Intervention Services

Since our first programme in 2023, Safe U has grown by leaps and bounds. We have expanded to provide a full suite of services spanning our focus areas of mental health, suicide intervention and life & death education.  The list of current services are as follows:

1. Mental Heath Advisory & Support

• Advisory Service On Demand
• First Light (初光) clinical hypnotherapy programme for mental health issues

2. Suicide Intervention Programmes

• SAFE UP --> distress (acute)
• S.I.R.E.N (心鸣) --> suicidal ideation (early)
• PCS (心启) -->  post-crisis support (late)

3. Self-Harm Mitigation Service

• Targeting youths and young adults 
• Individuals with self-harm and suicidal tendencies can access our suicide intervention programmes as they have been integrated. 

4. Life & Death Education (LDE)

• Death Experience Workshop (死亡体验工作坊)
• Journey to the Underworld (冥道）
• Unfinished Conversations (未说的话）

5. Post-Suicidal Recovery Programmes (PSRPs)

• Open Dialogue (开放对话）
• Mental Imagery & Narrative Coping Programme (意象与叙事应对项目)

We have also made it easier for you to access our services. Simply click on the subpage ‘Registration of Interest' and complete the form to get going. 

We will screen according to your risk status, presenting concern(s), suitability to the programme and availability of volunteers. Should we be able to help, we will discuss and propose next steps (e.g., entry to programme or referral to community resources) to ensure that you will be well taken care of. 

To help you make an informed choice, we have provided pertinent information of our services so that you have a better idea. 

*Please note that services may change as we evaluate and revamp our operations. 

1. Mental Health Advisory & Support

- This service is catered to both beneficiaries and their caregivers who need guidance on where and how to seek help for mental health challenges (Advisory Service on Demand)

- We understand how difficult it can be to navigate the mental health landscape. Help-seeking doesn't have to be stressful, we are here to support. From pro bono counselling services, mental health screening to support groups, we can point you in the right decision.

- We also offer a specialised clinical hypnotherapy programme known as First Light (初光) which offers time-limited psychotherapeutic support for a range of mental health issues such as:

• stress
• anxiety
• depression
• insomnia
• trauma
• addictions

 - The programme consists of up to 3 sessions of therapy and aims to help lower emotional overwhelm, reframe negative thought patterns, process traumatic memories and improve coping skills. 

- First Light also supports individuals who are currently seeing mental health professsionals (counsellors, psychologists or psychiatrists) but require additional work to overcome therapy related challenges. We accept referrals so long as permission as been given by your primary mental health professional that you are safe to undergo hypnotherapy. 

- We currently do not accept individuals who wish to access our programme for novelty, cosmetic or medical reasons. Examples include but are not limited to: 

• curiosity about past life regression
• weight loss or gastric band hypnosis
• eczema/allergies and other dermatological issues
• nail biting/skin picking/hair curling

- The main reason is that the programme has been over subscribed since its pilot phase. We wish to reserve our limited slots for the most deserving cases. 

- If you are unsure whether you are suitable for First Light, simply email us with a description of the mental health related problem that you wish to address and we will give the most appropriate advice. 

2. Suicide Intervention Programmes

- The heart of our initiative is suicide prevention through intervention.
 
-Our flagship service is our acute suicide intervention programme (SAFE UP), which involves a 1 to 2 hour face-to-face brief non clinical intervention for individuals in mental distress. You will be supported by a counsellor and paracounsellor who will work together as a pair to hold space, alleviate psychological pain and walk the first few steps with you in the journey towards healing. The main focus of our intervention is to bring down your distress as quick and safe as possible while gradually opening hope and meaning. This process is followed by an augmented monitoring phase of up to 6 months (i.e., the duration is tailored to post-intervention risk status) to ensure the safety of our beneficiaries. We encourage all beneficiaries to involve at least one caregiver if possible. We currently serve individuals with low to moderate suicide risk, which form the majority of cases in the community. There is no need to worry about which category you are in because we will do the screening. Should your risk status escalate at any point, there may be a need for medical support. However, we will make every effort to ensure that each decision is reached collaboratively.

- The next service is S.I.R.E.N （心鸣）which is our subacute intervention programme for suicidal ideation focused on respite and empowerment. Having thoughts about ending your life can be a scary experience. The fortunate thing is that, while a number of people had such thoughts at one point in their life (as high as 1 in 4 in some countries), most people do not act on it. Early detection and management of suicidal ideation can minimise the risk of a suicide attempt. We intervene by exploring the underlying reasons, helping you make sense of the experience without judgement and introduce constructive ways of coping. Every thought is valid and deserving of attention.

This is an initial 1.5 hour in-person session with a trained volunteer which is followed by up to three 60 minute follow-up sessions depending on progress. A main innovation of S.I.R.EN is that we actively screen and distinguish between suicidal OCD (unwanted thoughts about suicide) and contemporary suicide ideation (suicide as a form of relief). Suicidal obsessions can often imitate characteristics of genuine suicidal thoughts, resulting in increased supervision and even hospitalisation which worsen the severity of OCD symptoms. By differentiation, we are able to provide commensurate support and refer our beneficiaries to appropriate community resources while maintaining a high sense of autonomy at all times.

- The final suicide intervention programme is PCS (Post-Crisis Support, also known as 心启) which is our late acute intervention programme for individuals who had a history of suicidal behaviours (intent/planning/attempt) within the past 6 months AND recent discharge (1 week to 1 month) from a psychiatric service after involuntary admission for suicidal behaviours. We recognise that this group may be at a higher risk of re-attempt and escalation of suicidal behaviour and thus PCS focuses on short-term intensive stabilisation. Besides monitoring and befriending, our volunteers support beneficiaries and their families through rebounds of personal instability that may arise due to no fault of the beneficiary.

This close guidance process is coordinated with an identified caregiver (friend or family member) who will be guided to serve as a point of co-regulation. In cases where a caregiver is absent or unsuitable, an assigned pair of PCS volunteers will be activated. The initial period of engagement is up to 1 month, depending on the beneficiary's situation and availability of volunteer. 

3. Self-Harm Mitigation Service

- Our specialised service for individuals with non-suicidal self injury (NSSI)

- Examples of self-harm may include but are not limited to:

• cutting/stabbing/scratching/piercing oneself with a sharp object
• burning with a lit match or cigarette
• carving words and/or symbols on the skin
• biting/hitting onself and head banging

- If you have both self-harm and suicidal thoughts, please kindly select ‘Suicide Intervention Programmes’ as we have integrated both aspects for a seamless transition.

- Self-harm most commonly happens to teenagers and young adults as a ‘coping’ mechanism in response to rapid and unexpected emotional changes arising from increased social isolation, peer pressure and socio-familial conflicts. While it is not the same as a suicide attempt, increased sensitisation to pain can increase the risk of a life-threatening injury. 

- We adopt a very pragmatic and non-judgemental approach to mitigating self-harm based on:

• reciprocal trust
• harm minimisation
• emotional regulation. 

- Our volunteers work with beneficiaries to identify triggers and co-develop a workable de-escalation plan to reduce self harm tendencies in a stepwise manner. We know that self-harm often serves a functional (albeit, maladaptive) purpose and it can be common to experience episodes of relapse when personal situations fluctuate. As such, we deliberately centre these plans around creating a zone of proximal development, reducing shame sensitivity and cultivating compassion. We leave ample room for ‘hicccups’ so that you never need to feel guilty for temporary setbacks.

- We also conduct regular small group skills training (including role-play) for beneficiaries to equip them with the necessary coping strategies required to navigate everyday stressors. The group also provides a mini support system which counters the sense of isolation that exacerbates self-harm behaviours.

- Additionally, we acknowledge the importance of healthy communication in reducing self-harm. Besides modelling how beneficiaries can express frustration, disappointment, or sadness calmly and constructively, we bridge the gap between beneficiaries and their proximal social node which may include:

• trusted family members and close friends
• teachers, peer support leaders (for students)
• colleagues, mentors, supervisors
• fellow beneficiaries in the skills training group 

The definition of a proximal social node is not role-based but designated by the beneficiary's perceived social closeness or distance to the next available person in different situational contexts.

By helping the proximal social node deepen understanding on what the beneficiary is going through and how to identify and react to signs of escalating distress, the beneficiary is heard and seen without the need to resort to extreme methods. This two-way process is called safe signalling and ensures that every beneficiary has accessible and safe human contact. 

The period of engagement will include:

• An initial intake session of 1-1.5 hours for the beneficiary
• Safe signalling induction and monthly follow up sessions with beneficiary and a member of the proximal social node
• Small group skills and support sessions for beneficiaries every fortnightly

4. Life & Death Education (LDE)

- This is our service targeting suicide postvention (grief, suicide loss and bereavement) and early suicide prevention (existential crisis).

- Our Death Experience Workshop is the first in Singapore. We facilitate participants to contemplate about the meaning of life in the context of death and dying. For individuals who are griefing or recently bereaved, it can be a valuable opportunity for them to process their emotions in a safe and controlled environment. For individuals who have lost meaning in life, it is a chance to get in touch with your inner self and rediscover what it means to feel alive again.

- During the workshop, we do not tell you how to think or pressure you to think positively because we know that the thoughts, feelings and perceived meanings you encounter are uniquely yours only. We simply request that you bring the experience back with you and use that as a new starting point in your life.

- In addition, there is a companion workshop (Journey to the Underworld) which is open to participants who have already completed the death experience workshop and would like to benefit from further work. This workshop is a psychocultural exploration of what it means to thread between light and darkness, pain and healing, suffering and renewal. It is currently organised periodically as and when our schedule allows.

- Our workshop are both 2.5 hours per session. They are currently the only services that we impose a workshop fee to keep the rest of our services low to pro bono. However, we subsidise the fee as and when possible should we receive financial donations or venue sponsorships.

-  Finally, we will soon be piloting our newest programme Unfinished Conversations（未说的话）which is a compassionate, experiential workshop designed for people navigating grief or personal loss, offering a safe space to explore what remains unsaid in your heart.

- Through a blend of guided reflection, gentle meditation, and an emphasis on indirect expression, participants are invited to engage with the “dark” spaces within themselves—not to force resolution, but to witness, honour, and process their emotions. This is a space where vulnerability is respected, where grief can be shared without judgment, and where even small insights can open the door to inner clarity and renewal.

- During the workshop, there will be opportunities for individuals to express unspoken feelings through different methods in both private and group settings. Participants set their own boundaries and decide how best they want to engage the environment and resources at hand. As such, participants may return a second or third time to express themselves in a different way or choose to guide and listen to new group members. You decide when you are ready, how you want to let go and perhaps, discover for yourself how your unspoken words can resonate with another person and help them through their darkest times.

5. Post-Suicidal Recovery Programmes (PSRPs)

- We help you reintegrate and align your past, present and future.

- PSRPs are longer term programmes which lie at the intersection between 1) mental health and suicide intervention as well as 2) suicide intervention and LDE. They form a cyclical barrier against recurrent suicidality by transversing between our three focus areas continuously, providing confidence for our beneficiaries to break away from suicide as a solution so that they can rediscover what life has to offer.

- Through the evidence-based Open Dialogue (OD) approach, we support full recovery within the community by focusing on the beneficiaries and their whole family and support networks (may include mental health professionals or community partners). The idea is to share the responsibility for decision-making among pertinent stakeholders while ensuring that beneficiaries are constantly engaged in transparent and authentic conversations over how they wish to be managed.
 
- Through OD, involuntary admissions and potential traumatisation are minimised with priority given to community engagement followed by voluntary admissions (only if absolutely necessary).

- When beneficiaries come to us, we help them make sense of their situation, translate distress into meaning and build up their support network before devising a comprehensive safey plan in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders. The plan may include specific steps to take in the event of a relapse, defined roles and responsibilites for each stakeholder and strict requirements for timely updates to the safety plan to ensure relevancy. Additionally, we endeavour to include a peer support volunteer with similar lived experience in OD sessions where possible. This is in accordance with the polyphonic principle and helps reinforce non-hierarchical dialogue. 

- While OD has traditionally been positioned as an alternative to psychiatric treatment, we see both as complementary. Psychiatric treatment can be very effective if there is a biological basis to suicidality while OD addresses the social and narrative dimension. Together, they constitute a strong biopsychosocial response against the relapse of suicidal behaviours. 

- The key to successful recovery outcomes in OD lies in its highly transparent and compassionate stance towards preserving autonomy and meaning while enhancing resource building and safety planning. OD encourages, amongst others, open discussion on the use and tapering of medications, decisions on whether to escalate to voluntary psychiatric admissions and self-determined indicators of recovery. In many ways, recovery is a journey of self-empowerment and OD guides the beneficiary to attain the goal(s) they wish to achieve. 
 
- OD will be initially open to: 

• individuals who had no suicide attempt within the past 1-2 months 
• individuals who have completed PCS

The duration of the OD will depend on the beneficiary's requirements but will be at least 3-6 months for the initial period and extended as necessary. 

The next service is our Mental Imagery & Narrative Coping Programme (MINCP) which focuses on addressing suicidal flash-backs and flash-forwards as well as voices that arise from past suicidal events. We seek to alleviate the distress that comes with these mental images and voices and empower beneficiaries to detach from the emotional intensity that distorts their current reality.

-MINCP is an initial 1.5 hour face-to-face session followed by a 1 hour session each month (up to 4 months).

- A key intervention within MINCP is the Imagery–Narrative Reauthoring Process (INRP), a structured approach designed to transform distressing suicidal imagery while rebuilding a coherent personal narrative. Individuals who have experienced suicidal crises often carry vivid mental scenes tied to powerful internal stories about themselves, their worth, or their future. These images and narratives tend to reinforce each other, intensifying emotional distress and hopelessness.

Through the INRP process, beneficiaries are guided through three therapeutic stages:

1. Image Mapping – Beneficiaries identify and describe recurring suicidal flashbacks or flash-forwards, including the emotions, meanings, and personal narratives connected to these images. This stage helps externalize the imagery and uncover the underlying story the mind has constructed around the experience.

2. Meaning Shift – Through guided reflection and therapeutic dialogue, beneficiaries explore alternative interpretations of the event, identifying overlooked strengths, survival moments, or contextual factors. At the same time, the distressing imagery is gradually reshaped by introducing new elements such as supportive figures, protective responses, or alternative outcomes that reduce the emotional intensity of the scene.

3. Narrative Reweaving – Finally, beneficiaries integrate these revised images and meanings into a broader life story that reconnects their past experiences with their present identity and future possibilities. This stage focuses on restoring continuity in the beneficiary’s life narrative while strengthening a sense of agency, resilience, and hope.

By transforming both the imagery and the personal story attached to it, the Imagery–Narrative Reauthoring Process helps beneficiaries loosen the emotional grip of suicidal thoughts and rebuild a more compassionate and coherent understanding of their lives. As distressing images lose their power, beneficiaries are better able to reconnect with their identity and engage in the process of recovery and healing.

☆ Points to note ☆

1. The services are subjected to availability of volunteers and venues (for face-to face sessions). We will match you to a specific programme within the service you have expressed interest in. 

2. Filling up the form is for screening purposes and does not constitute any contractual agreement.

3. We are doing our best to reply to most submissions. If you do not receive a reply within 24 hours, however, please kindly refrain from emailing us for a follow-up. It is likely that we are over capacity and we advise that you consider other community resources.

4. We ask that you treat all volunteers with kindness and patience. 

5. Staff from SSAs and VWOs who are referring cases can email us directly instead of filling the form. 

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