Unfinished sessions : the impact of client suicide on the counsellor

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the narratives of counsellors who went through client suicide in order to understand their experience and how the event impacted their personal and professional lives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of four participants. Short storied narratives that described the essence of the participants’ experiences were constructed from the interview data. The narratives were analysed thematically and five super-ordinate themes emerged. The super-ordinate themes captured key stages in the participants’ experiences similar to the stages of a storm. Following the initial shock and disbelief upon finding out about the suicide, the participants attempted to find meaning in the experience, which was accompanied by changes in the counsellors’ practice. Such changes included greater awareness of the responsibility inherent to the profession, hyper-vigilance when working with high risk clients, and fear of going through the experience again. Some participants also showed signs of post-traumatic growth. The study highlights the value of structured agency support systems that facilitate catharsis and nurture professional and personal growth. Additionally, the study suggests the significance of talking openly about suicide with clients who are contemplating suicide and the importance of teamwork. The findings also point out to the need for more training to professionals working with high-risk clients, as well as the importance of better case management.