Suicide is an ongoing public health crisis in the United States, which represents the second leading cause of death for college students. The literature suggests that the nature of psychopathology on college campuses has become more severe over the last several decades, with increases in suicidal ideation and depression. This has led to an increased demand for services in college counseling centers across the United States. Graduate level trainees from the field of psychology often function as counselors in these centers, frequently interacting with potentially suicidal individuals. A trainee's ability to conduct a thorough suicide risk assessment represents a critical skill set for this group of first responders. However, the literature suggests limited training in suicide risk assessment both at training sites and in clinical psychology graduate course work. Research exploring the risk assessment practices of mental health clinicians is scant and information regarding the risk assessment practices of graduate level trainees is virtually nonexistent. The current research was conducted in order to study the process by which doctoral level psychology trainees working in college counseling centers conduct suicide risk assessments. The study used a phenomenological, qualitative design and included a semi-structured interview that was given to eight participants who were graduate level, pre-doctoral trainees in APA accredited, clinical psychology, Psy.D. programs. While results revealed a wide range of experiences with suicide assessment for trainees, the most consistent finding was that participants desired additional training in suicide risk assessment at their placements and in the classroom. Training in suicide risk assessment appeared to be inconsistent across field placements, with some students receiving no identifiable risk assessment trainings at their college counseling sites. This has serious clinical implications for training programs and graduate psychology trainees. Trainees that are not adequately prepared in suicide risk assessment skills, may be unable to identify suicidal clients. The major recommendation that emerges from this study is that policies should be implemented at college counseling sites and at clinical psychology programs to formalize and standardize suicide risk assessment training so trainees acquire the skills they want and need. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]