Suicide and self harm

Welcome 

Important read

overview 

An overview on suicide and self-harm from Haim Omer

Kathelijne Van Dongen discusses what parents can experience 

Prevalence

The parents experience and how NVR gives parents tools

Voices of Courage: Brave Families Share Their Journey from Despair to Hope

Relational repair 

Meet Stephen and Zoe

Meet Ed and Thiara

Crafting a Supportive Message to Parents

Module 1: The Family Experience 

Understanding self-harm

The Anchoring Function of the parents 

Therapy

The steps of our appraoch

Communicating the Parent’s Role – “Fighting for Your Child’s Life”

Module 2: An Overview of the NVR approach to suicide prevention 

Understanding the child's experience

What is going on in the mind of the child 

What research tells us about the child's experience and what we should look out for

The Parliament Of The Mind

Module 3: The Child's Experience 

Support

Supporters night

What research tells us about supporters

List of things to do about supporters 

Supporters Ride

Real case example of serious self-harm 

Reflection 

Exercise 

Module 4: Supporters 

Suicide watch

Pleading Ritual 

Module 5: Interventions

Announcement 

How Kathelijne Van Dongen does the announcement 

Exercise - Coaching parents 

Module 6: The Announcement 

Self-Control

Self-control – panic and time 

Self- control - giving in

Coaching parents exercise and guidance 

Black mail 

Coach Parents To Resist Blackmail Without Escalation

Module 7: De-escalation

Vigilant care – Introduction 

Open Attention Contact points 

Contacts 

Daily conversation 

Focussed attention 

Protective steps 

Dispelling an illusion

Module 8: Vigilant Care

Introduction 

Resistance and De-Accommodation

Validation and understanding 

An unusual case of validating the young person's experience 

Validation under threat 

How can we regulate ourselves so we can regulate our child 

How to resist and validate at the same time

Module 9: Resistance Validation and Coregulation 

Hope

Reflection in the eyes of others 

Module 10: Creating hope

Summary and toolkit

Summary

What would you say to the person on the roof

Assignments 

10 Steps of empathy

Step 1 - Introduce yourself and your goal

Step 2 - 2. Express your understanding that the youth is in deep pain

Step 3 - Acknowledge that the wish to die is understandable

step 4 Express your concern about the youth’s condition and intention

step 5. Acknowledge the fear that suffering will never end

Step 6. Express hope and faith in the inner voice for life

Step 7. Refer to circumstances of the crisis

Step 8. Acknowledge feelings of abandonment, betrayal, or revenge

Step 9. Talk about the feeling that nothing matters anymore

Step 10. Express your own helplessness and fear

Key Principles Across All Exercises:

Assignment part 1 "What would you say to the person on the roof"

The Challenging Attitude

Step 1. Speak in favour of the side that wants to live

Step 2. Express commitment to stand by the youth

Step 3. Frame death as an external, deceptive force

Step 4. Show that suffering, however intense, is temporary

Step 5. Name suicide as a terrible mistake

Step 6. Address age and future

Step 7. Refer to others who survived suicidal crises

Step 8. Ask about close relationships

Step 9. Highlight differences in how people treat the youth

Step 10. Emphasize the suffering the youth’s death would cause others

Step 11. Name the deep significance of the experience

Step 12. Thank the youth for allowing presence

Step 13. Practice ongoing contact via text messages

Assignment part 2 'What would you say to the person on the roof

Training: Navigating Self-Harm and Suicidality – A Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) ApproachLed by Professor Haim Omer and Kathelijne Van Dongen, this online course is a powerful companion for parents whose children are at risk of self-harm or suicide. Designed to be taken alongside professional NVR coaching and under the guidance of a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker or family therapist, this course is not a stand-alone intervention, but a vital support in your journey.Through expert guidance and honest stories from parents who have been there and come through it, this course demystifies the subject of suicide and helps you understand it without fear or blame. You’ll learn how to respond to crisis not with panic, but with presence—transforming despair into an opportunity for deeper connection.With the principles of Non-Violent Resistance at its core, our course helps you become your child’s anchor to life.

A supportive NVR course for parents, led by Professor Haim Omer and Kathelijne Van Dongen, designed to be taken alongside professional guidance. 

Parent-Led Suicide Prevention for young people using the NVR approach (for professionals)

Parent-Led Suicide Prevention for young people using the NVR approach (for professionals)

Learn NVR

Course content

Course Description