Case Record 06 · High Risk Parent Child System: Stabilisation in a Suicide Risk Context

Overview

This case record documents an adult parent presenting in acute psychological distress within a high risk parent child relational context. The record is situated within a regulation informed mindfulness based counselling approach and focuses on observed patterns of nervous system activation and relational stabilisation rather than diagnostic or treatment claims.

Support was regulation oriented and aimed at restoring autonomic stability, emotional containment, and functional responsiveness within the parent child system. The process did not replace medical, psychiatric, emergency, or crisis based care.

Presenting Pattern

The parent presented with the following features:

• Acute anxiety and somatic distress
• Persistent intrusive fear regarding the child’s safety
• Emotional overwhelm with reduced cognitive clarity
• Physiological symptoms including chest tightness, agitation, and fatigue
• Heightened attachment based threat perception

At the time of initial support, the child’s suicide risk had not yet been formally disclosed to the parent. The distress appeared disproportionate to available information, yet was experienced as urgent and non ignorable.

Regulation Based Integrative Formulation

Within a regulation informed framework, this presentation was conceptualised as acute attachment related nervous system activation within the parent child relational field.

From a regulatory perspective, features were consistent with:

• Acute sympathetic nervous system activation
• Threat response dominance with reduced regulatory flexibility
• Reduced emotional containment capacity
• Caregiver system destabilisation under perceived threat

Psychologically, the parent demonstrated:

• Heightened vigilance
• Oscillation between panic and helplessness
• Self blame and catastrophic anticipation

These features suggested a relational stress response in which the parent’s nervous system was responding to perceived or impending threat to the child, prior to conscious cognitive processing.

Therapeutic Perspective

Within this regulation informed approach, support prioritised:

• Immediate nervous system down regulation
• Restoration of breathing rhythm and bodily grounding
• Expansion of emotional tolerance capacity
• Stabilisation of caregiving presence

Support prioritised restoration of regulation capacity to prevent secondary collapse within the caregiving system.

Supportive Process and Observed Shifts

Support prioritised immediate nervous system down regulation and restoration of emotional capacity, enabling the parent to remain present, responsive, and functional.

Observed changes included:

• Reduction in acute panic and somatic overwhelm
• Slower, steadier breathing and improved bodily grounding
• Increased emotional containment and clarity
• Improved capacity to listen, respond, and engage with professionals
• Greater ability to support the child once risk was confirmed

Following stabilisation, the parent was able to engage appropriately with mental health services, family supports, and crisis response systems without collapse or shutdown.

Integrative Summary

From a regulation informed perspective, the observed shift reflected:

• Restoration of nervous system regulation under acute relational threat
• Increased emotional capacity during crisis
• Stabilisation of the parent child system at a critical moment

Support did not aim to resolve suicidal risk, but to prevent secondary collapse in the caregiving system, allowing appropriate external interventions to proceed effectively.

Ethics and Safety Note

This case record is provided for educational and service description purposes only. It does not constitute medical, psychiatric, or crisis intervention, nor does it replace emergency or clinical care. All risk assessment, diagnosis, and treatment occurred under appropriate professional supervision. Individual responses vary, and this record should not be interpreted as a guarantee of similar outcomes.