Hello, I'm Rose Rowkins.

Alongside a growing team of passionate co-trainers and Associates, I teach people to talk about suicide with confidence, clarity and compassion.

I believe that a conversation can save a life (one saved mine) and that anyone can learn to have these conversations.

And we must. We can't leave these conversations to the 'professionals' - many aren't adequately trained, and most people who die by suicide haven't talked to a professional.

We can empower your team with the tools and confidence to talk about suicide and to manage with greater empathy, to make your workplace happier, healthier, and ultimately safer from burnout and suicide.

Let's talk! Book a 30-minute chat

scroll

If you’re reading this, you probably already know something about the pain of suicide. (Sadly, most of us do.)

Maybe you have lost someone. Maybe someone you care about thinks or talks about suicide.

Maybe, at times, suicide has felt like an option for you.

I know you never want to lose another friend, family member, colleague or customer to suicide. You want your workplace and community to be safer from suicide.

But you don’t know where to start.

It's time to start the conversation. We can all learn to prevent suicide.

Quick links

Join a public course

We run regular public sessions of

TAS:10 Basic and ASIST.

Whether you are an interested, caring individual, or considering booking training for your team and wanting to "try before you buy", these are for you.

Find a public training date

Get in touch

How big is your team?

What are your needs and concerns?

Would you prefer your training delivered online or in-person?

Let us know, and we'll meet you where you're at (in all senses)

Click to contact us

My Mission Statement

Some of our clients and collaborators

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

What participants say

"This training was brilliant. Particularly on Zoom, the difference between an average training and one that really makes a difference is in the delivery. Rose was clearly comfortable with this topic, able to engage the audience."

Mental Health Nurse

📣 Hello #Brighton !

Here are three (damn good, if you ask me) reasons why you should attend the two-day Suicide Intervention workshop I am delivering (alongside the legend that is Nick Brown) at Projects on Wed 25 + Thu 26 March.

1️⃣ We NEED to talk about suicide.

Brighton and Hove has one of the highest rates of suicide of #women and girls in the whole of the UK (and overall rates are 1.5 x higher than the England average)

And let’s be clear: the skills learned on ASIST workshop are just as useful in our PERSONAL lives, as in our PROFESSIONAL lives. Just ask @sam_thomas_dh @fatblackfeminist @thewomen_hood @charlottericca @asispatel ...

2️⃣ ASIST isn’t an easy two days, but (oh boy) it is SO WORTH IT.

Expect to be challenged.
Expect to be changed.

3️⃣ Given the impact this workshop makes, it would be a TRAGEDY to have empty seats.

So I’m putting it out to the universe ✨ and offering all remaining places on a pay-what-you-can basis. Use the code [pwyc] to unlock options.

(+ also, this is *probably* the LAST public ASIST I will be running in Brighton this year. I’ll have a date in #London in September though, so DM me if interested in that)

Wed 25 + Thur 26 March
9am - 5pm both days @ @projectsbtn

Save your spot here 👉 http://asist-brighton-mar2026.eventbrite.com

And please share-share-share away, *especially* with any connections who work with:

💥 Any team or community (community leaders, managers, co-working spaces...)
💥 The public (bartenders, tattoo artists, hotel staff, personal trainers...)
💥 Young people (youth workers, teaching assistants, school DSLs...)

ASIST is for anyone, because suicide is EVERYONE’S business.

Got questions? You know where I am. 🌹

#suicideprevention #suicidepreventiontraining starttheconversation

Clearly not recorded today (hooray for sun! ☀️) but I’ve just got around to editing this little vid on SIGNPOSTING

… Which can be done SO MUCH MORE MEANINGFULLY (and safely) with a little care and consideration.

I hope this helps someone 🙏🏼

To be clear: if you know someone is thinking of suicide, it is NEVER the deal that you hold that information confidentially. It’s not fair on them, or you.

Instead, with consent and working collaboratively (and using “active” signposting) help them connect to others who can help.

Want to know more? We have ASIST workshops in March in #Worcester #Manchester and #Brighton

And our next TAS:10 Zoom sesh on Monday 16 March 12:30pm-2pm

Www.starttheconversation.uk/trainingforall

#suicideprevention #suicidepreventiontraining

Daffodils in your window 💛

A simple, heartfelt gesture in memory of a loved one or a dear friend.

If you are bereaved on this day of love, please join suicide prevention charity @ollys.future as I am doing, in putting daffodils in your window to show you still love that person and remember them.

Olly’s Future was founded in memory of Olly Hare from Worthing who died on 14th February 2017.

Olly’s mum, my dear friend Ann who I have worked with closely ever since, wrote the poem ‘Daffodils’

Put daffodils in the window
The brightest of the bright
To remind us of your presence
To remind us of your light.

Although the years are passing
Since last we saw your face
Your memory sustains us
With love and light and grace.

Daffodils are a sign of spring, of new beginnings and the promise of hope for the future - so important for those bereaved.

By displaying daffodils on Valentine’s Day, Ann and the team at Olly’s Future hope to encourage greater understanding and empathy - and a kinder world.

#daffodils #daffodilsonvalentinesday #valentinesday #bereavement #suicideprevention

Managers! Leaders! You have the POWER! ⚡

The power to create psychological safety in the rooms you are in.

Or not.

Psychological safety ➡️ connection ➡️ potentially life-saving.

Please use your power wisely.

The wisest way? Share it!
(Power WITH beats power OVER every time.)

Here are 5 things to say to help create psychological safety (and share the power) in team meetings. I hope they are helpful for someone.

Because little shifts in language lead to big shifts in culture.

Your team will thank and reward you - and your workplace will be safer as a result.

#psychologicalsafety #suicideprevention #connection #vulnerability

It’s Time to Talk Day - which is every day for me!

So here are some recent words from @msjessrad about the importance of learning to talk about suicide.

Want to learn more? We have spaces on courses coming up on Zoom and in #Manchester #Worcester #Brighton and soon in #London too

Links in bio or at www.starttheconversation.uk/trainingforall

#timetotalkday

I was asked: How can I make sure I look after myself when I’m caring for someone else?

Or, in other words:

How can I hear someone’s pain with my whole self and my deepest compassion, without letting their pain impact on my own?

In this little vid, I share a technique I picked up around 15 years ago, during my Counselling Diploma, which has served me well over the 100s of suicide interventions I have done.

In essence it is this:

I find it useful to imagine a metaphorical boundary surrounding myself - and this “boundary” in your mind can be “made” of anything - whatever you need to keep yourself psychologically safe.

It could be...

A lace sheet
A brick wall
A sheet of cellophane
A 1970s beaded curtain

This technique might be useful whether you are supporting someone with their thoughts of suicide... or *whenever* you need to attentively, exquisitely listen to someone.

🌹 #suicideprevention #starttheconversation #reachin

Is 2026 the year *your* team learns how to have a life saving conversation?

Here are a bunch of opportunities (online and IRL) to check out what we do and “try before you buy”

PS you don’t have to have a team to attend. Equally welcome to join us if you are a caring human who wants to learn these skills for yourself, to make your family and friends safer from suicide.

Booking links via insta bio or at www.starttheconversation.uk

TAS:10 was co-created with @annfeloy founder of @ollys.future after her beloved son Oliver took his own life in 2017

ASIST was created by @livingworksglobal in 1983 and has been delivered to over 2 million people worldwide 🌍

🌹

Big up to our awesome trainers and team @teeniewatson @nicks_peace @dansimpsonwords @rachelvanhoven @rise_strongtoday @massage_and_minds @rediscover_mama

#suicideprevention #suicidepreventiontraining

My first vid of 2026 is a brief outline of the 3 top reasons my clients book suicide prevention training.

Which resonates with YOU?
Are you ready to welcome this into YOUR organisation?

TAS:10 was written with Ann Feloy of @ollys.future

#suicideprevention #starttheconversation #suicidepreventiontraining #itsoktoask #hope #reachin

An unexpected kindness.

I was out sober-karaoke-ing until midnight last night with my choir pals (🤪) so I had to dig pretty damn deep to get myself up and out early to this morning’s @btnchamber networking brekkie.

But it was totally worth it.

Rich from sherlockstudiodesign led some festive fun/reflective activities, which were thankfully way less cheesy than I feared.

I saw familiar faces including @bethwildphotography and @cecharv and met Matthew from @sealanesbtn , Meg from @make.good.design, @kerry_watkins from @social_for_good, @welshandyfreeman and @lizhemingwaytravel for the first time.

As I was saying my goodbyes, I met John Thacker, who isn’t on social media (how fcking refreshing).

He had a pile of books and said I could pick one.

Whoa!

Of course, I was drawn to this one (I mean, that title and those colours, HELLO.) As I read the cover I welled up with emotion.

⭐ How To Know A Person ⭐
The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen
A manual for sustaining friendships and having better conversations...

David Brooks, you are talking my language. I cannot WAIT to get stuck into this over the festive break.

And John, you won’t see this, but I’m sending you thanks nevertheless for this unexpected gift this morning and will repay your kindness.

How was YOUR Friday?

#networking #fridayfeeling

📣 Calling all #lawyers #barristers #solicitors 👀

Did you spy this article in this month’s COUNSEL magazine?

I’ve been getting my writing hat on, and damn, it feels SO GOOD to step out of my comfort zone, and empower new people to talk about suicide with confidence.

What’s all this about then?

This week, this article was published in COUNSEL - the official monthly magazine of @thebarcouncil published by @lexisnexis.uk

I co-wrote it with award-winning barrister Rachel Francis from @onepumpcourt, back when the sun was high and the days were long ☀️

Rachel and I were asked to write it because the legal profession, like so many, are suffering - largely in silence - and because too many lawyers are dying by suicide.

Long hours (70 hour weeks are commonplace), vicarious trauma, high pressure and expectations, stress, isolation, loneliness. The list goes on.

@onepumpcourt are LEADING THE WAY, by running a series of our half-day Talking about Suicide: 10 Tools (TAS:10)* training sessions for all their barristers and clerks.

Here’s what they said:

👉 “The training was so important for Chambers such as ours where so many of our clients are actively suicidal and where we have experienced the great sadness of two of our members having died by suicide.”

👉 “I was apprehensive at first but really glad I attended. It was very professional and sensitively done.”

👉 “All barristers should undertake this training, as I’m sure other professions should.”

👉 “Extremely informative and helpful discussion around a difficult and sensitive topic. Handled extremely well and delivered excellently.”

Our hope is that this article inspires more law firms and chambers to follow suit (no pun intended) and equip their staff with the TOOLS to talk about suicide, and the CONFIDENCE to use them.

Shall we talk about training for YOUR team?

Further specialist support:
❤️‍🩹 @lawcare - the mental health charity for the legal sector
❤️‍🩹 The Solicitors’ Charity

* TAS:10 is the training I wrote with @annfeloy founder of @ollys.future

Link to article: https://www.counselmagazine.co.uk/articles/how-to-talk-about-suicide-at-the-bar

#suicideprevention #legalprofession

.pro-gallery-wix-wrapper {display: block !important;} .pro-gallery-wix-wrapper .gallery-item-container {opacity: 1 !important; display: block !important;}

Find us on Instagram

@start_the_conv