{"id":35855,"date":"2017-09-28T08:00:14","date_gmt":"2017-09-28T15:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=35855"},"modified":"2017-09-27T11:22:26","modified_gmt":"2017-09-27T18:22:26","slug":"for-therapists-coping-with-the-suicide-of-a-person-in-therapy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/for-therapists-coping-with-suicide-of-person-in-therapy-0928175","title":{"rendered":"For Therapists: Coping with the Suicide of a Person in Therapy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"PersonThe first person I ever worked with in therapy, when I was a graduate student at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Danville, Illinois, died by suicide<\/a>. While my supervisor and fellow clinical students tried to reassure me that his death was not my fault, that it was not due to clinical incompetence, I still felt deep down that his death was a reflection of my inexperience. This incident led me to wonder if clinical psychology<\/a> was, in fact, the ideal occupation for me.<\/p>\n

I did become a clinical psychologist, though, and in the 40 years since this initial death by suicide, three other individuals I have provided therapy services to (whether they were people I was directly working with or people a trainee under my supervision was working with) have died by suicide.<\/p>\n

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Find a Therapist<\/a><\/h2>\n\t
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Unfortunately, this is not uncommon. Many mental health professionals work with people who are experiencing suicidal thoughts, and some of these individuals die by suicide.<\/p>\n

Consider the following:<\/p>\n