About this event

Relating to Self-Harm and Suicide: Clinical Priorities and Practice in Contemporary Psychoanalytic Contexts - Will Crouch and Stephen Briggs

Suicide and attempted suicide is a violent enactment. In this enactment the patient is trying to find a solution (although it is a psychotic one) to the unbearable situation that they feel themselves to be in, both internally and in their relationships with others. As Rob Hale (2026) has observed, suicide does not happen in isolation but takes place in a dyadic relationship. Hence consideration of the relationships around self-harm and suicide is essential for safe and effective work with people predisposed to this behaviour.

In this seminar Will Crouch will first present some slides summarising the work contained in the second edition of there book. These will show the way they have found the theory from the first edition to be enduring. There have, however, been some changes of context, such as in the fields of gender, sexuality and assisted suicide. Work has also been done on the impact of suicide on others and bereavement. There will also be updates on research on the effectiveness of psychoanalytic psychotherapy with self-harming patients

In order to bring the discussion closer to practice, Will Crouch will then read a brief paper on countertransference in the work with self-harming and suicidal patient in analysis. He will show that with such patients one needs a conceptualisation of the roles the patient and the analyst take in the enactment, and that we need an understanding for, not just what happens in fantasy, but also what becomes enacted in the real world. The struggle to maintain an analytic role and analytic thinking will be discussed as the analyst is pushed and pulled by the patient to enact a role from their fantasy. Joseph Sandler’s influential concept of “role responsiveness” (1976) will be used to help conceptualise this process. This understanding can be used to develop the work, and improve safety, when working with a suicidal patient. Case examples will be used to illustrate some role responsive relationships with suicidal patients.

Speakers

Stephen Briggs, PhD, is Emeritus Professor in the University of East London, Honorary Professor at the Universities of Exeter and Nottingham, Member of the Tavistock Society of Psychotherapists and Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. He has written widely on infancy, adolescence and suicide.

William Crouch is a psychoanalyst, a Fellow of the British Psychoanalytical Society, and works in private practice.  He is a clinical psychologist and previously was a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and psychotherapist at the Tavistock Clinic. 

View the full series here.

This lecture will be recorded and available for 7 days after the lecture takes place

© Image: Matthew Kolakowski, 'Storm Inside' 2010

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