This is a specialized form of counselling that focuses on helping individuals who are at risk of suicide by reducing immediate danger, addressing the root causes, and strengthening coping mechanisms to prevent future suicidal behaviour. It involves the provision of a safe and supportive environment where individuals can talk about their feelings, receive crisis intervention, and learn healthy ways of coping with emotional pain. It also involves working with families, communities, and professionals to create strong support systems.

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one’s own death.  Suicide is when someone chooses to end their own life because they feel overwhelmed, hopeless, or unable to cope with their problems. But with help, care, and support, suicide can be prevented. Usually happens when a person feels overwhelmed by emotional pain, hopelessness, or life challenges and believes that ending their life is the only way to escape the suffering.  It is not a mental illness on its own, but it is strongly linked to mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, trauma, or substance abuse. Suicide is often a result of many combined factors: psychological, social, emotional, and sometimes medical. Many people who think about suicide do not actually want to die; they want an end to their pain. It is a serious public health issue worldwide, but also preventable with the right support and intervention.

Understanding the types helps counsellors identify the underlying cause (social isolation, hopelessness, oppression, trauma, illness, etc.) and provide more targeted support.

Sociological Types of Suicide (Durkheim’s Theory)

Durkheim (a sociologist) classified suicide into four types based on social factors:

• Egoistic suicide -happens when a person feels isolated, lonely, or not integrated into society (e.g., lack of family/community support).
• Altruistic suicide - when someone sacrifices themselves for others or for a cause (e.g., soldiers in war, cultural/religious rituals).
• Anomic suicide - linked to sudden changes in life or society, like economic crisis, job loss, or divorce, which disrupt stability.
• Fatalistic suicide - occurs when someone feels trapped by excessive rules or oppression (e.g., prisoners, people in highly controlled environments).

Clinical / Practical Types of Suicide

Based on intention, method, and circumstances:

• Completed suicide - when someone ends their life successfully.
• Attempted suicide - when someone tries but does not succeed in ending their life.
• Suicidal ideation - persistent thoughts about death or wanting to end life.
• Homicide-suicide - when someone kills others before taking their own life.
• Mass suicide - a group taking their lives together, often for ideological or religious reasons.
• Assisted suicide / Euthanasia - when another person helps, often in cases of terminal illness.
• Copycat (Cluster) suicide - occurs when one suicide triggers others in a community, especially among youth.

These thoughts do not come from one single cause; they are often the result of multiple emotional, psychological, social, and environmental factors interacting together. Suicidal ideation is usually a cry for relief from overwhelming pain, not truly a desire to die. Many people want to end their suffering, not necessarily their lives. Here are the main reasons for suicide ideation:

Psychological / Mental Health Factors

• Bipolar disorder- extreme mood swings from depression to mania.
• Depression- deep sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest in life.
• Substance or alcohol abuse -increases impulsivity and hopelessness.
• Anxiety disorders- constant worry, fear, or panic that feels unbearable.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)- reliving trauma, nightmares, or emotional pain.
• Personality disorders- (e.g., borderline personality disorder and intense emotional instability.

Emotional and Cognitive Factors

• Unbearable emotional pain that seems never-ending.
• Burden mentality- believing one is a problem to others.
• Guilt or shame after mistakes, failures, or perceived wrongs.
• Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness -"nothing will ever get better".

Social and Environmental Factors

• Relationship breakups or domestic violence.
• Financial hardship, poverty, or unemployment.
• Bullying or social isolation- especially among teens and youth.
• Loss of loved one- (grief, divorce, separation, or abandonment).
• Family conflict or rejection- (e.g., due to beliefs, lifestyle, or identity).

Medical and Biological Factors

• Family history of suicide or mental illness.
• Neurochemical imbalances- in the brain that affect mood regulation.
• Chronic pain conditions- causing long-term emotional and physical exhaustion.
• Chronic illness or disability- leading to physical suffering and loss of independence.

Situational / Crisis Factors

• Sudden traumatic events (accidents, assaults, natural disasters).
• Legal or academic problems that feel overwhelming.
• Job loss, bankruptcy, or housing insecurity.
• Shame from public humiliation or failure.

• Ensure immediate safety - through risk assessment and safety planning.
• Reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviours - by addressing hopelessness and negative thinking.
• Identify underlying causes - such as depression, trauma, abuse, or stress.
• Build healthy coping skills - teaching emotional regulation, problem-solving, and resilience.
• Strengthen support systems - involving family, friends, schools, or workplaces when appropriate.
• Promote hope and recovery - helping the person find meaning, purpose, and reasons to live.

• Listen empathetically without judgment.
• Provide immediate intervention in crises.
• Guide the client in developing a safety plan.
• Offer crisis support and de-escalation strategies.
• Educate and involve family or support systems in care.
• Provide a safe, confidential environment for expression
• Offer follow-up counselling to support long-term recovery.
• Assess the level of suicide risk (thoughts, plan, means, intent).
• Refer to psychiatrists, doctors, or emergency services when needed.
• Encourage follow-up care and ongoing therapy to reduce relapse risk
• Collaborate with other professionals (psychiatrists, doctors, social workers) when needed.

• Rebuilds a sense of hope and purpose.
• Provides relief from overwhelming distress.
• Strengthens resilience and coping mechanisms instead of self-harm.
• Promotes healing from underlying mental health issues.
• Helps save lives by reducing immediate risk.
• Provides an outlet for emotional pain.
• Breaks the stigma around talking about suicide.
• Helps individuals rediscover hope and a reason to live.

Provides versatile counselling to our clients within the county and in the Global space at the Online/Virtual Center, which is open from 6.00 AM to Midnight every day of the week. This dynamic center allows our Global clients to equally access therapy services from their country of residence, and for the other clients that treasure privacy to equally access therapy on or out of camera. However, for those around Nairobi, the Capital City of Kenya, we have a Physical Office for you in Nairobi, Upper Hill- Kenya Medical Association (KAM) Center. The Physical Center is open from 7.00 AM to 7.00 PM to accommodate those of you who are working.

The cost for virtual and physical therapy is the same, and our client can interchange the model without any penalty. The therapy session can be One-on-One, Joint/Couple, or Group therapy. We are a prepaid honest center, and once payment is made, it is reserved for a therapy session. It does not matter how long the client takes to be available; you cannot lose your money while in our system. Please take time and read our terms and conditions, to understand important parameters like session cancellation is done within 24 hours, and once payment is made for a therapy session, it cannot be refunded, but should be used for a therapy session only.

We have professional counsellors trained and licensed to provide all forms of therapy, but with expertise in stress management therapy. With their support, you will learn your triggers to stress, ways of managing the stress, and skills to manage frustration and coping mechanisms. Your therapist will provide a safe space to catharsis (vent out); help you to develop coping strategies, reshape your thinking patterns, improve your relationship, performance and address the issue at hand better. Book a therapy session and find a mental wellness support and personal therapist to walk and guide you to manage that stress, which is interfering with your life. Do not share your story in the wrong places and with the wrong people; they do not care about you. Come and Share with a Counsellor at our Center, At Share We Care. Come and Share with a Counsellor at our Center, At Share We Care.

You can use Call, SMS, or WhatsApp, using any of the two official lines provided below at the contact us. In case you miss us using one medium, especially the call, use SMS or WhatsApp Chat, and we will promptly respond. You can access our services through our official email, and the administrator will escalate your request to the client manager for action.