Trauma-Informed Ethics and Suicide Prevention for Mental Health Professionals

A Training for Therapists and Healing Practitioners

Led by Melanie Reese, LMFT, CCTP
 Investment: Ethics Only ($180 +tax); Suicide Prevention Only ($120 +tax); Ethics + Suicide Prevention ($300 +tax) 

Date: April 10, 2026
Time: 9am-12pm (ethics); 12-1pm lunch break; 1-3 pm (suicide prevention) CST 
Continuing Education Credit: 5 credit hours (3hrs ethics + 2 hrs suicide prevention)
* You may register for one or both!
Questions: melaniereeselmft@gmail.com

COURSE OVERVIEW

Offered by Groundwork Trauma Education, this five hour workshop provides a trauma-informed, clinically grounded approach to ethical practice and suicide prevention. The training is designed to help clinicians understand how trauma, attachment, and nervous system responses influence ethical decision making, boundaries, clinical judgment, and client safety.

This training includes a three hour ethics component and a two hour suicide prevention module. Participants may attend the full program or select the module that meets their current licensure requirements. The workshop emphasizes clarity, attunement, cultural context, and practical clinical application, supporting therapists in providing thoughtful, trauma-responsive care.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Ethics Module

• Trauma informed ethical decision making for outpatient and intensive therapy
• Understanding power, boundaries, and attunement in trauma focused work
• Informed consent practices that support transparency and client autonomy
• Scope of practice considerations and therapist competency
• Documentation strategies that align with ethical decision making
• Cultural, systemic, and relational factors that influence ethical choices

Suicide Prevention Module

• How trauma, attachment, and dysregulation shape suicide risk
• Recognizing patterns of shutdown, hopelessness, and chronic suicidality
• Conducting a thorough, trauma informed suicide risk assessment
• Developing safety plans grounded in nervous system regulation and client strengths
• Responding to risk in session and knowing when to consult or refer
• Documentation essentials for risk assessment and safety planning

WHO IS THIS FOR?

This workshop is appropriate for:

• Licensed mental health professionals seeking ethics or suicide prevention CE hours
• Clinicians working with trauma, complex trauma, or high dysregulation
• Therapists wanting a clearer, more grounded framework for ethical decisions
• Practitioners who want to strengthen their suicide risk assessment skills
• Clinicians seeking a trauma-informed lens for professional boundaries and safety

This is an educational workshop and is not a certification course. It is intended to support therapists in strengthening professional clarity and confidence in trauma-focused ethical practice and suicide prevention.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES 

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Identify at least three ethical issues commonly encountered in trauma-focused clinical practice.

2. Describe how trauma, attachment history, and cultural context influence ethical decision making.

3. Outline the essential components of a trauma-informed suicide risk assessment.

4. Apply at least two frameworks for safety planning with clients experiencing suicidal thoughts.

5. Explain documentation practices that support ethical clarity in both trauma treatment and suicide risk assessment.