John (not his real name) is a 43 year old male who has been teaching in secondary schools for 20 years - 13 at his current school as a department head.  
 
When he rang our Support Line, he was contemplating committing suicide as he couldn’t see any other way out of the situation he was in. He had had an allegation made against him by a female pupil, which left him feeling devastated. He felt that although he was innocent and later had been cleared, people would still think that “…there’s no smoke without fire.”

When he rang the service John was so low that he could only think of suicide.  
 
“If I commit suicide my family do not have to suffer from the shame of the
allegation.”
 
Within the counselling setting, we first worked to help John through his suicidal thoughts. The following sessions we worked together on his feelings of isolation and the abandonment he felt from his school and colleagues; how this episode had affected him both physically and mentally; and later on in the sessions, how to cope on his return to work.   
 
We continued to support John until his name was cleared and he was back at work. Since he has returned to work, John has offered the following thanks:
 
“Without your help I don’t think I would be alive today.”
 
“Words alone are not enough to say thank you.”

Attached file(s):
• False_allegation.pdf