Counseling Suicidal People: A Therapy of Hope

by Paul G. Quinnett

Counseling Suicidal People provides the therapist, counselor, social worker, nurse, pastor, and mental health professional with a practical set of tools with which to intervene and work with suicidal people. Designed and written for the nonexpert in clinical suicidology, it has been called the quintessential book for suicide prevention. This revised edition covers recent advances in the scientific understanding of suicide and offers state-of-the-art advice about helping suicidal people.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Extremely practical.

It was written a few years ago, so it might not have the most up-to-date information, but it did match most of the research I am familiar with and it gave great, practical advice!

[Rachel Whitfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be a required text for people in the helping professions.

This book is well written, easy to read and offers practical information to immediate implement with victims of suicidal ideation.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thorough in providing a menu of tactics and strategies for treating the suicidal client.

[Annie Beckstrand · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very practical

[Cassaronda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for those working with youth or someone struggling. Great guidance.

[Devin Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great overview on suicide assessment

[Cassidy McCammon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly practical

[George Hedrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This appears to be a book for professional psychotherapist if one reads only the title. I believe it to be much more than that. It is a book for anyone who might come into contact with a suicidal person. Of course, that means it is a book for everyone.
Mr. Quinnett is the developer of QPR – Question, Persuade, and Refer. QPR is considered a life saving technique for the layman who must deal with a suicidal person, and if all the reader gets from this book is QPR it will have been a worthwhile read. The question: “Are you thinking about killing yourself.” Persuading: “Let’s find you help; let’s go to the emergency room together” (or something similar). Refer: (Call 911 if you do not get cooperation in the preceding step. If you get t he suicidal person to the emergency room, the professionals should be able to take it from there.)
Counseling Suicidal People serves psychotherapists, and it serves the general public. It goes well beyond just QPR. There are some chapters that address therapies that can be used by psychotherapists as well as chapters that address the rest of us. It does not hurt to know about the therapeutic techniques that might be used, but the focus on some immediate steps that can be taken, a list of risk factors, and how to deal with someone who does not want to accept help is for everyone.
There are two short appendices Suicide Prevention Support Systems that I found very useful. The first gives questions to ask after an affirmative answer to the Question. The second is a model for an important number list for someone to place by the telephone or on the refrigerator door.
On a personal note, I have used QPR on two separate occasions. The first was with a young man with whom I was talking on the telephone. He indicated, “Yes, I want to kill myself. I have taken an overdose, and I should die soon.” In this case, I was 75 miles away, but I was able to call 911 where the local dispatcher contacted the distant city and an ambulance and the police were dispatched immediately. It is my understanding that the young man involved survived after several days in ICU, and another month in the hospital. The second case was a young lady whose house I was visiting. After the Q and P of QPR, I took her to the local emergency room where she was referred to another hospital.
One more personal thing: I am an instructor for QPR, so I believe in the program. It is for everyone. I have seen it work. It is there to be used. Anyone who has the opportunity to attend a short ( ½ Hr.) QPR training session should take that opportunity.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had some decent recommendations and tips for counseling the suicidal patient. I found the case vignettes to be helpful. The tidbits dribbled throughout the book about post mortem chart reviews was particularly helpful in shedding light on how a patient may present just prior to taking their own life.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Quinnett talks about some really helpful things in this book, but I have to admit that his holier-than-thou tone really turned me off. Additionally, I can understand completely why a psychiatrist would take his viewpoint and I know that this book is a bit old at this point, but he seems to swear by medication to the point of not truly understanding the risks and how ineffective common anti-depressants can be. He even made some very broad sweeping statements about how therapy without medication is tantamount to malpractice - a viewpoint that not many on the up and up with recent medications would claim. Again, I can understand why he holds this view, but he very much claims that medication is a miracle and that it WILL work for everyone, when science tells us that the brain is a lot more complicated than that.

Overall, a lot of helpful tools are here in this book. Specific questions to ask, helpful exercises in getting into the suicidal person's head, and other useful tidbits, but I was forced to take a lot of what he said with a grain of salt due to his refusal to acknowledge that not every medicine works well for every person every time.

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very insightful and full of methods that are tried and true. Supplemental resources were offered throughout the book and I like that too.
After reading this book I think I will be better able to discuss emotions with others and properly gauge when to be concerned.