If you need urgent help
If someone is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E. Do not wait for a reply from this practice.
In England, call NHS 111 and select the mental health option for urgent mental health help. Read the NHS guidance on urgent support.
To speak to someone, call Samaritans on 116 123, free, day or night.
Private appointments and the welcome call are not a crisis response service.
What ASIST training covers
ASIST is a two-day workshop developed by LivingWorks. It trains participants to recognise possible suicide risk, ask about suicide and work with someone on a plan for immediate safety.
I use this training within my counselling work. It does not make this practice an emergency or medical service. Read about ASIST from LivingWorks.
Talking about suicide in a session
You can tell me if you are thinking about suicide. I will ask direct questions so we can discuss what is happening, your immediate safety and what support is needed.
I explain confidentiality and its limits before we start. If there is a serious safety concern, information may need to be shared with an appropriate service. Where possible, I discuss that with you.
Making a safety plan
A safety plan records practical steps and people or services to contact. We may discuss warning signs, ways to make the immediate situation safer and who can help. The plan needs to reflect your circumstances and be reviewed when those circumstances change.
It is not a promise that someone will not act on suicidal thoughts, and it does not replace emergency help.
Supporting someone else
Samaritans provides guidance on supporting someone you are worried about, including asking directly about suicide and listening to their answer.
If there is immediate danger, call 999. If you are on board a vessel or on an offshore installation, alert the person responsible for medical care or the duty officer and follow the emergency procedures for that vessel or asset.
Questions about this service
Will talking about suicidal thoughts make things worse?
Samaritans recommends asking directly about suicide when you are worried about someone. In a session, I will ask about what is happening and your immediate safety. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E.
What happens if I tell my counsellor I'm thinking about suicide?
I ask direct questions about what is happening and what support is needed. We discuss immediate safety and next steps. If there is a serious safety concern, information may need to be shared with an appropriate service. Where possible, I discuss that with you.
Is a Safe Plan the same as a no-suicide contract?
No. A safety plan records practical steps, contacts and support for a crisis. It is not a promise not to act on suicidal thoughts and does not replace emergency help.
What does ASIST-trained mean in practice?
ASIST is a two-day LivingWorks workshop covering suicide intervention and collaborative safety planning. I use that training within counselling. This practice is not an emergency or medical service.
Do I need to be in crisis to bring this up?
You can discuss current or past suicidal thoughts in counselling. If you need urgent help, use an urgent support service rather than waiting for an appointment or a reply from this practice.
Ask about an appointment
Start with a welcome call to discuss what you want to work on, ask questions and check availability. This is not a therapy session.