usual Care of Suicidal Patients Treated in the Emergency Department.” JAMA Psychiatry 75 (9) 894–900. http://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.1776

We understand, sometimes things come up!

Praxis will offer a full refund to registrants of both live and live-online trainings who cancel their registration up to 14 days before the course or workshop start date, minus an administrative processing fee of $30 for a 2-day workshop or online course, and a $50 fee for a 4-day workshop. If cancelled within 14 days, no refund will be issued, however, a credit for the same amount will be applied toward another learning product, which expires within 1 year. Please email us at online@praxiscet.com to cancel a registration.