Workshop | Suicidal Thoughts

Suicidal Thoughts Workshop

When someone ends their own life, we officially call it suicide. Although the term "suicide" is used much more frequently and is still common practice in government agencies like 113 Suicide Prevention , we deliberately choose the neutral term. The term "suicide" suggests that someone who does this is a perpetrator, while we see it as someone who is a victim of a terrible situation.

Of course, suicide is an act, but in our view, we shouldn't view someone who harbors thoughts of it as someone at risk of becoming a perpetrator, but rather as someone at risk of becoming a victim. We shouldn't try to catch a perpetrator in time, but rather prevent someone from becoming a victim of something as terrible as suicide.

During the workshop, we will first gain a better understanding of the phenomenon of suicide. We will then work on identifying the most striking signs of suicidal thoughts as early as possible. These include several signs you might not have considered if you hadn't heard about them. Next, we will learn how to initiate a conversation in a specific way when suicidal thoughts are suspected. Both the approach and the phasing of such a conversation require a specific approach. We will then work with various scenarios, differentiating between young people who appear to have concrete plans for suicide and those who do not, and between young people with whom you are in a cooperative conversation and those with whom you are not. To ensure appropriate referrals, we will consider the internal resources available at the school and the external support options that could be sought. Throughout the entire process, it is important to know when to inform parents about the situation and when it is not yet necessary.

We also teach a conversation structure that is very easy to remember, yet has proven to be extremely effective. It's the conversation structure child and youth coaches have been using for decades. Even the Children's Helpline (Kindertelefoon) has used this conversation structure since its inception in 1979. A proven conversation structure, in other words. It essentially involves first connecting with the student and clarifying their situation, after which the purpose of the conversation is determined and elaborated upon. Finally, the conversation concludes in a way that increases the likelihood of the subsequent conversation being equally effective and enjoyable. While learning the phases of the conversation, participants learn various conversation techniques. These are all designed to be effective with students who prefer not to engage in conversation or who are blocked for other reasons. In addition to well-known techniques like mirroring and LSD, several coaching techniques are also covered, such as lifting, scaling, and utilizing exceptions.

Participants will work on their personal experiences and challenges, ensuring that everything learned can be directly applied to their own teaching practice and/or mentoring. The content of the "Suicidal Thoughts" workshop is therefore determined in accordance with the school's wishes and the participants' own experiences and learning aspirations . Because of this customized approach, the final content will always be unique, but the learning objectives below could serve as inspiration. Please note: we can offer each workshop as a standalone workshop or as part of a program throughout the school year . The learning objectives below will then only serve as a starting point for such a program.

Possible Learning Objectives

- The figures on suicide among young people
- The most common reasons for suicide among young people
- The role of struggle with social interaction
- The role of struggling with one's own identity
- Identifying suicidal thoughts
- The most common signs of suicidal thoughts
- Alternative causes of these signals
- Starting the conversation
- The nature of such a conversation
- Whether or not you can guarantee confidentiality
- The successive stages of such a conversation
- The most effective conversation technique during such a conversation
- Guiding the way to help
- Distinguishing between concrete plans for suicide and those not
- Distinguishing between whether or not a cooperative conversation appears to be occurring
- The possible role of a confidant
- The possible role of an educational psychologist
- The possible role of a social worker
- The possible role of the care team
- The possible role of a general practitioner
- The possible role of other helplines
- An effective transfer
- Parental involvement with minors
- Parental involvement in adulthood
- Calling for emergency assistance
- Act when the home situation appears to be potentially unsafe
- The extremely effective conversation method of the Child Helpline
- Connect
- The dividing line between personal and private
- Clearing up the story
- Zoom in and zoom out
- Set a goal
- Let's reflect
- Looking back and looking forward
- Elaborate on the goal
- Complete
- Minimizing student blockages
- Mirroring
- LSD
- Elevators
- Asking questions at the level of thinking, feeling, wanting, and doing
- To scale
- Taking advantage of exceptions
- And much more

All Our Workshops for Education

- Can be provided as a single workshop or as part of a course during the school year
- Available starting at €49 per participant. This includes VAT, customization, travel expenses, distribution materials, follow-up course materials, official certificates, and lifelong aftercare for all participants.
- Will be provided at your desired location and time.
- In principle last 3 hours, but can be shortened or extended in consultation.
- Are varied, activating, and interesting.
- Are tailored to your school and tailored to the participants.
- Are followed up after 3 hours with a personalized and uniquely numbered certificate as a guarantee for lifelong aftercare.
- Are provided by real teachers with extensive experience in front of the class, in primary, secondary and vocational education.