In this topic, practitioners will be introduced to four aspects which contribute to the burden of suicide in Malaysia: judicial practices operate through the Malaysian Law that defines suicide as a crime; religious practices position suicide as a sin; medical practices operating from a scientific-based that view suicide as a mental health problem; lastly, workplace practices operating from a security and financial risk foundation that prefer treatment requiring a crisis intervention. The learning is aimed to invite practitioners to examine the shaping effects of socio-cultural and political aspects on counselling practice.

In this session, practitioners will be invited to discuss the skills and knowledge which they draw on to support their decision-making processes when they were caught in a tense relationship with the suicide legislation, cultural practice, professional code of ethics, and the institutional protocols at their respective employment contexts.

The topic covers discussion on how counselling theory is applied in accordance with the client’s needs and the urgency in the process of establishing therapeutic relationship. Practitioners will be invited to recognise the importance of sensitivity, flexibility and thoughtfulness in the application of counselling theory when working with a client whose potential action poses an imminent suicide risk. Other small steps include the used language and tone, active listening skills, silence and observing client body language.

A space is opened for practitioners to discuss how they negotiate professional language and cultural knowledge during the suicide risk assessment process. Practitioners have the opportunity to learn from each other the skills of using carefully- sensitively crafted language during the process by paying attention to clients’ responses and weaved cultural relevance practices into counselling to await clients’ readiness to speak of suicidal experiences and despair.

The ethical responsibility of confidentiality will be explored in this session. The issue of confidentiality is inextricably linked to counsellors’ decisions about when to disclose relevant information in the interests of preserving the client’s life and when to withhold it as a way of respecting client autonomy. Practitioners will learn how and when the disclosure of clients’ confidential information is undertaken to ensure that in the presence of risk of serious harm, clients receive optimal care and support.

In this topic, practitioners will be invited to share about how they worked alongside institutional protocols and/or other socio-cultural/political aspects to engage in delicate negotiation with clients, clients’ families and significant others, to create a community of care to work collaboratively in suicide prevention and to continue supporting the client.