Will you hospitalize me if I tell you I want to die?

I don’t want to! Avoiding hospitalization is in your best interest. With over seven years of inpatient experience, I know the limits and risks of hospitalization.

My goal is to partner with you to understand what drives your suicidal thoughts and patterns, so you can consider what else you may choose to do. We will collaborate to develop a plan you want to use to manage your suicidal thoughts so you can stay safe at home.

As a licensed clinician, I have an obligation to keep you safe. If you choose to collaborate with me, I will partner with you. Every step of the way.

Ultimately, this is your life. I cannot and do not want to control you. While I cannot prevent someone from dying by suicide, I am confident that together we can explore why you want to die, including potential alternatives. With time, I feel hopeful we can help you find reasons for hope.

How long do I need to be in therapy?

It depends! You decide.

A typical course of Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) can last 6-8 weekly sessions, although sometimes people need 12. I will work as hard as I can to effectively treat your symptoms. In my experience, patients who are highly motivated and practice what they learn in treatment resolving symptoms faster. That said, life is unpredictable. Set-backs can happen because of unexpected challenges.

Ultimately, I want to address and resolve your symptoms. When symptoms are resolved, we can stop. Or, I can continue to be a support if you want, although we may be able to meet less frequently.

Some parents ask, “Will you fix my kid?”

Your kid is not broken. Your child is suffering. Yes, I can help.

There are also limits to what I can do. I cannot force people to follow my recommendations, and frankly doing so conflicts with my fundamental values. I respect every person’s autonomy. Your child is the expert on their lives. You know your child best. My first task is to listen attentively to their, and your, expertise.

Part of treating teens who are suicidal involves partnering with parents. Please understand, I will be your teen’s therapist. If there is anything you wish to communicate directly to me, I encourage you to say it in session. In an emergency, use the plan we develop together.

I also work directly with parents to provide guidance on how to help their child or teen when they are struggling with difficult behaviors or mental health problems. When providing parent coaching, I do not treat the child or teen. I work with you, their parents. One requirement I have: I must work with all of the child’s caregivers. If caregivers cannot agree, I ask that you resolve your disagreements before initiating care.

Do you take insurance?

Sadly, no. If I could afford to live in an expensive city and take insurance with minimal hassle, I would. That’s not the world we live in yet. I am happy to give you a monthly super bill, and encourage you to advocate for reimbursement by your insurer.

The struggle is real. Here is a useful guide for how to find a therapist in your insurance network. Many health insurance policies state that if an in-network provider cannot be found, the insurance company may be required to find and pay for an out-of-network clinician.

Despite federal law mandating equity for mental and physical health care, the reality is the health insurance industry has designed their business model to make it painfully difficult to be an in-network mental health clinician. They delay payments, deny payments, claw-back money they have already paid, and also have access to the details of every note. This isn’t just my opinion — it’s how health insurance companies run their business. This is why I will not work directly with insurance companies.

I encourage you to talk to your State Senator and State Representatives in Olympia to support reform.

How do I get to the office?

You can drive, although finding street parking is rough and you will have to deal with downtown traffic. Thankfully, there are several paid parking lots within a block.

I highly recommend taking the bus or light rail. The office is extremely convenient for transit.