Nashville Psychotherapy Institute Workshop

Session I:  “Boundaries that Heal:  Ethical Practice in Psychotherapy”

Time:  9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Presenter:  Jay Tift, Ph.D., LPC-MHSP, ACS

Jay Tift is a core faculty member in the Master’s of Counseling program at Vanderbilt University, where he teaches, mentors, and supervises future counselors. As a licensed professional counselor and approved clinical supervisor, Dr. Tift also maintains a private practice in Brentwood, Tennessee. His clinical and teaching interests center on ethics, clinical practice, and counselor development. Actively engaged in professional counseling organizations, he is passionate about equipping counselors with the tools to navigate complex ethical challenges while fostering both client growth and counselor well-being.

Program Description

Professional boundaries are the foundation of ethical and effective psychotherapy. When thoughtfully maintained, they protect both the client and the clinician, foster trust, and create the conditions necessary for healing. At the same time, boundary challenges—whether subtle or overt—can present some of the most complex ethical dilemmas in clinical practice. This three-hour workshop will explore the role of boundaries as an ethical safeguard and therapeutic tool. Using case vignettes, discussion, and reflection, participants will examine common boundary dilemmas, develop strategies for navigating them, and strengthen their capacity to hold a therapeutic frame that supports client growth and counselor well-being.

Learning Objectives

• Identify key ethical principles and professional guidelines that govern boundaries in psychotherapy.
• Differentiate between boundary crossings and boundary violations, and evaluate their potential clinical and ethical implications.
• Apply decision-making models to analyze and respond to complex boundary dilemmas in practice.
• Develop strategies to maintain professional boundaries that promote client welfare and counselor self-care.

Session II:  “Beyond risk assessment: Compassionate, Ethical, and Evidence-based Care for Suicidality”

Time:  1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Presenter:  Jessica Meléndez Tyler, Ph.D., LPC-S, BC-TMH, NCC
Program Director, Human Development Counseling Program, Vanderbilt University

Dr. Jessica Tyler is a counselor educator, clinician, and nationally board-certified counselor with over 15 years of experience supporting individuals at risk for suicide. As an Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)-certified trainer, she has led numerous suicide prevention workshops across university, clinical, and community settings- equipping hundreds of mental health workers, trainees, and practitioners with suicide first aid and intervention skills. Her research explores both the depths of client suffering and the pathways to healing, with publications addressing suicide care, grief, trauma, non-suicidal self-injury, and clinical fear. Her work has been featured in The Professional Counselor, OMEGA: Journal of Death and Dying, Teaching and Supervision in Counseling, Journal of Professional Counseling: Practice, Theory & Research, Journal of Counseling & Development, and the Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision.

In addition to her academic and clinical roles, Dr. Tyler has been a regular contributor and podcast host for The Thoughtful Counselor and has been featured in Counseling Today for her leadership in trauma-informed care.

This workshop will blend evidence-based strategies with real-world insights to help practitioners respond ethically, confidently, and compassionately to suicidality in clinical practice. Her approach is grounded in compassion, cultural humility, and a strong belief in the power of preparation and presence when supporting individuals in crisis. She looks forward to joining NPI to foster meaningful and effective responses to suicidality in clinical practice.

Program Description:

Suicidality remains one of the most complex and high-stakes challenges in clinical practice. This interactive two-hour workshop integrates evidence-based strategies with practical, real-world insights to equip practitioners with the skills and confidence to respond effectively. We will explore how to conduct suicide risk assessments that meet standard-of-care requirements, apply humanistic and relational interventions for clients at chronic risk, and address the clinician anxiety that often accompanies this work. Participants will gain practical, ethically grounded, and culturally responsive approaches for recognizing when experiences such as perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belonging progress into suicidal ideation. We will also examine how to leverage technology and vetted resources to enhance both client care and professional resilience. Through case-based discussion, applied strategies, and opportunities to connect concepts directly to participants’ practice settings, this workshop aims to prepare attendees for compassionate, competent, and ethically sound responses to suicidality.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Conduct a comprehensive suicide risk assessment that meets standard-of-care guidelines and incorporates both clinical judgment, relational resilience, and evidence-based tools.
2. Identify and apply at least one compassionate, suicide-focused, evidence-based intervention with strategies for adapting it to the needs of chronically at-risk clients
3. Recognize and manage common sources of clinician anxiety when working with suicidal clients, applying compassion-based strategies to maintain ethical, attuned care.