Preventing Suicide: The Solution Focused Approach

by John Henden

New edition of an acclaimed manual which uses the solution focused approach to take an empathetic and validating approach to working with individuals considering suicide. Offers invaluable guidance for suicide prevention by showing “what works” in treating those struggling with suicidal thoughts Provides straightforward ways to deal frankly with the subject of suicide, along with a range of tools and techniques that are helpful to clients Includes actual dialogue between practitioners and clients to allow readers to gain a better understanding of how to work with suicidal clients Compares and contrasts a ground-breaking approach to suicide prevention with more traditional approaches to risk assessment and management Features numerous updates and revisions along with brand new sections dealing with the international landscape, blaming the suicided person, Dr Alys Cole-King’s ‘Connecting with People’,  and telephone work with the suicidal, Human Givens Therapy, and zero suicide

325 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the 2nd edition of this book. The writing style was amateurish and painful; it did not read like an academic or clinical text. As I was reading it, I became surprised it was published in its current form and had made it to a second edition. There were many claims made that should have been backed up by evidence or references, but weren't. There were grammatical errors. I was keen to learn more about the solution focussed approach to suicide prevention as a frontline mental health clinician, but this book put me off it. I found the ideas presented simplistic and the author's biases against the "medical model" were undermined by the lack of academic rigour. I found the multiple - almost gratuitous - assertions throughout the book that people take their own lives because of interactions with health professionals unhelpful in a book aimed at health professionals interested in suicide prevention (and the author lacked detailed evidence to back up the repeated claim). The author also used outdated terms such as "successful suicide" multiple times in the 2017 2nd edition. There are many far better clinical texts in the field of suicide prevention than this one.

[Brian Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing resource and would recommend to all both professionally and non professionally.

[Jong Yik Khoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Provide a very clear guideline for professionals and public to help people with suicide issue. Techniques provided in book are easy to understand and very effective.