Every child or teen is unique in how they experience the world and talk about their feelings. Some young people are open about their sad or negative feelings, and others are more quiet or reserved about their pain or suffering. If you are concerned that your child is struggling and thinking about suicide, ask them about it. Some parents worry that asking about suicide directly will make the child feel worse but that is not accurate. Asking your child demonstrates that you are aware of their pain and opens the door to a conversation about getting help.
What are some of the warning signs of a teen contemplating suicide?
Some of these symptoms can also be experienced by teens that are experiencing anxiety, depression or another mental health condition, so it is important to ask your child directly about suicide. If you think your child shows the warning signs of suicide, it’s important to trust your parental instincts and seek more information and professional help.
There are some important risk factors and protective factors that contribute to young people being more vulnerable or resilient from suicide. It’s important to recognize these and work towards building greater protective factors for young people.
If you have concerns that your child is struggling with thoughts of suicide, talk to them. Then reach out for professional support immediately. Often parents feel overwhelmed and wonder if they are doing the “right thing”. Here are a few reminders about what’s important to emphasize if your child is suffering with thoughts of suicide.
Supporting a child who is struggling with ideas about suicide can cause immense stress and worry. It is important for parents to connect their teen to a therapist that is a good fit for them, someone they feel comfortable talking to and that they can trust. It’s also helpful if parents can receive therapy and/or participate in the therapy with their child.
Depending on your teen’s situation, there are a variety of routes we can take with their counselling. First sessions generally serve as consultations to get a better understanding of your teen’s unique situation. From there, we may work with your child over a handful of sessions or a longer period of time. We have found that counselling is a truly healing experience for many teens, and talking through their issues is a great way for them to reconnect to themselves and their families. Being seen, heard, known, and understood is extremely important for everyone – and no less for a teen navigating new emotions and experiences. Through our sessions, we will help your teen work through their emotions and build positive relationships.
Simply put, counselling works: It can help your teen feel better and lead to a positive shift within your family.
We welcome and encourage questions. Our FAQ page may be able to address some of these.
If you’re interested in learning more, please reach out to one of our Client Care Coordinators. They should help clear up questions you may have about finding a therapist that fits your teen’s needs and personality and how counselling works at the Toronto Counselling Centre for Teens. All calls are commitment-free. We can address any further questions or concerns and/or connect you to a therapist that can meet your needs.
Or, if you’re ready you can also book a time yourself! Meet the team or book now.
Learn more about how our counsellors can help with depression by contacting us at info@counsellingtorontoteens.com or call us today at 416-565-4504 for our Bloor and Runnymede location, or at 647-296-8441 for the Danforth location.
This is a very scary experience to navigate as a parent and one to take seriously. As scary as it is, it’s important to try to remain calm for your teen. Show and express to them that you can handle it, that they can lean on you, and that you’re there with them every step of the way.
Let them know they can talk openly with you about their suicidal thoughts and the experiences and feelings that lead to their suicidal ideation. Having a safe space to talk about their experience makes a huge difference. We recommend booking a parenting session to help you navigate these times.
You’re already taking the right step by seeking ways to expand their network of support. When teens are experiencing suicidal ideation, we highly recommend individual therapy and to involve their family doctor/pediatritian. If they’re in immediate danger or active crisis, take them to your nearest hospital or call emergency services.
If your teen has attempted to take their life or is in immediate danger, the first step is to call 911 or take them to the nearest hospital right away. It’s an incredibly frightening and overwhelming experience for families, and your teen’s immediate safety and care is the priority.
Because we are an appointment-based practice, we’re not able to provide emergency or crisis support. In moments like these, teens often need immediate medical attention, close monitoring, and support to help them feel safe and stabilized.
Once they are no longer in immediate crisis, then therapy can play an important and supportive role in helping them process what they’ve been through, address the underlying causes of their attempt, and help them heal.
If your teen has a history of suicide attempts or is struggling with suicidal thoughts, it’s important that their therapist is aware. This information helps the therapist better understand your teen and provide the most appropriate support and care. It’s best if you’re honest with your teen about sharing this information with their therapist.
People have different experiences with this. In general, if you take your teen to the emergency department and triage is required, you’ll be asked some initial questions to help them determine next steps. You may be asked to wait in a waiting room until your teen can be seen by a doctor.
They will then be seen and assessed by a doctor and likely other health care professionals. What happens next depends on the professionals’ assessment and your teen’s needs. If they determine it’s safe for your teen to return home, they may provide treatment recommendations, such as medication, therapy, or a referral to a community- or hospital-based program.
They will most likely send their notes to your family doctor. If they do not think it’s safe for your teen to go home or they believe in-patient care is best, your teen would be admitted to hospital. If your teen doesn’t want to stay in the hospital but the doctor has concerns for their safety, they can still admit your child for up to 72 hours for further assessment and care.
This is called a Form 1. During in-patient care, your teen will have a comprehensive care team looking after them, including psychiatrists, nurses, and social workers. Families are usually allowed to visit during this time. Upon release from the hospital, they will usually connect your teen to other resources for ongoing care.
At this time, we recommend that your teen sees a therapist on our team.
This is one of the most painful experiences for a parent. It can be hard to understand. It’s often not one thing causing their suicidal thoughts but rather a build up of several accumulating factors, such as underlying mental health concerns, unprocessed stress or trauma, or social and relationship issues.
Often, suicide is an extreme expression of a wish for emotional pain to end. Sometimes, people get to a point of believing death is the only way to stop their suffering. Individual therapy provides a space for teens to understand and address what’s causing their suicidal thoughts.
Throughout therapy, many teens develop safety plans, learn to cope with those thoughts, experience significantly less thoughts, or stop experiencing suicidal ideation alltogether once underlying causes can be understood and addressed.
267 Runnymede Rd,
Toronto, ON, M6S 2Y5
374 Danforth Ave. 2nd Floor
Toronto, ON, M4K 1N8
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Stay up to date with blogs, news and resources at the Toronto Counselling Centre for Teens
267 Runnymede Rd,
Toronto, ON, M6S 2Y5
374 Danforth Ave. 2nd Floor
Toronto, ON, M4K 1N8
