Working with Teenagers: Self-harm & Suicide (add–on)

If you are working in a professional setting as a counsellor, social worker, psychologist, youth worker or  pastor, working with teenagers you will know exactly how prevalent self-harm and suicide is in our teenagers today.

This very sensitive, delicate and serious topic is something we can no longer avoid or work around as this is a HUGE theme that continues to present itself in practice.

Statistics confirm that cases of teenage suicide and self-harm are on the rise, and yet, there is a huge lack of training or courses that adequately equips professionals in the field of working with teenagers, especially in dealing effectively with the topics of Self-Harm and Suicide.

In this jam-packed, 2 day ONLINE course – put together by Anschel Pieterson (Social Worker in private practice) and Alicia Coertze (Specialist Wellness counsellor with special focus on teenagers); various aspects with regards to self-harm and suicide in working with teenagers will be explored and discussed, and practical implementation thereof will be outlined.

Please note: This course is an add-on to our “Working with Teenagers” – foundation course, where we specifically focus on working with teenagers in general.

Although our foundation course (Working with Teenagers) is not a pre-requisite for our Teenagers, Self-harm & Suicide course, it is recommended that you do attend it as well, in order to lay a solid foundation in your work with teenagers.

What you can expect from this course:

• Comprehensive Theoretical background on Self-Harm Including:
  • South African Statistics
  • Self-Harm Myths
  • Parental Experiences
• An extensive outline in understanding Self-Harm including:
  • Causes of Adolescent Self-Harm
  • Factors that make Adolescents vulnerable to self-harm
  • Methods Adolescents use to Self-Harm
  • Contributing Factors to Adolescents Self-Harming
  • The Adolescent Brain pertaining to Self-Harm and why self-harm works for them
• How to work with teenagers who Self-Harm and what interventions can be used.
  • How to facilitate and approach a Self-Harm Disclosure
  • Intervention strategies in working with Adolescents who Self-Harm
  • Alternatives to Self-Harm
  • Intervention and insight into the parental experience
• An extensive outline in understanding of Adolescent Suicide ideation including:
  • Factors influencing Adolescents’ vulnerability to suicide ideation
  • Contributing factors to why Adolescents have suicidal ideation
  • Adolescent developmental factors increasing their risk
  • Mental health and suicidal ideation
  • Suicide contagion effect
• How to work with teenagers who have Suicidal ideation and what interventions can be used.
  • How to facilitate and approach a Suicidal Disclosure
  • Suicidal signs and red flags
  • Suicide Risk Assessment
  • Interventions in approaching a suicidal adolescent
  • Duty to report/confidentiality issues relating to suicidal threats
  • Intervention and insight into the parental experience and involvement
• Ethical considerations in Self-Harm and Suicide
  • Confidentiality
  • Duty to report
  • Limitations in Scope of Practice and Referral
  • Parental involvement
• Practically applicable tools to use in the counselling room (Worksheets, Parental Pamphlets, and MORE!)