Building a Therapeutic Alliance With the Suicidal Patient - 9781433809071

The quality of the therapeutic alliance is a well-established factor for successful therapy. With suicidal patients, a strong therapeutic alliance can quite literally save a person's life. In this book, an elite group of clinicians and researchers explore what has become known as the Aeschi approach to clinical suicide prevention. According to this view, mental health professionals must recognize a fundamental conflict at the heart of good clinical practice: While they are experts in the assessment and treatment of mental health disorders, when it comes to the patient's suicidal story, the patient is the expert. Successful interventions with suicidal patients must therefore be empathic and honor the very personal perspective of the patient.

This exceptional volume addresses a wide range of issues, from the principles and methods of establishing a working alliance to patient-oriented therapies for suicidality. Moreover, the text discusses practical clinical matters related to specific treatments across theoretical orientations and modalities. Above all, this book provides essential guidance for any clinician seeking a sensible and compelling approach to working effectively with suicidal patients.

Konrad Michel, MD, MRCPsych, is a senior psychiatrist and psychotherapist at the outpatient department of the University Psychiatric it Hospital in Bern, Switzerland, and is also in private clinical practice. Dr. Michel has been a collaborator on the World Health OrganizationùEuropean Multicenter Study on Suicidal Behavior. He has conducted several clinical research projects focusing on the role of general practitioners in suicide prevention and on various aspects of the patientûclinician clinical relationship. Together with Ladislav Valach, PhD, Dr. Michel has developed a model of understanding suicidal behavior based on the theory of goal-directed action and narrative interviewing. He is also the initiator of the Aeschi Working Group, a group of clinicians and researchers who are dedicated to improving clinical suicide prevention by developing and promoting patient-oriented models of understanding suicidal behavior.

David A. Jobes, PhD, ABPP, is a professor of psychology and associate director of clinical training at The Catholic University of America. His research and writing have led to numerous publications in suicidology, with a particular focus on clinical suicidology. Dr. Jobes is a past president of the American Association of Suicidology and is the recipient of that organization's 1995 Edwin Shneidman Award in recognition of early career contribution to suicide research. He has served as a consultant to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Jobes is a board-certified clinical psychologist (American Board of Professional Psychology) who maintains a private clinical and forensic practice at the Washington Psychological Center, Washington, DC.