69 | Sharpened Edges: Eye of the NEEDLE

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Intention and the Quiet Planning of Death

When risk tightens, our questions must soften. This is where the thread turns sharp.

Sometimes the thread of suicidal thought sharpens—quietly, steadily—until it points toward a plan.
This is the NEEDLE phase of the STEPS framework, where risk is no longer just emotional or ideational, but begins to take form.

In this episode, we explore the six stages of NEEDLE:

• Navigating Ambivalence – feeling torn between holding on and letting go
• Excluding Options – when nothing else feels possible
• Examining Means – researching, imagining, preparing
• Drafting an Exit – forming a plan, even silently
• Leaving Subtle Signs – the quiet goodbyes, often missed
• Exploring the Exit – rehearsing, visiting, coming close… and sometimes turning back

Through Ari’s story and clinical reflections, we learn how to sit beside the weight of intention—not to rush, not to retreat, but to trace the thread with care before it slips through the needle’s eye.

Because even here, motion can still shift.
 Presence matters. And every thread held is a life with more to live.

🎧 Listen now and stay connected as we walk the STEPS together.
 #STEPS4HOPE #SuicidePrevention #MentalHealth #TraumaInformedCare #NEEDLE #Intention #ClinicalEducation #RelationalSafety

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