Suicide and self harm

Welcome 

Important read

overview 

The NVR appraoch - Haim Omer

Quiz

Suicide risk - The NVR approach

Understanding the Need for Parent Treatment: An In-Depth Analysis

The Clinical Rationale for Parent Treatment

An overview on suicide and self-harm from Haim Omer

Kathelijne Van Dongen discusses what parents can experience 

Prevalence

The parents experience and how NVR gives parents tools

Voices of Courage: Brave Families Share Their Journey from Despair to Hope

Relational repair 

Meet Stephen and Zoe

Meet Ed and Thiara

Crafting a Supportive Message to Parents

Module 1: The Family Experience 

Understanding self-harm

The Anchoring Function of the parents 

Therapy

The steps of our appraoch

Communicating the Parent’s Role – “Fighting for Your Child’s Life”

Module 2: An Overview of the NVR approach to suicide prevention 

Understanding the child's experience

What is going on in the mind of the child 

What research tells us about the child's experience and what we should look out for

The Parliament Of The Mind

Module 3: The Child's Experience 

Support

Supporters night

What research tells us about supporters

List of things to do about supporters 

Supporters Ride

Real case example of serious self-harm 

Reflection 

Exercise 

Module 4: Supporters 

Suicide watch

Pleading Ritual 

Module 5: Interventions

Announcement 

How Kathelijne Van Dongen does the announcement 

Exercise - Coaching parents 

Module 6: The Announcement 

Self-Control

Self-control – panic and time 

Self- control - giving in

Coaching parents exercise and guidance 

Black mail 

Coach Parents To Resist Blackmail Without Escalation

Module 7: De-escalation

Vigilant care – Introduction 

Open Attention Contact points 

Contacts 

Daily conversation 

Focussed attention 

Protective steps 

Dispelling an illusion

Module 8: Vigilant Care

Introduction 

Resistance and De-Accommodation

Validation and understanding 

An unusual case of validating the young person's experience 

Validation under threat 

How can we regulate ourselves so we can regulate our child 

How to resist and validate at the same time

Module 9: Resistance Validation and Coregulation 

Hope

Reflection in the eyes of others 

Module 10: Creating hope

Summary and toolkit

Summary

What would you say to the person on the roof

Assignments 

10 Steps of empathy

Step 1 - Introduce yourself and your goal

Step 2 - 2. Express your understanding that the youth is in deep pain

Step 3 - Acknowledge that the wish to die is understandable

step 4 Express your concern about the youth’s condition and intention

step 5. Acknowledge the fear that suffering will never end

Step 6. Express hope and faith in the inner voice for life

Step 7. Refer to circumstances of the crisis

Step 8. Acknowledge feelings of abandonment, betrayal, or revenge

Step 9. Talk about the feeling that nothing matters anymore

Step 10. Express your own helplessness and fear

Key Principles Across All Exercises:

Assignment part 1 "What would you say to the person on the roof"

The Challenging Attitude

Step 1. Speak in favour of the side that wants to live

Step 2. Express commitment to stand by the youth

Step 3. Frame death as an external, deceptive force

Step 4. Show that suffering, however intense, is temporary

Step 5. Name suicide as a terrible mistake

Step 6. Address age and future

Step 7. Refer to others who survived suicidal crises

Step 8. Ask about close relationships

Step 9. Highlight differences in how people treat the youth

Step 10. Emphasize the suffering the youth’s death would cause others

Step 11. Name the deep significance of the experience

Step 12. Thank the youth for allowing presence

Step 13. Practice ongoing contact via text messages

Assignment part 2 'What would you say to the person on the roof

Evaluation

Congratulations 

<div class="tableWrapper"><table style="min-width: 50px;"><colgroup><col><col></colgroup><tbody><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Name of provider</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">LearnNVR</td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Name of course</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Professional Training in Supporting Parents of Suicidal and Self-Harming Children</td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Course delivery and dates</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">This course is delivered online via pre recorded videos and can be started at the time of your choosing. The course is delivered here on our website <a target="_blank" href="https://www.learnnvr.org">https://www.learnnvr.org</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">CE amount</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">5.75 CE Credits</td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Target audience</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">This course is designed for psychologists, social workers, family therapists, psychotherapists, counsellors, and other mental health professionals working with children, adolescents, parents, and families affected by suicide and self-harm.</td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Course fees and what is covered</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">The cost for this course is $500 and includes access to the online videos</td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Registration info</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">To register for this course simply select enrol now and you can purchase and begin the course immediately</td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Contact information for questions or grievances</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Please email us at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:info@learnnvr.org">info@learnnvr.org</a> if you have any question or grievances about this course</td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Refund &amp; Cancellation Policy</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">We want you to feel confident before enrolling, which is why we provide the opportunity to preview selected course materials in advance.As these previews are available to help you make an informed decision before purchasing, all course purchases are final. We regret that we are unable to offer refunds, cancellations, or exchanges once a course has been purchased.</td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">System requirements</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">There are no specific operating system requirements for accessing <a target="_blank" href="http://learnNVR.org">learnNVR.org</a> through a web browser. <a target="_blank" href="http://Learnnvr.org">Learnnvr.org</a> can be accessed on common operating systems such as Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.</td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Date course was last updated</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">This recorded asynchronous webinar was last updated in June 2026</td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Course completion requirements</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">·<span style="font-variant: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Watch all the videos·<span style="font-variant: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Complete the course evaluation</td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Post-test requirements</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">A minimum of 80% is required to pass the post test</td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">When and how certificate will be issued</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Certificates of completion will be emailed within 10 business days of course completion</td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">ACE individual courseapproval statement</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Learn NVR, course titled Professional Training in Supporting Parents of Suicidal and Self-Harming Children,course 6685, is approved by the Association ofSocial Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered bySocial Work World as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority oncourses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: 10/04/2026– 10/04/2028. Social workers completing this course receive 5.75 ethics continuingeducation credits.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><h2 id="98428cb6-574b-4e56-81bf-3a9ef02b7205" data-toc-id="98428cb6-574b-4e56-81bf-3a9ef02b7205" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">Course Description</h2>Working with families affected by suicide risk and self-harm can be one of the most challenging areas of professional practice. Professionals often face the difficult task of supporting parents who feel overwhelmed, frightened, and powerless, while helping them become a source of safety, hope, and resilience for their child.This specialist training equips professionals with a structured, evidence-informed Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) approach to working with parents of children and young people who are experiencing suicidal thoughts, self-harm, or other high-risk behaviours. Developed by Professor Haim Omer and Kathelijne van Dongen, the programme combines the principles of NVR with extensive clinical experience in suicide prevention and family intervention.Throughout the course, you will learn how to guide parents from fear and helplessness towards calm, confident, and compassionate action. You will develop practical skills to facilitate NVR parent groups, provide individual parent coaching, strengthen parental presence, mobilise supportive networks, and help families rebuild connection during times of crisis. The training also demonstrates how NVR can be integrated alongside existing therapeutic approaches as part of a comprehensive care plan.Designed for psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, social workers, counsellors, family therapists, school professionals, and other practitioners working with children and families, this course provides practical tools, real-life examples, and a clear framework that can be applied immediately in clinical and community settings.<h2 id="b608eb74-54b1-4c50-8fc6-385633555907" data-toc-id="b608eb74-54b1-4c50-8fc6-385633555907" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">Our Course Instructors</h2>Haim Omer is the founder of NVR. Some years before he developed the approach, he learned through his own experiences the power of parental presence. In the last 2 decades Haim adapted the NVR approach to guide professionals and parents to bring about a reduction in suicide and self-harm.Kathelijne van Dongen integrates NVR with Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) for adolescents at high suicide risk. Her methods have led to more strength and hope, connection and understanding and often a significant reduction in self-harm and suicide attempts. She works as a systemic therapist and trainer at Ursula Rivierduinen, a national centre of excellence for eating disorders. There, she supports families of adolescents with severe eating problems, helping parents to lovingly resist the eating disorder while remaining emotionally connected to their child. She also collaborates with the Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) in research on the integration of NVR and DBT in suicide prevention. Her work shows that healing is possible—not just for the child, but for the entire family.<h2 id="6ddd4862-8d54-4787-84f8-0e689d83925e" data-toc-id="6ddd4862-8d54-4787-84f8-0e689d83925e" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">How You Will Learn</h2>The course is delivered primarily through high-quality pre-recorded video lessons, allowing you to learn at your own pace and revisit the material whenever needed. Your learning is reinforced through quizzes, practical activities, reflective exercises, and written assignments designed to help you apply the NVR approach confidently in your professional practice.This flexible, interactive format ensures that you not only understand the principles of the approach but also develop the practical skills needed to support parents of children and young people experiencing suicidal thoughts or self-harm.We expect the full training, including all videos, quizzes, activities, and assignments, to take approximately 10 hours to complete. This course can be started at any time of your choosing and completed in your own schedule.<h2 id="5c8f1155-235f-4f83-ba25-7ffc6368a5a4" data-toc-id="5c8f1155-235f-4f83-ba25-7ffc6368a5a4" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">What you will learn</h2><ul><li>The core principles of the Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) approach when working with families affected by suicide risk and self-harm.</li><li>How suicidal thoughts and self-harming behaviours impact parents, and how to support them effectively.</li><li>How to help parents move from fear, helplessness, and crisis to calm, compassionate authority.</li><li>Why parental presence is a powerful protective factor and how to strengthen it during times of crisis.</li><li>Practical NVR strategies that help parents respond to suicidal behaviour and self-harm while maintaining a caring and connected relationship.</li><li>How to guide parents in rebuilding connection with a child who feels distant or unreachable.</li><li>The importance of mobilising family, friends, and community support, and how to help parents build an effective support network.</li><li>How to facilitate NVR parent groups and provide structured individual parent coaching.</li><li>How to integrate NVR principles alongside other therapeutic approaches within your existing professional practice.</li><li>Practical tools, techniques, and real-life examples that you can immediately apply when supporting families experiencing suicide risk and self-harm.</li></ul><h2 id="18786ecf-04c5-4bd1-8cce-be17d2160640" data-toc-id="18786ecf-04c5-4bd1-8cce-be17d2160640" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">Learning outcomes</h2>By the end of the course, participants will be able to:<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;"><li>Summarise the core principles of the Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) approach to working with suicide and self-harm.</li><li>Summarise key research and evidence relating to adolescent suicidality and self-harm, including significant risk and protective factors, the role of relationships and connectedness, and current approaches to understanding suicidal behaviour.</li><li>Apply NVR principles to professional practice when supporting parents and families experiencing suicidal or self-harming behaviour.</li><li>Demonstrate approaches that enable caregivers to strengthen parental presence and resistance in response to risk, while avoiding aggression, escalation, or power struggles.</li><li>Demonstrate approaches for supporting and facilitating reconnection between parents and young people following periods of distress, conflict, or disconnection.</li><li>Apply strategies for developing and strengthening supportive networks around families experiencing suicide or self-harm.</li><li>Discriminate between supportive and non-supportive approaches when responding to young people and families experiencing crisis.</li></ul><h2 id="49d28085-d59c-440d-9a53-1935028949d1" data-toc-id="49d28085-d59c-440d-9a53-1935028949d1" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">Target audience</h2>This course is designed for psychologists, social workers, family therapists, psychotherapists, counsellors, and other mental health professionals working with children, adolescents, parents, and families affected by suicide and self-harm.<h2 id="1764a5e2-ec8b-406c-a572-44c236d26b60" data-toc-id="1764a5e2-ec8b-406c-a572-44c236d26b60" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">Certificate &amp; Next Steps</h2>Upon successfully completing all course modules and submitting the required assignments, you will receive a Certificate of Completion.This online course provides the foundation for professionals wishing to use the NVR approach with parents of children and young people experiencing suicidal thoughts or self-harm. Those who wish to continue their professional development will have the opportunity to progress to advanced live training, clinical supervision, and the NVR Practitioner Accreditation pathway, enabling them to apply this specialist approach with greater confidence and competence in their practice.Social Workers on completing this course in full will receive 5.75 Clinical Continuing Education Credits.<div><hr></div><h2 id="fc2f45dd-144a-45fd-9f0d-a167a8cf92f8" data-toc-id="fc2f45dd-144a-45fd-9f0d-a167a8cf92f8" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">Refund &amp; Cancellation Policy</h2>We want you to feel confident before enrolling, which is why we provide the opportunity to preview selected course materials in advance.As these previews are available to help you make an informed decision before purchasing, all course purchases are final. We regret that we are unable to offer refunds, cancellations, or exchanges once a course has been purchased.Thank you for your understanding.

A specialist online course for professionals supporting parents of children experiencing suicidal thoughts or self-harm. Learn practical, evidence-informed NVR strategies to strengthen families, build parental presence, and restore hope during crisis.

Professional Training in Supporting Parents of Suicidal and Self-Harming Children

Professional Training in Supporting Parents of Suicidal and Self-Harming Children

Learn NVR

Course Details

Course content

Includes