John Kalafat, PhD Professor
Past President, American Association of Suicidology
This is a letter in regard to a presentation, A Patient’s Perspective on Treating Suicide, by Terry Wise and her therapist, Dr. Betsy Glaser, at the Annual Conference of the American Association of Suicidology. I, along with the rest of the audience, was riveted by the account of their therapeutic experience. The presentation was not only emotionally compelling, but also extraordinarily informative, particularly in regard to the client’s experience of psychotherapy.
As one who has provided courses and workshops on making effective presentations, I found this to be an exceptional presentation that contained many insights from both the patient’s and the therapist’s perspectives. I have subsequently read Terry’s book, Waking Up, and have recommended it to colleagues and have adopted it as one of the readings for my graduate course on helping interventions.
Whether you are a layperson, a teacher, or a therapist, if you have an opportunity to listen to and talk with Terry about her journey don’t pass it up.
Sincerely,
John Kalafat, Ph.D.
Past President, American Association of Suicidology
Professor, Rutgers University, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology