| A Time to Live Surviving Suicidal Thoughts |
| DISCLAIMER: This website is provided as an educational resource and should not be substituted for the diagnosis and treatment of a medical or mental health professional. |
Strategy 9: The Professional*
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A mental health professional is the person you can talk with openly about your feelings of isolation and hopelessness. This person will have the experience necessary to assist you in processing underlying issues that need to be put to rest. |
| “A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel” Proverbs 1:5 NKJV |
When I finally decided to seek help, there was not much for me to do outside of making a phone call to
book the appointment. A friend met me for dinner one evening and made her third plea in two years for me
to see a mental health care professional. I left the restaurant with a name and phone number in hand.
If you do not have the benefit of a friend approaching you with the name and phone number of a Licensed
Professional Counselor, my recommendation is to locate a counselor in much the same way that you
would locate a new primary care doctor. Also, I have a word of advice. If a friend does approach you with
the name of a mental health professional, take the hint and make the call!
Because God created us and knows what makes us tick, I strongly urge you to see a professional who is a
Christian. As human beings, we came with an instruction manual called the Bible and it is critical that your
mental health professional be well versed in what I sometimes call the instruction manual for humans.
This does not mean that you must see a counselor who is on staff at a church-run practice, although this
would be a great place to seek help. My counselor is in private practice but is also a dedicated Christian
woman with much biblical knowledge.
With a professional acting as your compass, you will be able to more quickly locate the path that will
eventually lead to a better quality of life. This chapter consists of two phases. The first phase introduces
you to the mental health care profession while the second phase guides you through the process of
selecting someone to see.
Locating a mental health professional
To locate a qualified counselor, ask your pastor, friends, coworkers, and family members if they have
someone they can recommend. Many churches have the contact information for one or more qualified
professionals. If you are not a member of a church, you can contact several local churches and compile a
short list of potential candidates. If all else fails, you can always open the phone book or search the
Internet to select several candidates.
Before conducting your search, you will want to be familiar with the different types of mental health
professionals. Let’s look over some of the primary differences between the titles you may encounter on the
Internet or in the phone book.
Your first appointment
On the first appointment, be sure to take note of your overall comfort level. It is normal to feel nervous, so
look at things beyond your natural nervousness such as:
- How do you feel about the office environment?
- Does the counselor help you to feel at ease?
- Do you feel the counselor is really listening to you?
- Is this a person you will feel comfortable working with on an on-going basis?
Expectations
We need to address your expectations in regards to counseling. Let me share my personal experience.
At the time I decided to seek assistance, I thought that I would see the counselor for three or four sessions
and then I would be good to go. Cured. After the first visit, I got the impression that I indeed had some
issues that would require attention. I called a friend and said, “Well, I was thinking I would be done in three
to four weeks, but now I think it could take as long as eight weeks.” My friend, who has been through
counseling herself, burst out laughing!
I had no clue what to expect from the counseling process. More importantly, I had no clue as to the depth
and breadth of my underlying problems. Let me assure you of one thing. If you have been experiencing
years of recurrent suicidal ideation there are most likely many layers of issues to dig through. It will take
time to address the causes of your tremendous emotional pain.
The fading thoughts
Your suicidal thoughts may disappear and never come back. I hope this happens for you. Unfortunately,
this was not my experience. As I went though counseling, I frequently became discouraged because the
thoughts would continue to occur. I viewed every suicidal thought as a setback. You need to be prepared
for this.
Your emotional healing process is no different from that of a physical wound. Think of the last time you had
a bad cut. The cut did not instantly go away when you applied medication and a bandage. No, the healing
process occurred over time. The medication helped to combat infection and new skin cells began to grow.
The depth and breadth of the wound became smaller. The pain began to subside. A scab eventually
formed. Shortly afterward the cut was fully healed. Physical healing is a slow process that occurs from the
inside out.
Apply this analogy to your emotional wounds and healing processes. As time goes on, you will find that the
crisis moments begin to happen less often, last shorter amounts of time and become less intense. As
healing progresses, the thoughts decrease until one day they become just a memory. Like a physical
wound, your emotional healing will also be a slow process that happens from the inside out.
Take action
It is time to heal so that you can move forward with your life. It is time to walk through the process of
selecting a mental health professional. Let’s move to the next phase by helping you to select a mental
health professional.
book the appointment. A friend met me for dinner one evening and made her third plea in two years for me
to see a mental health care professional. I left the restaurant with a name and phone number in hand.
If you do not have the benefit of a friend approaching you with the name and phone number of a Licensed
Professional Counselor, my recommendation is to locate a counselor in much the same way that you
would locate a new primary care doctor. Also, I have a word of advice. If a friend does approach you with
the name of a mental health professional, take the hint and make the call!
Because God created us and knows what makes us tick, I strongly urge you to see a professional who is a
Christian. As human beings, we came with an instruction manual called the Bible and it is critical that your
mental health professional be well versed in what I sometimes call the instruction manual for humans.
This does not mean that you must see a counselor who is on staff at a church-run practice, although this
would be a great place to seek help. My counselor is in private practice but is also a dedicated Christian
woman with much biblical knowledge.
With a professional acting as your compass, you will be able to more quickly locate the path that will
eventually lead to a better quality of life. This chapter consists of two phases. The first phase introduces
you to the mental health care profession while the second phase guides you through the process of
selecting someone to see.
Locating a mental health professional
To locate a qualified counselor, ask your pastor, friends, coworkers, and family members if they have
someone they can recommend. Many churches have the contact information for one or more qualified
professionals. If you are not a member of a church, you can contact several local churches and compile a
short list of potential candidates. If all else fails, you can always open the phone book or search the
Internet to select several candidates.
Before conducting your search, you will want to be familiar with the different types of mental health
professionals. Let’s look over some of the primary differences between the titles you may encounter on the
Internet or in the phone book.
- Counselors: Counselors are the people who will listen to you in a compassionate, encouraging
and attentive manner for one hour at a time, week after week and month after month while you heal
emotionally. They are highly trained in handling the depression that is most likely causing your
suicidal thoughts.
When the term “shrink” is mentioned, most people think of a psychiatrist; however, the term really
refers to someone like a Licensed Professional Counselor or a psychologist as these are the
people who fulfill the role of the professional that listens and assists you on a continual basis. In
dealing with suicidal ideation and its underlying causes, you will want to be sure to see someone
with at least a Master’s Degree in counseling or a related field. You will also want someone who is
professionally certified or licensed in your state.
- Psychologists: These are professionals with a doctorate degree in psychology. Some
psychologists are practitioners in that they provide counseling plus psychological testing. Other
professional areas for psychologists include clinical research and academics.
- Psychiatrists: These are medical doctors with a specialty in psychiatry. I think of them as the brain
chemistry doctors. The psychiatrist fulfills the role of the specialized medical doctor who prescribes
and monitors medications that correct the chemical imbalances in the brain that either cause or
contribute to your depression.
Your psychiatrist may even consult with your counselor in determining the best course of medical
treatment for your condition. Most patients visit their psychiatrist once a quarter for a medication
evaluation and to receive their quarterly prescription. If you are not in need of medication, then you
will probably not need to have a psychiatrist.
Your first appointment
On the first appointment, be sure to take note of your overall comfort level. It is normal to feel nervous, so
look at things beyond your natural nervousness such as:
- How do you feel about the office environment?
- Does the counselor help you to feel at ease?
- Do you feel the counselor is really listening to you?
- Is this a person you will feel comfortable working with on an on-going basis?
Expectations
We need to address your expectations in regards to counseling. Let me share my personal experience.
At the time I decided to seek assistance, I thought that I would see the counselor for three or four sessions
and then I would be good to go. Cured. After the first visit, I got the impression that I indeed had some
issues that would require attention. I called a friend and said, “Well, I was thinking I would be done in three
to four weeks, but now I think it could take as long as eight weeks.” My friend, who has been through
counseling herself, burst out laughing!
I had no clue what to expect from the counseling process. More importantly, I had no clue as to the depth
and breadth of my underlying problems. Let me assure you of one thing. If you have been experiencing
years of recurrent suicidal ideation there are most likely many layers of issues to dig through. It will take
time to address the causes of your tremendous emotional pain.
The fading thoughts
Your suicidal thoughts may disappear and never come back. I hope this happens for you. Unfortunately,
this was not my experience. As I went though counseling, I frequently became discouraged because the
thoughts would continue to occur. I viewed every suicidal thought as a setback. You need to be prepared
for this.
Your emotional healing process is no different from that of a physical wound. Think of the last time you had
a bad cut. The cut did not instantly go away when you applied medication and a bandage. No, the healing
process occurred over time. The medication helped to combat infection and new skin cells began to grow.
The depth and breadth of the wound became smaller. The pain began to subside. A scab eventually
formed. Shortly afterward the cut was fully healed. Physical healing is a slow process that occurs from the
inside out.
Apply this analogy to your emotional wounds and healing processes. As time goes on, you will find that the
crisis moments begin to happen less often, last shorter amounts of time and become less intense. As
healing progresses, the thoughts decrease until one day they become just a memory. Like a physical
wound, your emotional healing will also be a slow process that happens from the inside out.
Take action
It is time to heal so that you can move forward with your life. It is time to walk through the process of
selecting a mental health professional. Let’s move to the next phase by helping you to select a mental
health professional.
*Abridged from A Time to Live: Surviving Suicidal Thoughts by Kimberly Andry
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