327 - Suicidal Ideation Is Information with Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas

Why therapists need compassionate curiosity, not fear, when talking about suicide. Suicidal thoughts or suicidal ideation (SI), like the emotions that swirl around it, is a source of information. That perspective-altering declaration comes from my guest, Sally Spencer-Thomas, Ph.D. She's a brilliant, internationally recognized suicide prevention leader who lost her beloved brother to suicide. Sally urges cautious mental health professionals (and worried friends/family members tbh) to build their capacity for curiosity around suicide and SI.

Together, Sarah and Sally explore how clinicians can move beyond fear, liability, checklists, and the illusion of control toward compassionate curiosity, relationship, agency, and genuine human connection. They also explore grief, spirituality, continuing bonds with people who have died, and what it means for therapists themselves to be wounded healers.

In this episode:

Why suicidal thoughts and feelings can be valuable information

How fear and liability can interfere with the therapeutic relationship

Different patterns of suicidal intensity—and why one-size-fits-all intervention doesn't work

The importance of agency, nervous-system regulation, trust, and human connection

Why therapists' own lived experiences with suicidality deserve a place in the profession

Grief, continuing bonds, and Sally's experiences of her brother's presence after his death

Emerging models like polyvagal theory offer hope. But our ability to sit with what's uncomfortable may be our greatest source of preventative care.

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