Therapy as a Life-Saving Tool
Why We Need to Talk About Therapy and Suicide
Every year, millions silently struggle with suicidal thoughts and many never speak up. Unfortunately, the discourse surrounding suicide and therapy is still marred by stigma, meaning individuals may be hesitant or even scared to share how they’re feeling.
September is Suicide Awareness Month, a time to talk about suicide and therapy for suicide prevention. While suicide doesn’t always look the way we expect, individuals struggling with suicidal thoughts are often silently dealing with emotional pain. However, for anyone struggling in silence, therapy offers a safe, life-saving path forward.
Through counseling for suicidal ideation at Insight Northwest Counseling, our mission is to reduce stigma and promote proactive care.
This post explores how therapy helps prevent suicide and encourages seeking support early and without shame. Let’s challenge the stigma by understanding suicidal thoughts, how to get help for suicidal thoughts without judgment, what to expect from therapy for suicide prevention, and how to support someone in therapy for suicidal thoughts.
Understanding Suicidal Thoughts and Why People Struggle in Silence
During Suicide Awareness Month, it’s important to challenge common misconceptions about suicidal thoughts to understand why people feel this way and are often hesitant to speak up.
Myths vs. Reality
Many people believe suicidal thoughts are rare, or only occur during severe mental illness or crises. However, suicidal thoughts are more common than people think. They can happen to anyone facing overwhelming stress, grief, or trauma. Having these thoughts doesn’t always mean a person wants to die, but they do signal pain, even an intense desire to escape this emotional pain.
Barriers to Speaking Up
So why do many people struggle in silence?
The stigma against speaking up.
Fear of judgment is a major barrier because as a society, we’re still used to remaining silent when we’re not feeling okay. Many also don’t want to be seen as a “burden” to others, worrying others won’t know how to respond. The problem is that silence can deepen feelings of isolation, making it even harder to reach out for help if these thoughts worsen over time.
Why Early Intervention Matters
Early intervention is unequivocally important when it comes to finding help for suicidal thoughts and suicide prevention and therapy. Mental health support and professional care, like talking to a therapist about suicidal feelings, can prevent escalation and offer hope.
By learning the myths and realities of suicidal thoughts, we can start to challenge the stigma this Suicidal Awareness Month. Suicidal thoughts are more common than most people think. Often, individuals who are struggling stay silent, fearing judgment or being seen as a “burden.” But, speaking up and intervening early is important.
How Therapy Helps People Move From Crisis to Hope
Seeking professional help or therapy for suicidal thoughts is an effective plan for suicide prevention. Talking to a therapist about suicidal feelings can feel daunting, uncomfortable, or scary, but it is how to get help for suicidal thoughts without judgment.
Safe Space for Honest Conversation
Therapy provides a nonjudgmental setting to talk about suicidal thoughts. By creating a safe space for honest conversation, individuals can speak openly about suicidal thoughts without fear of judgment or dismissal. This environment helps replace any feelings of judgment or feeling like a “burden” with compassion, validation, and understanding.
Understanding the Root Causes
Therapists also work to understand the root causes of suicidal thoughts. Therapists help unpack pain, trauma, depression, and hopelessness. By unpacking these experiences, therapy allows individuals to see connections between their struggles and emotions, making them feel like they can regain control and understand their feelings.
Developing a Safety Plan
A key part of mental health support in therapy, especially when someone is struggling with suicidal thoughts, is developing a safety plan. Therapists can work with someone to collaboratively outline steps and resources for staying safe during crisis moments, including identifying warning signs, specific actions, coping strategies, and emergency contacts. Equally as important is making sure to create a plan to remove access to lethal means.
Finding Meaning and Reconnection
Therapy also supports healing, hope, and re-alignment with life. Finding meaning and reconnection, such as rebuilding a sense of purpose, fostering relationships, and re-engaging with activities that bring joy, are part of the shift from merely surviving to genuinely living life fully and resiliently again.
Types of Therapy That Support Suicide Prevention
There are many therapy options available not just during Suicide Awareness Month this September, but whenever someone is struggling. When it comes to therapy for suicide prevention, therapists can follow a variety of different modalities (or approaches) to help those struggling with suicidal thoughts. Whether someone is seeking counseling for suicidal ideation or suicide prevention and therapy, these therapeutic methods offer unique tools for addressing the complex factors behind suicidal thoughts and promote greater mental health awareness.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps reframe negative thoughts and build coping skills. Essentially, CBT focuses on identifying negative thought patterns that fuel suicidal thoughts or sense of hopelessness and helps individuals to learn to challenge distorted thinking and replace it with healthier perspectives. Individuals can develop coping strategies that make overwhelming moments more manageable.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is particularly helpful for emotional regulation and crisis management. Feelings can be overwhelming, especially for people who struggle with intense emotions or frequent crises. DBT combines mindfulness and emotion regulation skills to help individuals navigate difficult feelings, fostering more effective crisis management.
Trauma-Informed Approaches
Trauma-informed approaches are often used to address past experiences that contribute to current pain. These approaches acknowledge the lasting impact of trauma and focus on navigating the layers of trauma to foster empowerment throughout the healing process.
Individual vs. Family Therapy
Sometimes, therapy may benefit or require more than just one-on-one sessions. Family therapy, which involves loved ones, can help support recovery. While individual therapy provides focused attention, including family members can help improve communication, strengthen support systems, and address relational patterns that may influence well-being.
No matter the approach, all these modalities aim to provide compassionate mental health support to individuals who are struggling with suicidal thoughts.
When and How to Seek Help
At the first signs of mental health decline, or when a loved one expresses they’ve been having suicidal thoughts, you should consider seeking help. In fact, early intervention is often the most effective way to get help for your loved one.
You Don’t Have to Wait for a Crisis
You don’t have to wait for a crisis to reach out for support. Seeking therapy early is powerful prevention. In fact, it can be one of the most effective times to help someone find therapy for suicide prevention to address challenges before they escalate.
How to Find a Therapist
There are several ways to find a suicide prevention resources in Oregon or mental health therapy in Portland and Eugene. Use trusted directories, referrals, or contact Insight Northwest Counseling. Look for qualified professionals whose experience matches your needs.
What to Expect at Your First Appointment
Your first appointment may feel overwhelming, but it consists of a warm intake process, compassionate providers, and no pressure to “fix” everything right away. Providers focus on listening to you, understanding your concerns, and discussing your goals. Ultimately, therapy is about building trust and working with you.
Immediate Resources
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, take action right away. Call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, use the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, go to the nearest ER, or reach out to a local 24/7 hotline.
And importantly, remember that help is available at every stage.
How We Can Reduce Stigma and Support One Another
During Suicide Awareness Month, one of the most impactful things we can do is change the way we talk about mental health and suicidal thoughts. Reducing stigma is a shared responsibility.
Changing the Conversation
Talk openly about mental health and suicidal thoughts without shame. When we normalize these discussions, we make it easier for people to not only ask for but receive help.
Be a Safe Person
Commit to being a safe person for others. Learn how to listen, validate, and guide others toward help and mental health support. You don’t have to have all the answers—you just need to show you care.
Community Matters
Therapy is powerful, but so is knowing you’re not alone. Check in with friends, create spaces where vulnerability is welcomed, and support initiatives that promote mental health education.
Seeking Help Is a Sign of Strength
Suicide Awareness Month is the time to talk about what we don’t always want to talk about, so we can challenge the stigma against suicide and therapy together.
Therapy for suicide prevention offers life-saving mental health support, clarity, and hope for those navigating suicidal thoughts. Asking for help isn’t weak. It’s one of the bravest steps a person can take. It’s a sign of strength.
You don’t have to stay silent about how you’re feeling. If you or someone you love is struggling, Insight Northwest Counseling is here to help with compassion, expertise, and a path forward.