ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the effect of a client- and strengths-focused approach to working with a client with suicidality. Ashley was a 34-year-old single woman, living in Adelaide. She had a history of episodic Major Depressive Disorder since the age of 16, beginning after ongoing teasing at school about her weight. Ashley was obese with a BMI of 32. During the initial interview, Ashley refused to discuss current suicidality. The evaluation of Ashley's distress was focused on risk assessment and management that has poor predictive validity and does not attend to the needs of the client. Coping Planning for suicide prevention was done within a broader Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) framework for depression. The coping planning intervention involves three steps: care, collaborate, and connect. The primary focus of the first three sessions was to help Ashley feel understood and supported by firstly listening carefully in order to understand her issues.
