Psychodynamic psychotherapy with suicidal adolescents

Although the treatment of suicidal adolescents is complex and may be daunting to many
clinicians, it continues to play an important role in suicide prevention. In this paper we
use case material to address questions that arise in psychotherapy, including the
contending priorities of understanding the suicidal act in order to prevent repetition,
versus connecting emotionally with the patient in the therapeutic relationship; and the use
of an evolving understanding of the complexity of suicide that develops over time as
patient and therapist engage in a deepening relationship which fosters life-sustaining
development and psychic change. We present a case description of a patient in later
adolescence, who began intensive psychoanalytic psychotherapy after a suicide attempt
and explore key components of therapeutic action. From this discussion we emphasise
the relational aspects of the transference and countertransference that enables
interpretation and increased therapeutic receptivity through collaborative interaction. We
conclude that collaborative interaction is foundational for therapeutic action with suicidal
adolescents.