Release date: January 6, 2025

*Content Warning: This episode contains a discussion about suicide, which may be distressing to some listeners. Click here for resources.

In episode 70, Chris and Emma talk with Dr. Stacey Freedenthal, a suicidologist, therapist, author, and professor at the University of Denver. We discuss the deeply important but often stigmatized topic of suicide.

This is part one of a two-part series that explores the intersection of suicide and Dabrowski’s theory of positive disintegration, offering listeners tools for empathy and connection in the face of despair.

Stacey shares her personal journey with suicidality, the experiences that led her to dedicate her career to this work, and the insights she’s gained through her research, teaching, and practice.

Together, we explore the stigma surrounding suicidal thoughts, the ways people can hide their pain, and how well-intentioned responses often fall short. Stacey emphasizes the need for what she calls “brave listening”—creating a safe space for honest conversations without judgment or quick fixes. Chris and Emma also reflect on their own experiences and share perspectives on navigating these tough but crucial discussions.

Resources from this episode

Speaking of Suicide 

StaceyFreedenthal.com 

Helping the Suicidal Person: Tips and Techniques for Professionals (book for professionals)

Loving Someone with Suicidal Thoughts: What Family, Friends, and Partners Can Say and Do (book for laypeople)

A Suicide Therapist’s Secret Past (NY Times article mentioned, behind paywall. Click for PDF)

Stacey mentioned the following image from her book’s cover.

We mentioned Episode 8: Surviving Disintegration

Thomas Joiner’s Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (Wikipedia)

Bio: Stacey Freedenthal, PhD, LCSW, writes extensively about suicide assessment and intervention. Her book, Helping the Suicidal Person: Tips and Techniques for Professionals, contains evidence-based instructions and advice for assessing risk, planning for safety and helping the suicidal person to build hope, coping skills and reasons for living.

She has written more than 70 articles for her website SpeakingOfSuicide.com. The site has received more than 5 million visitors since 2013. She also has published scholarly articles about the measurement of suicidal intent, risk and protective factors for suicide and other topics related to suicidality.

She coordinates the mental health concentration at the Graduate School of Social Work. The courses that she teaches include Suicide Assessment and Interventions, Assessment of Mental Health in Adults, Clinical Social Work Theory and Practice, and Social Justice Challenges in Mental Health Practice.

A licensed clinical social worker, Stacey Freedenthal has a small psychotherapy and consulting practice in Denver. She also provides training and consultation to social workers and other professionals who treat clients at risk for suicide.

She has worked in the field of suicide prevention since 1994, when she volunteered at a suicide hotline. Subsequently, she earned a master's degree in social work from the University of Texas at Austin. She held clinical positions in psychiatric emergency settings before returning to school to earn a PhD in social work from Washington University in St. Louis. Before she became a social worker, she worked as a journalist for The Dallas Morning News.