Therapists' Guide to Creating a Suicide Safety Plan

A suicide safety plan isn't just a document—it's a lifeline you create for yourself during moments of clarity that can guide you through the darkness when it feels overwhelming. Think of it as a personalized roadmap that helps you navigate crisis moments with concrete, actionable steps that can literally save your life.

Why Safety Plans Matter

When you're in the depths of depression or experiencing suicidal thoughts, your brain isn't operating at its full capacity for problem-solving or remembering resources. Mental health crises can narrow our thinking, making it difficult to recall coping strategies or remember who cares about us. A safety plan, created when you're in a clearer headspace, serves as your external memory and wisdom during these vulnerable moments.

Research consistently shows that having a written safety plan reduces the likelihood of suicide attempts. It's not about restricting your freedom—it's about expanding your options when your mind tells you there aren't any.

the essential safety plan checklist

1. Recognize Your Personal Warning Signs

Start by identifying the thoughts, feelings, behaviors, or situations that typically precede your most difficult moments. These might include:

• Specific negative thought patterns ("Everyone would be better off without me")
• Physical sensations (exhaustion, changes in appetite or sleep)
• Emotional states (feeling hopeless, numb, or overwhelmed)
• Behavioral changes (isolating from others, increased substance use)
• Environmental triggers (anniversaries, certain locations, stress at work)

Writing these down helps you recognize when you're entering dangerous territory, giving you the opportunity to implement your safety strategies before reaching a crisis point.

2. Internal Coping Strategies

Document the healthy ways you can manage distressing thoughts and feelings on your own. These are your first line of defense and might include:

• Deep breathing exercises or meditation
• Physical activities like walking, stretching, or dancing
• Creative outlets such as journaling, drawing, or playing music
• Grounding techniques using your five senses
• Reading affirmations or meaningful quotes you've saved
• Taking a warm shower or listening to calming music

The key is identifying what has worked for you before, even if only slightly. These don't need to be perfect solutions—they just need to help you ride out the immediate intensity.

3. Social Distractions

Social connection, even when we don't feel like we deserve it, can be powerfully protective. List specific people you can reach out to, not necessarily to talk about your crisis, but simply to be around:

• A friend who makes you laugh
• Family members whose presence feels comforting
• Neighbors you can visit
• Public places where you feel safe (libraries, coffee shops, community centers)
• Support groups or religious communities

Sometimes the goal isn't deep conversation but simply breaking the isolation that can make suicidal thoughts feel more compelling.

4. People You Can Ask for Help

This is perhaps the most crucial section of your safety plan, and I want to address the fear that often surrounds it: you are not a burden. The people who care about you would rather be awakened at 3 AM than lose you forever.

Create a detailed list that includes:

Immediate support contacts:

• Close friends or family members who know about your struggles
• Mental health professionals (therapist, psychiatrist, case manager)
• Crisis helpline numbers

Professional resources:

• Your primary care physician
• Local emergency services
• Crisis intervention centers in your community

For each contact, include:

• Full name and multiple phone numbers
• Their availability (when they prefer to be contacted)
• What kind of support they typically provide
• Backup options if they're unavailable

5. Professional Agencies and Emergency Contacts

Always include:

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text)
• Your local emergency services (911)
• Your nearest emergency room address and phone number
• Mobile crisis response teams in your area
• Your insurance information and member ID number

making your safety plan work

Write It Down and Keep It Accessible

A safety plan stored only in your memory isn't reliable during a crisis. Write it down, put it in your phone, share copies with trusted people, and keep it somewhere you'll see it when you need it most.

Practice Using It

Don't wait for a crisis to test your safety plan. Practice your coping strategies when you're feeling relatively stable. Call your support people for non-emergency conversations so reaching out feels more natural when you truly need help.

Update It Regularly

Your safety plan should evolve as your life changes. Review it with your therapist, update contact information, and add new coping strategies as you discover what works for you.

the power of connection

One of the most protective factors against suicide is feeling connected to others. This doesn't mean you need to share every detail of your struggle with everyone in your life, but it does mean allowing yourself to be seen and supported in whatever ways feel manageable.

If you're supporting someone who is creating a safety plan, your role is invaluable. Ask how you can be most helpful. Some people want you to check in regularly; others prefer that you wait for them to reach out. Some want to discuss their feelings; others just want normal conversation and activities. Follow their lead, but don't disappear from their life out of fear of saying the wrong thing.

Read our blog, 5 Steps That Can Reduce The Risk of Suicide, to see what practical steps researchers have found communities can take to reduce the risk of suicide in at-risk individuals .

moving toward hope

Creating a safety plan is an act of hope—hope that tomorrow might feel different, hope that support exists even when you can't feel it, hope that you deserve to be here even when your mind tells you otherwise. It acknowledges that suicidal thoughts are symptoms of treatable conditions, not character flaws or permanent states of being.

If you're struggling with thoughts of suicide, please know that you matter, that treatment can help, and that many people who have felt exactly as you do now have found their way to lives they're grateful to be living. Your safety plan is one tool in that journey, but it's a powerful one.

If you haven't already, find a professional mental health therapist to help you create and refine your safety plan. If cost or access is a barrier, Lifeologie offers affordable therapy options, and community agencies often provide sliding-scale services or free crisis support resources. Not sure where to start? You can see if there's a Lifeologie Counseling specialist near you by searching our team of professional therapists who specialize in working with clients with suicidal ideation.. 

If we’re not in your neighborhood, consider looking on a reputable therapist directory such as Psychology Today or the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Remember: having thoughts of suicide doesn't make you weak or broken. Having a plan to keep yourself safe makes you brave and wise. You deserve support, you deserve care, and you deserve to be here.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please contact emergency services or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Text or call 988 for free, confidential support 24/7.