Category: Resource

I think this sounds a lot like “Person of the therapist….”

What is Risk?

PCFTTC leadership attended the Thomas Jefferson University. They heard from several suicide prevention experts (Dr. Berman; Dr. Anestis; Dr. Zullo). It is clear from the program YOU CAN’T PREDICT RISK, but you can be a “reasonable and prudent clinician.” And continuing to understand risk screening, assessment, the literature, and formulation are key to clinical work, as 1 in 3 professionals will have a client who kills themselves.

Several Important take aways:

1. Imminent risk is a legal word, not a clinical word.
2. A suicide screener (ASQ; Columbian) is not a suicide risk assessment.
3. Risk assessments involves as many resources as possible (collaterals too).
4. A suicide risk assessment isn’t a risk formulation.
5. Risk formulation is necessary to prove you are being a “Reasonable and Prudent Clinician.”
6. Risk formulations informs the entire treatment plan process/response plan/crisis plan.
7. A full risk assessment should be done on everyone, even when they don’t endorse on a suicide screener because it data. Data informs the risk formulation, that informs the clinical approach.
8. 95% of people who attempt suicide with a firearm die. Create means safety!

-Example NIH Decision Tree-

Do you see Screener vs. Assessment vs. Formulation?

Suicide Prevention Resources

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Spanish/español: 1-888-628-9454

Crisis Text Line 
Text HOME to 741-741

Suicide Prevention Resource Center 

National Institute of Mental Health

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 

Check out Monifa and her experience with the training center. She is in Dr. Tara Byers’ training cohort. Monifa discusses how working in a team of three (supervisor, therapist, and co therapist) in supervision has helped her to master being able to slow down, listen actively, and reframe her approach to systemic family therapy sessions. She has learned to pay attention to the families’ needs and be intentional in the moment, rather than adhering to a rigid agenda. This change has taken pressure off of her and helped her focus on the quality of her presence in the session. Monifa expresses gratitude for this approach and the positive impact it has had on own professional and personal development.

CHECK OUT OUR CE COURSE STORE FOR HOMESTUDIES

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The focus is on the importance of understanding the ecosystem and variables that impact a symptomatic person. The training is on ecosystemic structural family therapy, which focuses on restructuring the family system and working with caregivers to promote growth. The therapist needs to work collaboratively, meaningfully, and take into account the unique culture of the family. The therapist also needs to understand the concepts of culture, power, and privilege when working systemically with a family. The family’s culture includes their rules, beliefs, rituals, and traditions of how they relate to each other.

The therapist’s cultural beliefs and experiences can shape their interpretation of the family they work with. Power dynamics and privilege play a significant role in the therapeutic relationship, as the therapist’s level of power may differ from that of the family. Privilege is an unearned advantage that benefits people of dominant groups, and therapists must be aware of their own privilege and lived experiences to be context-sensitive and trauma-informed. The training will explore how social institutions impact privilege and how therapists can work to hold other members of the dominant group accountable.

keywords: Philafamily, training center, Philadelphia Training Center, Family systems therapy, systemic training, Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy, Steve Simms PhD, Marian Lindblad-Goldberg, ESFT, Structural Family Therapy, Salvador Minuchin, Structural Family Therapy Training, Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic, Continuing Education – Earn Your CE Credits Today, Online courses with clinical demos. Find comprehensive solutions for clinical challenges. Clinical demos, live sessions & detailed commentaries, Intergenerational trauma, Complex developmental trauma, MFT, AAMFT, APA, LPC, ACS, ACA, LSW, LSCW, human services, LMFT, social workers, counselors, psychologists, eco-systemic structural family therapy