Validation: Part 2: How

by DrKatieBrazaitis | Nov 18, 2024 | Clinical Interventions, Enhancing Competency

In a previous post, I Introduced validation. I reviewed what validation is and is not, and why it is an important therapeutic skill. This week I’ll be going over the “hows” of validation. Specifically, therapy basics of paying attention and using...

Making Sense of Suicide: Safety Planning

by DrKatieBrazaitis | Nov 5, 2024 | Clinical Interventions, Enhancing Competency, Suicide

In this Making Sense of Suicide installment, I’ll be talking about safety planning. As usual, there is too much to cover in one post. First I’ll describe what safety planning is, provide a quick review of the research, and discuss key elements for ensuring...

Making Sense of Suicide: Risk Assessment: Easing Client Fears

by DrKatieBrazaitis | Oct 8, 2024 | Clinical Interventions, Enhancing Competency, Pop Culture, Media, and the Arts

In my last post, I talked about common fears clinicians face when conducting a suicide risk assessment. This week, I’m going to talk about our client’s fears and how we can help ease them. Please note, aspects of this post are somewhat oversimplified. This...

Making Sense of Suicide: Risk Assessment: Facing Your Fears

by DrKatieBrazaitis | Sep 22, 2024 | Clinical Interventions, Enhancing Competency, Suicide

Welcome back to my series Making Sense of Suicide. I’ve previously talked about why we need to talk about making sense of suicide more, and I reviewed key theories to provide the needed framework for understanding suicidal ideations and related behaviors. Now...

Validation: Part 1: What and Why

by DrKatieBrazaitis | Sep 10, 2024 | Clinical Interventions, Enhancing Competency

If you’re a follower of my blog, you’ve probably noticed I’m a big fan of validation. I talked about it a lot in my post on Inside Out and in my Making Sense of Suicide series. Even when I’m not labeling the role of validation explicitly,...

Chasing Happiness

by DrKatieBrazaitis | Aug 26, 2024 | Clinical Interventions, Clinician Wellness, Pop Culture, Media, and the Arts

In American culture, we’ve been indoctrinated to believe that happiness is attainable. And if we aren’t happy, it’s because we are doing something wrong. Something wrong that we can fix, if only we work hard enough, are dedicated, and willing to make...