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Supporting clients who’ve been impacted by suicide -- whether they’ve lost a loved one, survived an attempt, or live with chronic suicidal thoughts -- requires more than good intentions; it demands deep ethical reflection and culturally attuned practices. But the intense isolating and traumatizing experience that accompanies suicide can leave clinicians feeling overwhelmed, and liability fears and unconscious bias can silently compromise the therapeutic alliance. In this workshop, we’ll explore the evolving ethical landscape of suicide-informed care, drawing from contemporary ethics frameworks, cultural humility practices, and lived experience perspectives. By the end, you’ll walk away with tools that will help you safely, respectfully, and competently give support. You’ll also learn:
Sally Spencer-Thomas, PsyD is a clinical psychologist, award-winning keynote speaker, and impact entrepreneur dedicated to transforming suicide prevention from risk management to meaningful healing. She is internationally recognized for integrating the stories, science, and strategy of suicide prevention to help clinicians, leaders, and organizations move beyond liability-driven care toward compassionate competence.
Dr. Spencer-Thomas is Co-Founder and President of United Suicide Survivors International and co-founder of Man Therapy®, an innovative men’s mental health initiative. She served as the founding Executive Secretary of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention and has held national leadership roles with the American Association of Suicidology (AAS), including Executive Board Member and Secretary, as well as leadership positions within the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). She has served on Lived Experience Advisory Committees for the Suicide Prevention Resource Center and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (now 988), helping embed lived experience into national strategy.
A TEDx speaker and White House invitee, Dr. Spencer-Thomas has consulted and presented across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Her most important credential, however, is her lived experience as a suicide loss survivor—a calling that drives her work to help clinicians not only prevent suicide but sustain a passion for living in the people they serve.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Sally Spencer Thomas maintains a private practice and receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Sally Spencer Thomas is the president of United Suicide Survivors International and is a member of the executive board for the American Association of Suicidology. She is co-chair of the Workplace Special Interest Group for the International Association of Suicide Prevention and is a member of the Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Access never expires for this product.
For a more detailed outline that includes times or durations of time, if needed, please contact cepepesi.com
Ethical Foundations & Blind Spots
Legal & Ethical Clarity in Crisis Response
Transference, Countertransference & Lived Experience
The Ethics of Rational & Physician-Assisted Suicide
Forced Treatment and Postvention
Wrap-Up & Commitments to Ethical Growth
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