Preventing Suicide: The Solution Focused Approach

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The book looks at secondary suicide prevention (treatment for those thinking about suicide or who are actively suicidal) and is very practically focused. The first chapter reviews the prevention literature and discusses the healthier nation targets. The second chapter outlines solution focused brief therapy and presents the evidence base for this approach. Chapters 3 and 4 focus on risk assessment, management and medication. Chapter 5 presents an in-depth case study and the final chapter presents five shorter case studies. The appendices contain examples of exercises that can be given to clients.About the AuthorJohn Henden is an internationally known and well-respected workshop presenter and trainer, who has a special interest in various challenging applications of the solution focused approach to psychological problems. the subject of suicide is one such interest.John, having gained a first degree in psychology, worked in UK mental hospitals, along with many hundreds of other psychology graduates in the 1970s, to bring about positive change. During his NHS career, he had two papers published on the changing language of mental health and presented an early paper on this subject at a mental health promotion conference.After 22 years in the UK National Health Services as both a practitioner and a manger, John set up a training, counselling and consultancy partnership providing a wide range of products and services to both public and private sectors.John Henden is a counsellor and psychotherapist and over time has specialised in couples work, drug and alcohol dependency, and working with abuse and trauma.It is his specialised approach to suicide prevention which has gained most public attention over the last few years. He has presented workshops at conferences; run training courses in several countries; and has had numerous suicidal clients on which to field-test the radical tools and techniques he outlines. Suicide rates within mental health services have been reduced significantly in areas where this new approach has been applied.John has personal interest in the subject, as he had strong suicidal thoughts as a child; lost a cousin to suicide; and witnessed an exceptionally high number of suicides within formal mental health services.As a trainer and workshop presenter, John Henden has an energising and inspirational teaching style which incorporates a high level of humour, despite the seriousness of the subject.As a solution focused practitioner, John never ceases to be amazed at how its effective and well-structured approach lends itself to the widest possible range of difficulties with which practitioners are presented.John Henden is among one of the leading innovators within his field, having developed some interesting ideas and techniques of his own: leapfrogging the problem; \'the five o\'clock rule\'; the solution focused feelings tank\'; and, \'beating the \'if only...\' monster\'.Having had various articles and papers published over his long career, he has at last been persuaded to get all his ideas on suicide prevention out in book form.