February 19, 2026, Thursday 8:15 am to 9:45 am, In-Service Training
Title: TOPIC CHANGE! Embracing the Risk: Lessons Learned from Working in Suicide Prevention.
Speaker and Degree: Anna Lieber, LCMHC, NCC, CCMHCE, DE
Description: Working with individuals who are in acute distress, have serious and persistent mental health challenges, constantly wish to die, or engage in high-risk behaviors can be taxing to clinicians. This workshop discusses the skills clinicians need to tolerate the risk, effectively use countertransference, and shield against trauma/burnout while providing effective treatment. This workshop goes beyond self-
care and explores recognizing and developing the cognitive and affective shifts that allow clinicians to provide effective treatment to clients who are at high risk. Treating clients who are continually in severe distress or at risk of serious harm the clinician must be able to maintain hope and compassion for the client while still finding joy and a sense of purpose in their work. This workshop will introduce a new way to think about compassion fatigue as well as the skills needed for managing clinical self-care, vicarious trauma, and burnout. Current research on this topic and clinical examples will be shared throughout the presentation. This presentation focuses on the self-of-the-therapist and understanding how clinicians can “show up” and maintain hope even when it at times feels hopeless.
Anna Lieber (she/hers), LCMHC has over 25 years of experience in behavioral health. She is the current Clinical Director of Westminster University’s MSCMHC program. Prior to starting at Westminster Anna was the Chief Clinical Officer of a large psychiatric hospital and oversaw all inpatient and outpatient clinical services. Anna’s clinical interests are in suicide prevention, treatment, and postvention with an emphasis on the chronic suicidal presentation, clinical supervision, and continued learning.
Learning Objectives: Based on this presentation I…
• Can recognize 3 skills needed to embrace the risk.
• Identify 3 ways to manage countertransference.
• Explain how to create a clinical self-care plan.
CEU’s have been applied for all in‐service programs through the Utah Psychological Association. CEU’s are free for Guild members & $5 for non‐members, per meeting. CEUs for Plan-B events have been applied for via NASW
AASECT hours:The Guild is collaborating with our friends at The Healing Group Institute (THGI) to issue AASECT continuing education hours for the Guild's in-services. If you’d like to receive 1.5 AASECT continuing education credits for attending this presentation, you’ll need to purchase them for $35 at the following link: https://thehealinggroupinstitute.com/lgbtq-therapist
Once you’ve made your purchase, you’ll receive an email with an evaluation form that unlocks with a code word (which will be announced during the Inservice). After the In-service, simply fill out the evaluation form and your official AASECT certificate will be automatically emailed to you. You can purchase credits for any event before or after it takes place, so there’s no need to wait until it’s over to get yours.
AASECT stands for the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists, the leading organization that sets standards for professional education and certification in the field of human sexuality. Earning AASECT credits helps you meet continuing education requirements and demonstrates your commitment to professional excellence.
