September is National Suicide Prevention Month

As a therapist, I consider it my duty to educate others on awareness of “red flag” behavior in mental health that may be precursor behavior/issues to more serious and dangerous forms of thinking. Situations around us can cause us to feel desperate, hopeless, low, and invisible.  

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy teaches us that negative thoughts are “brewing” these feelings.

For example, “I can’t do anything right,” “No one appreciates me,” “No one would miss me if I was not here,” and “I am invisible” may be thoughts that generate feelings of depression, anxiety, low self-value, frustration, disappointment, and sadness. Other risk factors include previous trauma including child abuse, sexual violence, exposure to war, substance abuse, and bullying.

Common red flags that may indicate a person is experiencing suicidal ideation are as follows: feeling extreme depression, guilt, or shame; feeling hopeless; talking about or having a preoccupation with death or suicide; preparing for death (i.e., updating or preparing a will, giving away possessions – especially highly valued possessions, or taking steps to access lethal means like buying a firearm, acquiring quantities of pills/medication, or researching ways to die).  

Samantha Brawley is a Licensed Professional Counselor. She attended Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (Kansas City, Missouri) where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies in 2014 and a Master of Arts in Counseling in 2018. She then moved to Southeast Texas with her husband and three children, where she began her state internship for counseling at Family Services of Southeast Texas serving victims of domestic violence. In 2021, Samantha sought to gain experience in a different approach for counseling and began working as a Special Education Counselor for Silsbee ISD. Here, she enriched her abilities to work with students who struggle with managing their behavior due to ADHD, ODD, depression, trauma, anxiety, and developmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder. Samantha valued this experience as she too has two children with Autism and ADHD. She is excited to return to private practice and work with individuals of all ages. She believes everyone deserves support as they walk through challenges in their daily life. Samantha loves life, laughter, and her faith. She seeks to help others identify and pursue the best version of themselves. Her favorite quote is by Walt Disney: "Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."