Nine days before my first internship application was due, I learned that an ex-patient of mine, Theodore (name changed for confidentiality), died by suicide. I know receiving this kind of news can never come at a good time, but this was a particularly vulnerable time for me. I was feeling insecure, questioning myself, scared about […]
Claiming the lives of over 48,000 Americans per year, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States (CDC, 2018). This number alone may present as shocking to many; however, this number only depicts the amount of deaths due to suicide. It does not take into account the estimated 1.4 million suicide […]
Most states in the U.S. require a psychotherapist to break confidentiality when a client verbalizes suicidal intent (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2013). The purpose of this paper is to share a personal reflection on suicidal ideation within the therapeutic relationship, and to question whether a psychotherapist’s ethical responsibility and personal morality are consistently clear-cut. […]