I wanted the one-year anniversary episode to be a special one, so I reached out to a person I admire deeply for his work with people who are at risk for suicide. John Sommer-Flanagan is one of those individuals who can get anyone to open up and truly feel listened to. I came across his name when taking an online course for therapists on how to treat suicidal patients and developed immense respect for him. His soothing voice and demeanor touched my heart. I learned a lot and you will too. 

With more than thirty years of practice and many books published, John deeply understands psychological pain and how to address it. He became interested in suicide after losing a patient early in his career. The painful experience made him question his ability to help others. Thankfully, he turned it around, and instead of giving up, he learned with it and decided to keep treating this population. In this interview, John gives us valuable, practical examples of how to instill hope in a person who is contemplating suicide. This is no easy task because they are usually in such pain that seeing any other option is a struggle, or what he calls “black-and-black thinking.” 

If you want to support my work, buy me a coffee. This will help me keep bringing hope to those touched by suicide:  https://bit.ly/3whorPH

Find John Flanagan: https://johnsommersflanagan.com/ 

If you want to watch this interview, visit my YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/RDmY8kgf6Zc 

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Find my book "Understanding suicide: living with loss, paths to prevention"

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