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Trauma-Informed Ethics and Suicide Prevention for Mental Health Professionals

A Training for Therapists and Healing Practitioners

Most ethics and suicide prevention trainings focus on rules, checklists, and liability. But when you’re sitting across from a client in real time, especially in moments of complexity or crisis, that’s not what determines your decisions. Your internal state does.

This training is designed to help you stay grounded, clear, and relational in the moments that matter most.

Why this training is different

When working with trauma and suicidality, many clinicians:

  • Freeze or lose access to their clinical thinking
  • Default to fear-based or overly cautious decisions
  • Struggle to balance ethical care with legal expectations
  • Feel unsure how to respond in real time

This training moves beyond procedural ethics and into the lived, moment-to-moment reality of clinical work.

You will learn how to stay present under pressure, navigate complex ethical decisions, and respond to suicidality in a way that is both clinically sound and deeply human.

What you’ll walk away with

  • A clear understanding of how therapist reactivity impacts ethical decision-making
  • A grounded framework for responding to suicidal ideation in session
  • Greater confidence in assessing risk and determining next steps
  • The ability to stay connected and attuned, even in high-stakes moments
  • A deeper understanding of how trauma-informed care is inherently ethical care

What we’ll cover

Ethics (3 hours)
We will explore how ethical practice is shaped not just by rules, but by presence, attunement, and clinical judgment.

Topics include:

  • The tension between ethics and legal requirements
  • The impact of therapist nervous system activation on decision-making
  • Boundaries, consistency, and pacing as ethical care
  • Navigating complex relational dynamics and attachment wounds
  • Ethical decision-making in real-world clinical scenarios

Suicide Prevention (2 hours)
This portion focuses on helping you respond to suicidality with clarity, confidence, and connection.

Topics include:

  • Common clinician responses that interfere with effective care
  • How to stay regulated and present during suicidal disclosure
  • Direct and effective suicide risk assessment
  • A structured, relational framework for responding in session
  • Determining appropriate next steps, including safety planning and higher levels of care
  • Integrating prevention into ongoing trauma work

Who this training is for

This training is designed for licensed therapists and mental health professionals who:

  • Work with trauma and complex cases
  • Want to feel more confident navigating ethical gray areas
  • Are looking for a more relational and grounded approach to suicide prevention
  • Value depth, nuance, and real-world application

Led by: Melanie Reese, LMFT, CCTP (NBCC ACEP #7927)

 Investment: Ethics Only ($180 +tax); Suicide Prevention Only ($120 +tax); Ethics + Suicide Prevention ($300 +tax)

Date: April 17, 2026
Time:Ethics: 9am-12:15pm (15 min break); 12:15-1pm lunch break; Suicide Prevention 1-3:15 pm CST (15 min break)
Continuing Education Credit: Up to 5 credit hours (3hrs ethics + 2 hrs suicide prevention)
* You may register for one or both!

Questions:melanie@groundworktraumaeducation.com

Register Today!

Purchase Both Workshops ($300)
Purchase Ethics Only ($180)
Purchase Suicide Prevention Only ($120)

Groundwork Trauma Education has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7927. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Groundwork Trauma Education is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.