Self harm and self injury are strategies used by many clients as a means of coping with overwhelming and powerful feelings. Research evidence suggests that 142,000 young people present to hospital Accident and Emergency Departments annually as a consequence of self harm (The Mental Health Foundation, 2006): however, this is clearly the tip of the iceberg. It is therefore fair to assume that counsellors work extensively with self harm or self injury in their therapeutic relationships. Working with self harm and self injury in the counselling context can provoke powerful responses in both trainee and qualified practitioners. Understanding our own reactions to self harm and self injury is an essential step in supporting our clients in understanding their own processes. This workshop will consider the following areas: 

1. Definitions between self harm, self injury and self mutilation;

2. An overview of the various forms of self harm and ways in which we harm ourselves;

3. The physiological and psychological processes of self harm – differences between self harm and suicide;

4. The implications of self harm from clients;

5. General professional considerations;

6. Assessment considerations for counselling;

7. Therapeutic considerations;

8. Self care.

 The workshop used different approaches to help participants consider these areas, including formal information delivery, small and large group discussion and other experiential learning.

Dr Andrew Reeves

Phd  MA  CQSW  ProfDipSw  RSW  DipCouns  PGCertSupn  MBACP (Accred) UKRC Registered Counsellor

 Andrew is a Registered Social Worker and qualified integrative counsellor. He worked for many years in secondary care psychiatric services in an acute admission unit and mental health crisis team. He now works as a counsellor and supervisor at the University of Liverpool. His doctorate explored suicide risk assessment in counselling and psychotherapy and he has written several articles on this subject, including co-authoring the BACP Information Sheet, “Working with Suicidal Clients”.

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