Professionals
in diverse helping roles can be impacted by the death of a
client by suicide. Experiencing the loss of a client
by suicide can be a psychologically traumatic event for the
helping professional and can even lead to capable and effective
clinicians leaving active practice.
Unfortunately,
there are few training institutions or graduate programs
that prepare students for the potential of losing a client
to suicide. Therefore it is crucial for colleagues
and institutions to advocate for programming and services
to help clinicians who may be deeply affected as a professional
survivor of suicide.
All
suicides cannot be prevented, but professionals can
continue to assess clients for suicide risk throughout their
treatment, fully document all clinical efforts like communication,
treatments, and/or interventions, and seek out help and support
when you do experience the death of a client by suicide.
Professional
survivors may experience similar emotions to survivors of
suicide like shock, confusion, grief, anger and guilt.
Additionally, as a professional you are aware that
the healing process may not be quick, but may take weeks or
months. Support groups, individual counseling, or writing
may be helpful healing tools to access.
Seeking
help and support is not a sign of weakness, but demonstrates
a thorough knowledge of self and the recognition that in order
to perform to the best of your ability professionally you need
to engage in a healing process dependent on your individual
needs. |
