Abstract
The author discusses some of the difficulties in making suicide risk assessments. He focuses on Goulding and Goulding’s (1978) theory of injunctions, particularly their notion of a Don’t Exist injunction. He argues that this injunction in the mind of an individual can consciously or unconsciously lead to suicidality. Therefore, diagnosing the presence of a Don’t Exist injunction is useful in the assessment of suicide risk. A client illustration is included as an example of how to diagnose this injunction.