Jared Auten, LMSW, is the Crisis Line Director at HeadQuarters Kansas in Lawrence, KS. His work currently focuses on crisis center operations and 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline implementation and integration in Kansas.  I view people who answer calls on the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline as the Navy Seals of communication. Their ability to listen, ask questions, help search through intense emotion, and collaboratively bring someone to a safer place is incredible. Due to this - I spent a lot of this episode asking about ways to employ these conversational and social skills in our everyday relationships and how to communicate crises.  I also ask about how to navigate the topic of suicide with a loved one. When Jared was a teenager, he lost his father to suicide, so his perspective covers both a suicide prevention professional and a suicide loss survivor.  Expect to hear about:  the phenomenon of over-identifying with a narrativehow anonymity affects digital social situationswhy you should be direct when talking about suicidewhy it can be easy to struggle with the one-sided nature of therapynavigating the pressure of vulnerabilitywhy some people have FOMO when it comes to peoplea useful tip to navigate how many questions to askhow to talk to a loved one about suicide active listening tips (minimal encouragers, reflections, prompts)and the common mistake people make when someone tells them they're considering taking their own life. If you have recently had thoughts of taking your own life, call 988. It is available 24/7, it's confidential, and it's free. Life is better when you talk to people - I promise! 988 Lifeline - https://988lifeline.org/ HQ Kansas - www.hqkansas.org The KITA Center - www.thekitacenter.org Have you enjoyed the podcast? If so, follow it, rate it, and share it with three people: Follow on Apple Podcasts Follow on Spotify Follow on Instagram Subscribe on YouTube Joining the Mailing List If you want to share feedback, have a great idea, or have a question then email me: [email protected] Produced by Capture Connection Studios: captureconnectionstudios.com