Problem
One of the more controversial topics related to end-of-life care comes from the practices related to Death with Dignity, or Physician Assisted Suicide. There are only a handful of states that have laws in place allowing for this type of care for individuals with a terminal illness; however, it is important to know about these practices. As a counselor, you will likely, and very unfortunately so, become familiar with clients who are experiencing suicidal ideation. While we have various crisis centers in place all across the country (and world) for immediate responses to individuals who are actively suicidal, it is the job of a counselor to sit with clients who are passively suicidal and help them through their difficult times. What I mean by passive suicidality is a client who has fleeting thoughts of death, wants to die but has no plan or commitment to taking their own life, or who wishes to die but has committed to safety practices to not end their own life. So you might find yourself in a situation where you are working with a client who does wish to utilize Death with Dignity and you are in a state that allows this. OR you may find yourself in a situation where you have a client who is struggling with a terminal illness and would like the opportunity to end their suffering but are not able to do so because of state laws. Depending on your geographic location and state laws of Arlington VA, how would you work with a client in this situation?