Preventing Suicide - by Karen Mason (Paperback)

About the Book

Many pastors, chaplains and pastoral counselors play a vital role as agents of hope to people who are struggling, but most of them feel overwhelmed and unprepared to prevent suicides. Informed by her work as a psychologist, Karen Mason's guide to suicide prevention is an essential resource for proactive pastors.

Book Synopsis

Many pastors, chaplains and pastoral counselors play a vital role as agents of hope to people who are struggling, but most of them feel overwhelmed and unprepared to prevent suicides. Informed by her work as a psychologist, Karen Mason's guide to suicide prevention is an essential resource for proactive pastors.

Review Quotes

"[A] much-needed practical guide that equips pastors to counsel and help suicidal individuals."

"I am reluctant to offer superlatives on almost anything, and I tend to be skeptical of those who do. Yet, having said that, without reservation I highly recommend Dr. Karen Mason's book, Preventing Suicide, as a 'must read' for every pastor, missionary, chaplain and pastoral counselor. Plus, I suggest adding to that 'must read' list every psychologist, social worker, school counselor, family member of a suicide victim and seminary student. All of these will benefit from this book's wisdom and practicality. I believe Dr. Mason's book will become one of the classics in its field. It is not a dry, boring read of cold academic studies, statistics and case histories. Instead, Preventing Suicide is upbeat, and loaded with real-life interviews and role playing. It is well-researched, theologically sound, biblically accurate and gives a balanced historical overview of how suicide and its victims were thought of and treated. Above all, it offers practical, hands-on advice for caregivers."

"In this practical handbook, psychologist Karen Mason equips ministry professionals to work with suicidal individuals. Integrating theology and psychology, she shows how pastoral caregivers can be agents of hope, teaching the significance of life, monitoring those at risk and intervening when they need help."

"Karen Mason has with this book made a monumental contribution to helping us better understand suicide and our ministry responsibilities to those impacted by it. I wish it was available when I, as a young pastor, had to deal pastorally with all the complicated realities of several heart-breaking suicides within six years in my small Florida congregation. This book is a must-read for anyone dealing with persons in deep depression that could be life threatening. She not only brings her profound expertise gained from a lifetime studying this topic but does it with great evangelical pastoral/theological sensitivity combined with exquisite practical application."

"Karen Mason's Preventing Suicide: A Handbook for Pastors, Chaplains and Pastoral Counselors is exactly what it claims, which means church offices or libraries without a copy should get one. . . . Mason writes well . . . and shatters numerous suicide myths. . . . Mason offers good specifics on how to help someone in a suicide crisis and help those who survive suicide attempts."

"Losing a loved one to suicide is one of the most devastating experiences a family or community can experience. But suicide is preventable, and pastors and caregivers can intervene to help those at risk. This book is a comprehensive, useful and hopeful resource, and readers will become better equipped to save lives because of it."

"Mental illness exists inside and outside of the church community. Christians struggle with depression and even suicidal thoughts. It does not make you less of a Christian. Just like heart disease or cancer does not dilute our Christianity, neither does mental illness. Nevertheless, we must stand committed to 'creating space' and providing ministry to those who struggle with depression and other mental illnesses. In partnership with medical professionals, the church of Jesus Christ can bring attention to this silent illness with grace, compassion and love. Karen Mason's book provides such space. For at the end of day, suffering from mental illness is not a sin. Yet not addressing it may very well be."

"This is a thorough and practical resource for pastoral caregivers regarding suicide. Every pastor, chaplain and pastoral counselor needs to read and study this book; then keep it on their shelves for future reference. Dr. Karen Mason has done an excellent and thorough job of providing a much needed handbook on suicide for those of us who are on the frontlines of America's mental health crisis. Suicide rates are at an all time high in the U.S., and research shows that more people first seek help from their pastor than people do from doctors or therapists combined. It is imperative that pastors and pastoral counselors have a resource such as this. Dr. Mason does a great job of shattering myths about suicide while educating the reader as to who dies by suicide and theories on suicide, while also clearly challenging the reader to address suicide with Christian theology. The majority of this handbook's chapters are very practical and extremely helpful to someone providing pastoral care, with topics including 'how to help someone in a suicide crisis' and 'how to help someone who has survived a suicide attempt.' This resource will literally save lives."

"Unequivocally the best book on suicide prevention I've ever read. This reaches far beyond a typical textbook. It is extremely practical in addressing, with insight and compassion, what I've witnessed as a pastoral practitioner for thirty years. I wish I had this powerful resource my first year as a chaplain. Every Christian chaplain needs a copy."

"Whether you are a Christian who works in the medical field or the faith community, this handbook will equip you to the degree you want to be equipped. It is a deep dive into a difficult subject and offers the kind of help we all would want to have when confronting this moment in our own lives or in the lives of people we pastor or care about."

About the Author

Karen Mason (PhD, University of Denver) is associate professor of counseling and psychology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a psychologist working in the mental health field since 1990. She currently delivers direct care services at Northeast Behavioral Health in Ipswich, Massachusetts. A member of the American Psychological Association, Mason is the author of When the Pieces Don't Fit: Making Sense of Life's Puzzles.