
What do you do when a student tells you they’re harming themselves? And why is self-harm an important topic to discuss in your ministry? Self-harm can be a difficult subject to navigate with students, but it’s not impossible. On this week’s episode, join ministry leaders for a conversation with licensed associate professional counselor, Kayla Lin, as they unpack what to do when a student admits to self-harm and how to approach the subject of self-harm in your ministry environment.
Voices In This Episode
EPISODE RECAP
What is self-harm? (1:45)
Self-harm is used as a coping strategy when students don’t know how to handle intense emotions they are experiencing. (2:00)
Students can self-harm as a coping mechanism, a way to process grief, and a method of communicating that they are experiencing pain. (3:30)
Eating disorders can be a form of self-harm. (6:00)
Self-harm is an issue among both males and females. (8:00)
Students who self-harm can be impulsive in other areas of their lives. (12:30)
Are we doing students a disservice if we talk about self-harm from the stage? (14:50)
When we talk about self-harm from the stage, we are communicating that we can talk about it and that there is hope. (15:30)
Why is self-harm such a hard subject to talk about? (16:00)
The reason behind why they are self-harming is always different. (16:30)
How do you react to a student who tells you they are self-harming? (17:00)
Before reacting or asking more questions, affirm them for their courage in telling you. Say, “Thank you for telling me. I am so proud of you.” (18:30)
Once a student tells you they are self-harming, that information cannot just stay with you. Your next step is to involve parents and seek professional help. (19:00)
As a ministry leader, pay attention to the local school system and when students are learning about self-harm, suicide, and depression in health class. (21:00)
When you involve parents, school counselors, and other professionals after a student admits to harming themselves, you are communicating to the student you care about them. (22:00)
The onramp to self-harm is when emotions begin to intensify. (26:20)
You don’t necessarily need to give a specific self-harm talk in order to talk about the issue. (26:45)
Before we talk about self-harm from the stage, we need to have a process for how we will handle when a student admits to self-harm. (28:30)
Be sure to educate yourself about the topic of self-harm before you talk to students, parents, and small group leaders about it. (31:30)
Do not put pressure on yourself or your small group leaders in the role of being a professional counselor. (32:00)
There is a huge difference between what we are responsible with and what we are responsible for. (32:15)
Make sure your small group leaders are ready to lead students in conversation about self-harm before talking about it from stage. (32:30)
Even if your particular students are not self-harming, there is a high chance that their friends are. (34:30)
Helping students understand their role when their friends are self-harming is extremely beneficial to their own mental health. (34:30)
QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE
“Self-harm is a coping mechanism, a way to process grief, and a method of communicating pain.” Click To Tweet“When we talk about self-harm from stage, we're communicating that it's okay to talk about it and that there's hope.” Click To Tweet“Before we talk about it from stage, we must have a process for how we handle when a student admits to self-harm.” Click To Tweet“Make sure your SGLs are ready to lead students in conversation about self-harm before talking about it from stage.” Click To Tweet
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