First, like we do with all new clients we do a free, 15-minute phone consultation to make sure we’re the best fit (which you can schedule here). If we aren’t, we are going to do our best to help you find the therapist that’s best for you. Our main priority is you getting the help you need, even if that means it isn’t us!

If we’re a good fit for you then we help you have all the information you’ll need for your first session. We’ll let you know what platform we’re using (including backups in the event of a technological hiccup), how to access it, and some tips and tricks to help you make it awesome.

Then, we connect via video. This might be very familiar to you if you’ve done WebEx or Zoom meetings at work. Our system is super similar to that and is HIPAA compliant so we know your information is safe and protected! At the time of your session we log on and you log on and we get to see each other’s faces, just like when you walk into our physical office.

Finally, we get down to business. We dive in and we work on your goals, work to get you where you want to go, and help you be the best you – even when the whole world feels as if it’s turned upside down.

You might be thinking, “Wow. That doesn’t sound super different.” And you’d be right. It’s not. The main difference in how we connect via teletherapy is just the method we use. You’re still greeted with a smile, still get the same amazing therapy (even things like EMDR can be done via telehealth), your same wonderful therapist, and  the same support, encouragement, and tools you’d get in our physical office.

We know it can seem like an unknown when you think about starting teletherapy with one of our Wake Forest counselors so we wanted to give you a better understanding. If you have more questions we didn’t answer here, we’d love to connect with you. Feel free to reach out to us at 919-891-0525 and we’re happy to answer any questions you have! If you’re ready to schedule your free, 15-minute phone consultation click here.

The post What Teletherapy Is Like with Our Wake Forest Counselors appeared first on Tabitha Westbrook.

Oh, how hard it is for a 6th grader to tell what he/she heard from another student! They think, “Will the other person be mad? What if they didn’t mean it?” Middle school is a formative social time. The social pressures are high. Telling can seem like the hardest thing in the world!

In this day and age we are trained to report a threats agains others. See a suspicious bag? Report it. Someone say they want to do something violent at school? Report it. But do we train our kids to report when someone says they want to die or are contemplating suicide? Or when a friend lifts a sleeve to reveal cutting or other self injuries? Maybe it gets a passing nod, but often it gets slipped under the rug. It’s an uncomfortable conversation. What if the kid is just emoting and being brash? What if the kid doesn’t mean it?

The better question is – what if they do mean it? Even if they are being brash? What if, even if they don’t fully mean it, it’s a sign that something is wrong?

As a therapist, I work with families whose kids experience suicidal feelings. I hear the stories from other kids who know that so-and-so is cutting. Or who heard that so-and-so wanted to die. I hear their anguish as they talk about attending the funeral of a 12-year-old neighbor they played with who took their own life. I talk a lot about telling. How to tell. Who to tell. Telling every time, not being lulled into a sense of “they don’t really mean it because they always say it and nothing’s happened yet.”

Teach your kids to tell. Tell you. Tell the principal. Tell the guidance counselor. Tell the school social worker. Tell someone with power to step in and help the child and his/her family. Don’t be silent. Tell. There is no shame in needing some help and support and it is vastly better to have someone be angry with you for telling than for that someone to be dead.

And, heaven forbid, if your child tells you they want to die or you catch them self injuring, act on it. Don’t just ignore it. Get help. Find a good therapist who specializes in helping kids get through this.

No matter the context, it’s a hard conversation, but it’s one that can save a life.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. If you need to find a therapist, you can look one up on Psychology Today. 

The post Always Tell – Suicide Education and Middle School appeared first on Tabitha Westbrook.