Suicide is one of the most common problems that the United States is facing today, and it is an act where a person chooses to end his or her life as a result of external or internal pressure. In most cases, people who engage in suicidal activities face challenges such as depression or other mental illnesses. Suicidal cases do not only affect the victims but also people near them. Individuals with suicidal missions often cause injuries to the people close to them with the presumption that once they kill their close family members and then kill themselves, they will have solved the general problems affecting them all. This discourse, therefore, discusses this malpractice with regards to the role of a counselor and how he or she gets harmed by this malpractice.
The role of a counselor is to offer technical and general advice on how to deal with the malpractice of suicide and other related effects. While carrying out their work, counselors get subjected to both physical and emotional dangers. In most cases, these people deal with individuals who have lost hope. The role of counselors, therefore, is to restore that hope while trying to convince the pro-suicide persons not to engage in suicide or any harmful activity to their bodies and those of people within their proximity (Remley and Herlihy, 2015). These challenges have left many counselors concerned about being sued whenever their services do not bear fruits. In essence, they know that the chances of preventing a client from committing suicide are slim, and if their services are rendered null and void, the relatives who employed the counselor may sue them.
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The first step to consider when someone is exhibiting suicide signs is to ask them if they are indeed contemplating suicide. This question will let them know that one wants to talk about suicide to them. Secondly, an individual needs to find a way to keep the victim safe. Indeed, safety is vital as it will ensure that the victim is not left in a situation that can facilitate the act of suicide. The third step to take is to spend time with the victim while advising them on the importance of keeping alive. Subsequently, one needs to help them reach experts who can further support him/her to avoid suicidal moves. Lastly, a follow up is essential to ensure that the victim is alright (Remley and Herlihy, 2015).
There is nothing as hurting as losing someone or a close family member or relative through suicide., which can be avoided. Hence, seeing someone die out of this malpractice is extremely unfortunate. As a counselor, it demoralizes me when I see a person I have counseled go ahead and commit suicide or harm others. However, when such a thing happens, I do not give up in life. In any case, I have been trained to expect both types of results whenever I counsel someone who is contemplating suicide or one who wants to harm others. If I get sued for not delivering as planned, I do not panic. I pick an attorney to represent me in court (Griffin, 2011). In any case, I will have a chance to explain to the court that I followed due process while dealing with the victim. Ultimately, I will get exonerated by the court.
As a Christian, I fully understand the value of safeguarding life. Indeed, God expects us to protect life at all costs. However, in the case where I have no control over someone’s life, I do not regret if someone engages in the malpractice. While I understand how painful it is to lose a life and the effect it has on lowering the morale of a counselor, I am conscious of the fact that through prayer and meditation, the Holy Spirit intervenes and makes me strong to forge ahead with my counseling vocation.
References
Griffin, M. (2011). Working with Suicidal Clients. The Therapist .
Theodore P. Remley, J., Remley, T. P., & Herlihy, B. P. (2015). Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in Counseling . New York, NY: Pearson College Division.
