About Dr. Freedenthal

The professional:

• I joined the faculty of the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work in 2005; I am now an associate professor. The classes I teach include Suicide Assessment and Interventions, Clinical Social Work Theory and Practice, and Social Justice Challenges in Mental Health Practice.
• I also have a small psychotherapy and consulting practice in Denver, which I started in 2012. I treat people with a wide range of challenges, but my practice specializes in helping people who have suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide, or experienced suicide loss.
• Writing is one of my passions. I have published two books, 30+ peer-reviewed scholarly articles in academic journals, and close to 100 articles on my website Speaking of Suicide. I am currently working on two book projects: a memoir about my experiences with suicidality, and a book for people with suicidal thoughts.
• I worked as a staff writer for The Dallas Morning News, from 1990 to 1994. I still occasionally publish articles in newspapers, like this one: Suicidal thoughts are often hidden. Here’s how to talk about it.
• For more information about my professional life, you can see my vita. (Warning: in academia we list every little thing, so it’s 46 pages long!)

The personal:

• I was born in Connecticut but grew up in Houston.
• My interest in suicidology stems from my early experiences of suicide loss and suicidality. For many years I hid my suicidal past. Now, I’m open about it for many reasons, one being that if the only suicidal people anybody hears about are those who died, hope for recovery can wither.
• My husband Pete and I met at a conference of the American Association of Suicidology. Romantic, right? We married in 2006.
• We have an adult son, Ian, and a number of cats that may or may not exceed the legal limit in our city.