What Is a Safety Plan? How To Make One, According to Therapists

In therapy, you may encounter different tools, activities, and exercises. Depending on your symptoms, your therapist may suggest using a therapeutic tool called a “safety plan.” It’s designed to help prevent harm to yourself or others, and it’s a normal part of therapy for many people.

I remember sitting in my therapists' office in high school as she brought up the concept of a safety plan. After mentioning the fact that I was having suicidal ideation, she thought the proper course of action was to develop a safety plan. At that point in time, I didn't really know what it was, but I'm glad we took the time in session to come up with one. 

If you're reading this article, then it's possible that you're either looking into creating your own version of a safety plan or you’re interested in learning about them. Regardless, it's always a smart idea to have one easily accessible to you when times get tough. 

Read on to learn more about what a safety plan is and how you can go about making your own if necessary. 

If you are considering suicide or if you or any other person may be in danger, please call or text 988 (24-hour suicide and crisis lifeline) or call 911.

What is a safety plan with a therapist?

A safety plan is exactly what it sounds like: a plan to keep you safe should a situation arise when you may not be. Safety plans give you steps and coping strategies that you can reach for when you’re considering hurting yourself. 

"A safety plan is a shared document between a provider and client to make sure a client feels well resourced in terms of their safety and provides specific resources that feel actionable should the client feel unsafe," says Jack Sykstus, a licensed therapist at UpLift. 

Besides preparing you to navigate a crisis, a safety plan gets you engaged in your own well-being. Following the steps to create one is also its own therapeutic exercise to think through your options and practice caring for yourself. 

When to make a safety plan

The best time to make a safety plan is before a crisis so you can refer to it without having to put much thought into it. "Typically I discuss a safety plan with my client in session, make the document, and then send it to them," says Sykstus."I will then follow up in the next session about whether it was helpful and if we need to make any changes."

How to write a good safety plan 

Everyone's safety plan might look different at the end of the day, however, a good safety plan is one that works for you. That said, there are a few key components that you'll want to consider:

1. Identify when to use the safety plan

Katie Coughlin, LCSW, a licensed clinical social worker and Senior Director of Clinical Services and Quality Assurance at UpLift, says it can be helpful to discuss with your therapist in session what thoughts, feelings, and events might provoke the need to refer to your safety plan. 

Not every situation will warrant the need to pull out a safety plan, so you'll want to write down the warning signs that generally provoke suicidal urges and the potential for unsafe behavior.

2. List coping strategies you can engage in 

The key here is to write down coping strategies that are easy to do and don't take much effort. If they require too much thought, then you'll be less likely to use them especially during times of crisis. 

Some common coping strategies you may want to consider: taking a cold shower, going on a walk, doing a puzzle, listening to music, etc. The activities should be self-soothing and those you can do on your own if you happen to be by yourself at the time of crisis. 

It doesn't really matter what coping strategies you write down as long as they are helpful to you and don't harm yourself or others.

Coughlin suggests that her clients may want to consider journaling, meditation, breathing exercises, following a daily routine, exercising, and reaching out for support.

If you have trouble coming up with coping strategies, then you may find it helpful to think about what has helped you in the past. Did going out in nature help? Did taking a nap help you de-escalate?

3. Write down safe places you can go

For some people, a change of scenery alongside being around people might help serve as a distraction until the thoughts and feelings become less intense. The places should be easily accessible so you don't have any more additional stress figuring out how to get there. 

Some common examples of places include a coffee shop, the gym, a library, or restaurant. 

4. Think of people you can reach out to for support

Writing down people who you can contact during a time of need is essential—this can include personal and professional contacts. 

"This could include a friend, family member, crisis line, suicide prevention lifeline, or counselor," says Coughlin. 

In terms of family and friends, you'll want to make sure to reach out to them and let them know you're thinking about putting them as contacts on your safety plan. This can help make sure they are willing to help in a time of need.‍

You'll also want to write down emergency contact numbers so you have them easily accessible.

‍National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (call or text): 988 or 800-273-8255 (TALK)

Discuss with your therapist what their boundaries are if you were to reach out to them outside of a session. Some practitioners may be able to accommodate an emergency session while others might recommend a higher level of care in this situation.

5. Identify ways to make your space safer 

If you're feeling like you might hurt yourself, then consider what you can to make your environment free from potential hazards—this can include firearms, medications, blades, sharp objects, and other items that could potentially compromise your safety.

"Making the environment safe is an important step in prevention as it removes opportunities for access to things that can be used to bring harm to yourself or others," says Coughlin.

6. Name 3 people, places, or things that make you smile

If you're experiencing a mental health crisis, then it can be easy to forget what is most important to you. 

Coughlin says to take the time to list out your reasons for living, also known as 'protective factors': people you care about, pets, purpose or meaning in life, cultural or religious beliefs.

This can be anything and everything that gives you a glimmer of hope — it doesn't matter how big or small. It could be as small as looking forward to having chocolate chip cookies for dessert or as big as planning a dream vacation. 

‍At the end of the day, your safety and well being is our number one priority. At UpLift, safety plans are personalized to the client and clinician providing care. "We do not mandate a particular format, but encourage clinicians to work on plans based on the clinician's expertise that incorporate client strengths, supports, and reasons for wanting to live," says Danielle Besuden, LCSW, a licensed clinical social worker and Quality Assurance Manager at UpLift. 

If you’re feeling hopeless or having difficulty getting through the day (or every single day), you don’t have to face these challenges alone. There are people who want to support you—and you deserve to be supported, even if you don’t believe it right now. 

Reaching out is a first step forward you can take towards healing. It doesn’t take much to start: Just reach out by calling or texting 988 if you’re considering suicide or are in other life-threatening danger.