PACFA PD: We Need to Talk About Suicide – A Non-Medical Humanistic View
PACFA Victoria invites you to join Ernst Meyer for a 2-hour online webinar offering a humanistic, non-medical perspective on suicide and the experience of the suicidal person.
Please note: This session discusses suicide and suicidal experience in depth, including first-person survivor accounts. If this content raises anything for you personally, support is available through Lifeline on 13 11 14 (24 hours, 7 days).
As practitioners we are going to come face to face with suicide — it is "among the leading causes of death worldwide, with more deaths from suicide than from malaria, HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, or war and homicide. Suicide accounted for more than one in every 100 deaths (1.1%) in 2021" (World Health Organisation, 2025). It is imperative that we understand the suicidal person from their perspective so we can provide meaningful care.
Those who bear the label of "suicidal" frequently experience being objectified and misunderstood. Without effective interventions, they persist in living with the burden of crushing shame and overwhelming guilt, which in themselves pose a significant threat to their lives. This webinar aims to offer a unique perspective of those who have survived such life-threatening crises. In particular, its objective is to initiate a dialogue about our own attitudes towards suicide and the suicidal person that can hinder our clinical work.
Learning outcomes:
Ernst Meyer has worked extensively with suicide attempt survivors. Drawing on first-person accounts, this webinar will support participants to:
- Understand what it is like to feel suicidal, illuminated through the lived experience of survivors.
- Recognise how first-person accounts may differ from mainstream opinions and assumptions about suicide.
- Reflect on how personal and professional attitudes towards suicide shape clinical approaches.
- Explore a clinical approach that has been experienced as helpful to those in need of support.
Who is this event for?
This topic is relevant for practitioners of all persuasions and experience levels.
Event Details
Date: Tuesday 18 August 2026
Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm (AEST)
Location: Online via Zoom
Please check your time zone to avoid disappointment
Recording provided to all registrants
Presenter: Ernst Meyer
Ernst Meyer is Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Institute of Somatic Psychotherapy. He is a member of PACFA's board of directors, the Convenor of PACFA's College of Psychotherapy, a PACFA Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and a Registered Clinical Psychotherapist (RCP). He is also a full member of the European Association for Body Psychotherapy (EABP) and a member of the International Association for Psychoanalytic Self Psychology (IAPSP). He holds a Master of Counselling and Applied Psychotherapy, and is an experienced trauma-informed Somatic Psychotherapist in private practice.
Being a former police officer, Ernst is comfortable supporting first responders — a significant portion of whom have attempted suicide. In his role as an educator, he is helping practitioners incorporate an awareness of embodiment into their clinical practices. Going beyond the constraints of the practice and training room, he is advocating for human-science therapy to be acknowledged as a viable clinical alternative to clinical psychology and psychiatry.
CPD
Attending this webinar counts as 2 hours of Category A CPD (Continuing Professional Development). Watching a recording of this webinar, which will be provided to registrants, can be used towards 2 hours of Category B CPD.
You must attend 75% of a webinar to receive a CPD certificate for Category A CPD.
Ticket Prices
PACFA Members: $35.00 + GST ($38.50)
Student Members: $25.00 + GST ($27.50)
Non-Members: $50.00 + GST ($55.00)
What to Expect After You Register
Once registered, your personal Zoom link will be dispatched directly to you via email from Zoom within 1 hour of registration and 1 hour prior to the event. Please keep an eye on your inbox for an email from Zoom ([email protected]). All future correspondence pertaining to this event, including event recordings, will be communicated through the PACFA email address ([email protected]). To ensure a seamless experience, we recommend adding both email addresses to your safe sender list to prevent missed communications.
Alternatively, you can find the Zoom link if you log into your account under the "My events" tab.
Event Cancellations
Customers seeking to cancel their registration more than 5 working days (for courses) and 48 hours (for webinars) prior to the event date may request a credit to be applied to their account. Cancellations must be made in writing to [email protected]. Cancellations made with less notice than this are non-refundable or exchangeable. Credits are valid for up to a year from the purchase date. This policy is at PACFA's discretion and may change.
Registration
Registration ends 18/08/2026 4:45 PM AUSEST