A Phenomenological Investigation of Counselors\u27 Perceived Degree of Preparedness When Working with Suicidal Clients

Little is known of counselor perspectives of their training and level of preparedness when working with suicidal clients. Although professional standards and guidelines regarding counselor competency in this area exists, training may not be occurring throughout a trainee\u27s program, or is occurring inconsistently. The purpose of this phenomenological inquiry was to understand the essence of counselors\u27 perceived degree of preparedness working with suicidal clients, and to provide clinical and training recommendations in this subject area. Using individual semi-structured interviews, 10 participants were recruited, using maximum variation and criterion sampling who had previous experience working with suicidal clients. The results of the study identified four structural themes and 15 textural themes were identified that answered the research questions. Findings highlighted participant insight training preparedness, components of preparedness, assessment and intervention knowledge, and training recommendations for suicide prevention and assessment. Master\u27s level training implications for counselor education programs and post-master\u27s training in the area of suicide prevention and assessment are presented, along with future research directions