Counsellors’ experiences of working with suicidal clients: An exploratory study.

This paper describes an exploratory study that examined the experience of counsellors when working with suicidal clients. The paper considers counsellors’ behavioural, cognitive and emotional responses to such suicidal expression, both on a personal and professional level. The research employed semi-structured interviews. A constant comparative method was used in analysing the transcribed interview text. Results suggest that counsellors experience a range of responses when their clients express suicidal thought, including fear, anxiety, anger and professional impotence.