It is not uncommon for suicidal thoughts and behaviors to emerge during therapy. It is important for clinicians to develop their ability to learn about their clients’ thoughts and experiences related to suicide. It is always important for clinicians take a thorough history of past suicidal ideation and behavior as well as potential risk factors for suicide at the outset of therapy. Safety planning offers the opportunity to discuss how to manage suicidal ideation and behavior with the hope of staving off a crisis situation. Should a crisis emerge, having a safety plan offers tools for managing a person's crisis and reaching out for help as needed.



During this two-hour web conference, Dr. Jill Harkavy-Friedman will review how to assess for suicidal ideation and behavior, discuss risk factors and warning signs, and outline key aspects of safety planning with people who express suicidal ideation during therapy. She will also introduce participants to tools and ideas specifically for helping their suicidal clients and honing their clinical skills.



This intermediate instructional level web conference is designed to help clinicians:




  1. List evidence-based risk factors for suicide.

  2. Discuss warning signs of suicide risk.

  3. Review key aspects of suicide risk assessment in the context of therapy. 

  4. Outline the elements of a safety plan.

  5. Describe communication strategies to facilitate effective conversations with clients about suicide.



If you have any questions or concerns about this web conference, or would like more information, please contact us here.


How the Web Conference Works

Before the scheduled event, all registered attendees will be sent a reminder email from GoodTherapy.org with specific instructions on how to log in to the web conference center, as well as links to optional handout materials if applicable. 



To attend the event, registered attendees will log in to the web conference center using a computer or device (smartphone or tablet with internet access) and calling in to the teleconference line on a phone. Attendees will be able to ask live audio questions via phone and/or submit text chat questions via their computer or device. Attendees who are logged in to the event center will be able to see live streaming video and/or document sharing. Alternatively, attendees may dial in to the teleconference line only, though attendees dialing in by phone only will be unable to ask questions. 



At the conclusion of this event, participants will receive an email with information about how to request a CE certificate in the GoodTherapy.org Member's Area. To confirm attendance, participants must enter the start and end codes announced at the beginning and end of the live presentation. Participants will also be prompted to complete an online survey evaluating the event. Participants will need to complete this online survey within six days after the event. Once completed, participants will be able to download a copy of their CE certificate instantly. 



For additional information about this event or our CE grievance procedures, please contact us here.


Continuing Education (CE) Information

Two CE credits will be provided by GoodTherapy.org for attending this web conference in its entirety.

GoodTherapy.org is an Approved Education Provider by NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals (provider #135463). Of the eight counselor skill groups ascribed to by NAADAC, this course is classified within clinical assessment and counseling services.

GoodTherapy.org is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC-approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC requirements.

GoodTherapy.org is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. GoodTherapy.org maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

GoodTherapy.org, SW CPE 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 #0395.

Registration Information

Premium and Pro Membership with GoodTherapy includes access to this web conference at no additional cost, as well as other member benefits such as a profile listing in GoodTherapy's Therapist Directory. Not yet a member? Sign up for a Premium or Pro Membership, here.

Just want CE credits? Sign up for a monthly or annual CE Subscription with GoodTherapy to get unlimited access to our CE Program, including this event, other live CE web conferences, and hundreds of hours of homestudy courses.

Mental health professionals who are not members can access the homestudy recording for $15.50. Sign up here to purchase this CE course and earn a CE certificate.

Event Reviews from Members

Excellent!! This was a thorough presentation; she appeared very passionate about the topic and in disseminating knowledge to the professional community to properly assess and provide effective treatment to suicidal clients. - Cristina Fandino, EdD, MEd, RP 

This speaker approached the topic of suicide and suicidality from a compassionate and knowledgeable stance. I genuinely appreciated the way she spoke of people experiencing suicidal thoughts and feelings--she elucidated concepts well, gave comprehensive and contextual details, and destigmatized a highly stigmatized topic. - Joanna Singh, LMSW

Meet the Presenter

Jill Harkavy-Friedman, PhD

Jill Harkavy-Friedman, PhD is an associate professor of clinical psychology at Columbia University, a psychologist practicing in the state of New York, and the leader of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s (AFSP) research grant program. She works closely with several other AFSP teams to implement current research in the development of programs and messages supporting best practices for suicide prevention.

After completing her clinical internship at Yale-New Haven Hospital in 1984, Harvaky-Friedman took a position as assistant professor at Montefiore Medical Center, establishing the Adolescent Depression and Suicide Program there. She moved on to Columbia University five years later, where she gained associate professorship and eventually became Director of Curriculum for Psychiatric Research Fellowships.

Throughout her career of over 30 years as a researcher and clinician, Dr. Harkavy-Friedman has remained committed to suicide research and prevention, concentrating on suicidal behavior in adolescents and adults. She has pioneered aspects of suicide research and prevention in her work and was the first to ask high school students about suicidal behavior and ideation.

She has published nearly 100 articles and has lent her expertise to a number of publications, including USA TodayNewsweek, and the Washington Post. She received the Alexander Gralnick award in 2003 from the American Association for Suicidology.