When a Patient Commits Suicide

ABSTRACT: Suicide is a tragic and upsetting event which sometimes occurs when a person is in some form of therapy. This paper advocates a process after a patient commits suicide which allows for a thorough and orderly working through of the event by involved treatment personnel. The primary focus of this process is neither identification of responsibility nor of cause. The primary goals are to air issues and attitudes, identify factors contributing to the suicide, and most particularly to allow for the thorough expression of residual feelings and issues by the treatment personnel affected. Therapists who utilized this process were able to deal satisfactorily with grief and guilt issues after experiencing patient suicides. A case example illustrates the use of this process.     

Photo-synthesis: Facilitating Goal Setting in Supervision Using Images and Creativity

ABSTRACT

One of the most important aspects of clinical supervision is goal-setting. In the early stages of supervision, supervisees may find it difficult to connect authentically with their supervisors due to the inherent power differential in supervision. Difficulty connecting may be exacerbated when students are attempting to set goals regarding their areas for growth. Based on literature reviewed on the counselor-client relationship, the authors posit that using images may increase vulnerability between supervisors and supervisees. Additionally, the authors introduce relational-cultural theory as a framework for connecting authentically through creative images. The authors present examples of using images in individual and group supervision, specifically employing The Coaching Game made by Points of You.