Testimonials

I have been working in the field of mental health for the past 11 years, and during this time I have observed a significant rise in self-harm behaviours and suicide risk. I enrolled in this course to better equip myself to support both my clients and others around me who may be at risk of suicide.

The course was thoughtfully designed, striking an excellent balance between theoretical knowledge and practical skill-building. The facilitators were highly skilled and patient. They always encouraging discussions and taking the time to address every question. One of the highlights of the course was the diverse cohort. Learning alongside professionals from different backgrounds brought fresh perspectives and created valuable opportunities to exchange experiences and insights on suicide prevention.

My key takeaways included a deeper understanding of suicide, its warning signs, and the statistics surrounding suicide, which were both alarming and eye-opening. I also gained practical communication skills for engaging with individuals at risk, along with a strong understanding of safety planning as an essential component of suicide prevention.

The course placed a strong emphasis on experiential learning through engaging discussions, polls, quizzes, and role plays that allowed us to practise and strengthen our skills. I would highly recommend this course to anyone interested in developing practical, evidence-based skills for suicide prevention.

Completing the Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training with CMHLP was a transformative experience for me. The course helped me understand how to recognise warning signs, communicate empathetically and without judgement, and connect people experiencing suicidal thoughts with appropriate mental health support. I now feel better equipped to act as a bridge between individuals in distress and the support they need. 

My experience with the Suicide Gatekeeper Training Course has been both enriching and transformative. As a Rehabilitation Counsellor (informally working as a Child Psychologist), I have often found it challenging to approach and address suicide with children, adolescents, teachers, and parents. This course has significantly enhanced my competence and confidence in having conversations about suicide in a non-stigmatising, empathetic, and sensitive manner.

One of my biggest takeaways was learning to understand suicide beyond the individual and to view it as a multifactorial phenomenon shaped by situational, social, environmental, and individual factors. This perspective has helped me adopt a more holistic and compassionate approach to suicide prevention and intervention. Another key learning was recognising hope as a powerful element in supporting individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts or those affected by suicide. This has added an essential dimension to my existing counselling skills. The session on suicide risk assessment was particularly valuable, as it provided a structured, evidence-informed approach to assessing risk.

The role plays were especially impactful because they bridged the gap between theory and practice. The use of a regional language in one of the role plays made the experience even more meaningful and realistic. I also appreciated how the facilitators consistently connected the sessions to current evidence and research. Learning about the differences in the contextual factors influencing suicide in South Asian and Western countries was particularly eye-opening, highlighting the importance of cultural and socio-economic contexts in developing effective prevention and intervention strategies.

While I already had a strong foundation in counselling skills, this course helped me tailor and strengthen them specifically for suicide prevention and intervention. I will carry these learnings forward in my professional practice. I am grateful to the facilitators, the entire course team, and my fellow participants for making this such a valuable learning experience.

The Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training was an excellent learning experience that enhanced my understanding of suicide prevention and crisis intervention. It equipped me with practical skills to recognize warning signs, communicate with empathy, and guide individuals toward appropriate support. The training has strengthened my confidence as a mental health professional. I highly recommend this course to anyone committed to promoting mental health and saving lives. 

CMHLP’s Gatekeepker Course for Suicide Prevention was an excellent experience in well-researched and impactful training for me. As someone who has engaged in dialogue around suicide prevention in several capacities, I was curious about practices and policies in India that are being implemented in present day as I’d worked in the UK before this.  

It was very insightful to learn through discussion, roleplay, research papers as well as lived experience from peers and facilitators. The sessions were well-paced and encouraged me to be reflective, offer my ideas and posed questions which were always met positively. The sessions were very diverse and inclusive in terms of data, case studies and roleplay themes which encouraged me to think outside myself and my circles.

As an individual working with mental health, neurodiversity research and education, this course was packed with knowledge and practical approaches that I hope to incorporate into my work. With such an enriching experience, I hope to participate in more courses from CMHLP in the future.

I work in public health and mental health is an integral focus area in the work I do. I signed up for the course with a deep personal interest in mental health, stemming from personal experiences and professional aspirations alike.

My most important takeaway from the course were the rich discussions around understanding suicides, dispelling myths and misconceptions around it and developing new perspectives about suicide prevention. The focus on role plays to practice the skills learnt in a simulated safe space was, for me, critical to instill confidence in being able to engage in real life situations to prevent suicides. The skills learnt in this course have been very useful for me to be able to better support those around me and most importantly, address taboos around suicides.

I would especially recommend this course for anyone interacting with populations at risk of suicides and those looking to build non-medicalised, practical skills for suicide prevention.

One of the main reasons why I signed up for the Gatekeeper Training Course for Suicide Prevention was because of the research and reading I had been pursuing for the past 3 years. The pandemic showed us how we are facing a mental health crisis, that has long term consequences.  

Given this, I thought it would be good to equip myself with tools and skills to be able to do a better job and aid wherever it was needed around me. 

The skills I learnt during the course included rapport development, confidentiality, creation of a safe space and a safety plan. To empower and enable my patients to share their vulnerability has been one of the greatest skills I have learnt from this course. 

The cohort learning was one of the most useful aspects of this course. In every session, there were a great number of articles and research material shared between batch mates. The course material was comprehensive, and the facilitators accommodated all our queries. We were able to create a safe space to share our stories too.   

I enrolled for the Gatekeeper Training Course for Suicide Prevention because I have had close friends and family members who have struggled with their mental health. I was driven to enhance my support abilities and as someone with a background in psychology, I saw this as an opportunity to upgrade my skills in this field.

My biggest takeaways from this course include the warning signs of suicide, and how to provide support to those in crisis. Furthermore, being a gatekeeper can be a challenging and demanding role, so the need to take care of oneself when supporting individuals at risk of suicide is essential. I am grateful for the knowledge and skills gained from this course and feel better equipped to support those in need.

The facilitators were exceptional, creating a safe and non-judgmental environment that allowed for open communication and a deeper understanding of the subject matter. I appreciate the interactive approach and would highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to learn about suicide prevention and how to support others who may be struggling. It’s essential for all of us to have a basic understanding of mental health and suicide prevention, and this course provides just that.