Dan's client admits to suicidal thoughts. First off, Dan should:

• A. Report to authorities
• B. Terminate therapy
• C. Empathetically validate and normalize his client's disclosure
• D. Ignore

Answer: (C)

When a client shares suicidal thoughts, the immediate goal is to establish safety through an empathetic, nonjudgmental response and to validate the client's experience. Validating and normalizing the disclosure reduces shame and isolation, which helps the client feel heard and willing to share more honestly. This stance also preserves the therapeutic alliance, making it possible to move into a careful risk assessment and safety planning.

After offering empathetic validation, the counselor should conduct a direct risk assessment: explore the frequency and intensity of thoughts, any concrete plans or means, timelines, and protective factors or supports. This information guides the next steps, such as creating a safety plan, arranging crisis resources, and determining whether immediate intervention or involvement of emergency services is necessary. Throughout, the counselor remains mindful of confidentiality and mandatory reporting rules, but the first action is to respond with warmth and to assess risk rather than taking punitive or disengaging steps.

Other options undermine safety and the therapeutic relationship—reporting without building rapport, terminating therapy, or ignoring the disclosure—so they’re not appropriate as the initial response.