Extreme Reactions: Working with Clients who Self-Injure
Working with self-injury can evoke strong emotional responses in both clients and counsellors. Many practitioners report feeling anxious, uncertain, or overly cautious when self-harm is disclosed. Today’s training offers a compassionate, evidence-informed approach to understanding and responding to self-injury within counselling relationships.
Rather than focusing on risk prediction or procedures alone, the course explores self-injury as a meaningful response to overwhelming internal or relational experiences. Participants will develop greater confidence in assessment and therapeutic responses that reduce shame, strengthen the working alliance, and support client safety.
Drawing on current UK guidance and emerging research, the training combines short teaching inputs with reflective discussion and breakout room work. It is suitable for counsellors, psychotherapists, trainees, and supervisors working with adults or young people.
Participants will:
• Develop a deeper understanding of the functions and meanings of self-injury
• Learn how to respond to disclosures in ways that reduce shame and escalation
• Explore collaborative, person-centred approaches to assessment and safety
• Reflect on therapist reactions, boundaries, and supervision needs
• Gain practical language and tools for use in both face-to-face and online counselling
Come for yourself. Come for your clients.
Pauline says: “When a client discloses self-injury, it can feel alarming, confusing, or even frightening for us as counsellors, especially when we care deeply about client safety and our professional responsibilities. We will look at self-injury as an extreme reaction to stress, rather than a behaviour to be controlled or eliminated. The morning will also include honest testimony from experts-by-experience.”
