Leslie Baker, LMFT           

Leslie W. Baker is the Owner and operator of Therapy2Thrive® Ruby Hill Marriage and Family Counseling Center, an outpatient clinic in California.  Leslie has been a Certified Suicide Bereavement Clinician since 2017.

Mary Ruth Cross, LMFT 

Mary Ruth Cross is the CEO/Owner of Treehouse Family Counseling Services, an outpatient clinic focused on play therapy treatment with children and families.

Leslie and Mary Ruth are co-editors and co-authors of Assessing and Treating Suicidal Thinking and Behaviors in Children and Adolescents: A Play Therapy Guide for Mental Health Professionals in Clinical and School-Based Settings (Routledge, 2024). They are also co-authors of a children’s book about trauma.   

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Restoring Hope to Youth in Therapy: Suicide Assessment, Treatment & Prevention    

Friday | May 1, 2026
2:30 pm - 4:00 pm 
(1.5 CEs)

Description:

Suicide is the 8th leading cause of death for children ages 5–11 (CDC, 2021). In 2021, 6,500 suicides occurred among youth ages 5–24 in the U.S. (California Dept. of Public Health & CDC WONDER Online Database). Although suicide is rare before age 10, nearly half of adolescents who experience suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) first show signs in early childhood (Whalen et al., 2022). This underscores the urgency of training clinicians, school-based professionals, parents, caregivers, and teachers to recognize warning signs, intervene early, and prevent self-harm. 

Developing a better understanding of ethical and legal standards regarding confidentiality in the crisis management of suicide when working with youth will also be a key component of this workshop, ensuring that participants are equipped to respond appropriately within both clinical and legal frameworks.

This workshop is grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Expressive Therapies as evidence-based approaches for working with suicidal youth. CBT, adapted for young populations, applies structured, time-limited, and problem-focused interventions to address distorted thinking patterns and build coping skills (Knell, 1998). DBT, originally developed for chronically suicidal individuals, emphasizes the synthesis of acceptance and change through mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness—skills proven to reduce suicidal ideation and self-harming behaviors (Dimeff & Linehan, 2001; Stanley et al., 2007; DeCou et al., 2019). Expressive therapies draw from creative modalities such as dramatic and fantasy enactment, sandtray, art, and storytelling to help youth externalize and process difficult emotions, providing developmentally appropriate pathways to healing (Sweeney & Landreth, 2003).

Evidence supports the integration of these approaches in reducing depressive symptoms and alleviating psychological pain in youth (Burgin et al., 2022; Shelby & Campos, 2001; Knell & Dasari, 2015). This training will address cultural responsiveness by recognizing unique risk factors and warning signs across diverse and vulnerable populations.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

•  Explore and apply one or more ethical & legal standards regarding confidentiality in crisis management of suicide in working with youth. 
• List two or more screening or assessment tools for identifying risks signs, protective factors and warning signs to identify suicidal thoughts, ideation, or behaviors in youth. 
• List and apply at least two - three expressive creative based CBT, and DBT interventions to improve suicidal thoughts and behaviors in youth.
• Apply at least two prevention or intervention strategies to support youth experiencing suicidal ideation or behaviors.