World Suicide Prevention Day: Hope Through Connection and Therapy

Each year, 10 September marks World Suicide Prevention Day, a time to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and come together to support those who may be struggling with thoughts of suicide. The theme is often one of connection – reminding us that by reaching out, listening, and showing compassion, lives can be saved. While no single approach can prevent all suicides, therapy plays an important role in offering hope, practical tools, and a safe space to explore pain. Three approaches in particular – Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Person-Centred Therapy (PCT), and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) – highlight different but complementary ways that therapy can help people find their way forward.

Understanding the Weight of Suicidal Feelings

Suicidal thoughts can feel overwhelming, isolating, and relentless. For many, it is not so much a desire to die, but rather a deep wish for the pain to stop. The challenge is that in those moments, it can be hard to imagine that life could ever feel different. Therapy aims to create a bridge – between despair and hope, between isolation and connection, between unbearable pain and the possibility of healing.

DBT: Skills for Surviving Intense Emotions

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) was originally developed to support people experiencing chronic suicidal thoughts and behaviours, often linked with borderline personality disorder. DBT acknowledges that suicidal feelings are real and distressing, and it provides concrete skills to manage them.

DBT combines acceptance and change:

• Acceptance skills (such as mindfulness and distress tolerance) help individuals acknowledge their pain without judgement, while finding immediate ways to survive crises.

• Change skills (such as emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness) support longer-term shifts in relationships, coping, and self-understanding.

For someone feeling overwhelmed, even a small skill – like focusing on slowing the breath, or phoning a friend rather than acting on an impulse – can create a vital pause. DBT therapists also work in a structured, supportive way, ensuring clients know they are not alone when navigating suicidal urges.

PCT: The Power of Empathic Listening

Person-Centred Therapy (PCT), pioneered by Carl Rogers, emphasises the healing potential of a genuinely supportive relationship. Many people who struggle with suicidal thoughts feel unheard, misunderstood, or judged. PCT creates a therapeutic environment where acceptance, empathy, and congruence (authenticity) are at the core.

Instead of focusing on techniques, PCT trusts that every individual has an inner drive towards growth and healing, given the right conditions. When someone feels truly heard – without judgement, without being told what to do – the isolation of suicidal thoughts can begin to soften. In this way, PCT offers a relational foundation for hope, reminding us that connection itself can be life-saving.

Solution-Focused Therapy: Building on What Works

While despair narrows vision to what is unbearable, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) gently redirects attention towards strengths, resources, and even the smallest glimpses of hope. The therapist collaborates with the client to imagine a preferred future, and to notice what is already working – however small.

Questions such as:

• “When things feel even slightly less heavy, what’s different?”

• “What helps you get through the hardest moments?”

• “If tomorrow felt one step better, what might that look like?”

These questions are not intended to dismiss the pain, but to highlight resilience and possibilities that suicidal thinking often obscures. For many, this forward-looking approach can reintroduce a sense of agency and the belief that change is possible.

A Shared Message of Hope

Though these approaches differ, they share a common thread: hope is not lost, even in the darkest moments. DBT equips with skills, PCT provides unconditional support, and SFBT highlights possibilities. Together, they show that therapy is not about quick fixes or empty reassurance, but about walking alongside someone until they can see another way forward.

On World Suicide Prevention Day, the message is clear: if you are struggling, you are not alone, and reaching out can be the first step towards change. If you know someone who may be at risk, offering a compassionate ear – without judgement, without rushing to solutions – can make an enormous difference.

Where to Find Support

• In the UK, you can contact Samaritans on 116 123 (free, 24/7).

• Text “SHOUT” to 85258 for confidential support via text.

• Speak to your GP or reach out to local crisis services if you are in immediate danger.

World Suicide Prevention Day reminds us that while the pain of suicidal feelings is real, so too is the possibility of healing. Through therapy, connection, and compassion, lives can change – and lives can be saved.