What I am writing about might be hard for some to read. Suicide is never an easy topic, especially if someone close to you has died by suicide. However, I am convinced that we need more and better conversations about suicide prevention, not less. This requires us all, and especially those of Christian faith, to think critically about the ways that we … Read More
A P.L.A.N. to Engage a Suicidal Person Wisely
If someone trusts you enough to reach out for help, or you pick up on something that concerns you and makes you wonder if another person has intentions of suicide, what do you do next? It feels like a great weight of responsibility and it is. We use a simple acrostic when training churches on how to engage those with suicidal intentions … Read More
A Christian Response to Suicide or Suicidal Thoughts (Part 2)
This post is part two in a series on suicide prevention and how to think through this issue carefully and biblically. Find part one here. Part 3 presents a simple plan for engaging with those who are suicidal or who have suffered the loss of someone close to them. The phone rang in the middle of my seventh birthday party. … Read More
A Christian Response to Suicide or Suicidal Thoughts (Part 1)
This post is part one in a series on suicide prevention and how to think through this issue carefully and biblically. Find part two here. Suicide has been in the news again this week. It is understandably hard when those we admire take their own lives. A famous designer and a media personality each took their own life in moments … Read More
No Harm Contract
In formal counseling , no-harm contracts can be helpful tools. This is a sample document that you can use. Help them develop a specific plan to reach out if they are feeling overwhelmed with despair. If someone will not agree not to harm themselves or doesn’t seem in the right frame of mind to make this promise, call 911 and … Read More
Suicide Safety Plan
When working with a suicidal person, you can help them assess the risks in their life and take steps to avoid them. In our resource center is a safety check-list that many professional counselors use to assess the risk level. If you’re interested in reading more, look into A P.L.A.N. to Engage a Suicidal Person Wisely. This resource is … Read More
SUICIDE: Ways to Prevent It
Suicide. It’s nearly impossible to understand, but there are ways to help prevent it. NOTE: Always dial 911 immediately if you suspect someone has attempted suicide! Prevention strategies don’t always work. Someone whose determined to die sometimes is “successful” and dies. It’s sad, tragic. I talked to a parent whose teen is struggling. Her 15-year-old friend killed himself after several … Read More
SUICIDE: Why Suicide?
Suicide is. . . “a sense of hopelessness or inescapability, combined with a pattern of poor coping, a limited tolerance, and a flight from help coalesce in some manner to form suicidal intent.” – Jeffery S. Black That’s a dry definition of a loss that rips out the heart of loved ones left behind, isn’t it? Sometimes dry is all family … Read More
