FAQs

These are some helpful resources if you need to talk to someone right now for support or are in crisis and it’s not an emergency (please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room if this is an emergency):

-King County 24-hour crisis line: 866-4CRISIS (427-4747) Local: (206) 461-3222

-National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) 273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)

-Crisis Textline: Text CONNECT to 741741 or visit http://www.crisistextline.org/

-The Steve Fund: Text STEVE to 741741 for support. This is a Crisis Text Line for People of Color.

-Call Black Line: Call 1 (800) 604-5841. Peer support, counseling, reporting mistreatment, affirming the impact of systemic oppression.

-Asian LifeNet Hotline: (24 hours): Call 1-877-990-8585. Translation services over 140 languages. If you live outside of NY you can still call.

-Veteran's Crisis Line: (800) 273-8255, option 1 . Additional info: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net

-Teenline: (310) 855-HOPE or (800) TLC-TEEN (nationwide toll-free) from 6pm to 10pm PST. Additional info: https://teenlineonline.org

-Trevor Project: Call or text 1-866-488-7386 Hotline for LGBTQ+ Youth.

-NAMI Helpline: 10am - 6pm (Mon-Fri), 1-800-950-6264. Peer support and resource referrals.

-SAMHSA Helpline: 24/7, 1-800-662-HELP(4357). Confidential treatment referral and information for mental and/or substance use disorders.

-National Sexual Assault Hotline: Call 1-800-656-4673 (HOPE)

-National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE or 800-799-7233

-National Eating Disorder Association Hotline: Call 800-931-2237.

Emotional Support and Warm Lines

-NAMI:NAMI National Warmline Directory

-7 Cups is an online emotional support service.

Online Support Groups

NAMI Support Groups: https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/Support-Groups

Center for Chronic Illness:
https://www.thecenterforchronicillness.org/programs

HeyPeers Support Groups: https://heypeers.com/

7 Cups: https://www.7cups.com/about/faq.php

Teletherapy is defined as receiving mental heath services online by video or phone. It’s usually done through an encrypted service designed for health care professionals. If you’ve ever used FaceTime, Skype, Whatsapp video, it’s a similar experience. You’ll be receiving the same services you would in-office from the comfort of your home.

These are some steps you can take to make sure that your Teletherapy session has the best connection:

-Quit out of all the non-therapy programs before the session (see if there any programs running in the background using your internet connection to sync).

-Connect your computer to the WiFi router with a cable or move very close to the WiFi router for session.

-Make sure your antivirus program and system updates aren’t scheduled during your session time.

-Close to door to your room so kids/pets/partners don’t unexpectedly wander in.

-Get yourself a snack, glass of water, and other soothing items before logging in.

For more information, please read the What Does Teletherapy Look Like? page.

From the perspective of Kirkland EMDR Counseling, these words are often interchangeable in the mental health community as people who hold various licenses through the Department of Health can provide mental health services in Washington State. Other therapists may disagree.

The foundation to the therapeutic relationship is confidentiality. When you participate in therapy, the content of our sessions, and information you share during the session is protected by legal confidentiality.

However, there’s a few exceptions. State law and professional ethics require us to maintain confidentiality except for the following situations:

1. Suspected past or present abuse or neglect of children, adults, or elders to the authorities, including Child Protection and law enforcement, based on information provided by the client or collateral sources.

2. If the therapist has reason to suspect the client is seriously in danger or harming him/her/themselves or has threatened to harm another person.

In these situations, the therapist can and will share information without your written consent to ensure your imminent safety and the safety of others.

You’ve been navigating through life, using your own tools and resources to do what you can when facing challenging situations and experiences which is a testament to your resilience.

However, there are times, where we could use a space to get another perspective, more tools, and support. This self-awareness is something to be admired, as it shows you are open to learning, growing and accessing information that you may not have.

You are taking responsibility of where you are at in life and committing to change when you engage in therapy. Therapy is designed to provide long-lasting benefits and support, giving you tools you need to gain awareness of unhelpful patterns, triggers and navigating challenges that you experience.

Engaging in therapy can help you in many ways. The benefits you will obtain depend on the collaboration between you an your therapist. Your participation and how you put into practice the knowledge and insights will be the key ingredients to reaching your goals.

Therapy can be helpful in different ways:

-Receiving support in a safe, confidential, and warm space to explore what is important to you

-Gaining awareness on a better understanding of yourself, your goals, and values

-Learn and develop skills to improve your relationships

-Find a resolution to issues/concerns

-Learning new ways to cope with stress or anxiety

-Managing anger, grief, depression or other emotional pressions

-Improving communication and listening skills

-Changing old patterns of behavior and developing new ones

-Improving your self-esteem and boosting your self-confidence

Each person is unique, and therefore their time in therapy can vary based on what their goals and needs are. What’s important is to notice what you’d like therapy to be like.

Some people will engage in therapy for a short period of time to learn coping skills and tools. Other people will stay longer for a deeper dive into some of their earliest experiences and healing work.

To start, it’s recommended to see each other weekly for 6-8 sessions as a well to get to know each and have a good idea of what your goals and needs are. We can then stay at weekly or move to every other week as needed.

It’s not recommended to have sessions once a month unless they are as a transition to ending therapy (having felt you met your goals and needs) since the long time gap reduces the effectiveness of our work together.

For more information on what this would look like see our What Does Teletherapy Look Like? page.

EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy) has been extensively researched since 1989and widely recognized as effective trauma therapy. A growing body of research now looks at it’s applications extending beyond trauma to other mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues and many others.

EMDR Therapy is an evidence-based practice that uses bilateral stimulation (such as moving your eyes, tapping, or hearing sounds from one side to another) to support your brain’s ability to process memories or experiences are stuck.

Bilateral stimulation activates our brain’s left and right side through visual, tactile, or auditory stimulation. This draws from existing practices from many cultures and communities that have existed prior to EMDR such as: playing musical instruments, dance, running, swaying or pacing back and forth.

Memories that are too distressing or overwhelming get frozen/walled off with the original sensations, thoughts, and emotion of when they happened. EMDR helps get memories unstuck through bilateral stimulation and give space for us to call on resources to resolve them.

EMDR helps to build up positive neural networks to help you feel better and to hold past experiences and new thoughts about yourself in a healthier way.

To learn more about EMDR Therapy, you can visit EMDRIA (the EMDR International Association).

Yes! There isn’t one type of therapy that fits everyone or is the answer to everything. We just find EMDR to be the most helpful and hear from clients they experience the fastest results.

We also have experience with:

-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

-Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills (DBT Skills)

-Client Centered Therapy

-Motivational Interviewing

-Mindful Self-Compassion

Kirkland EMDR Counseling is unable to prescribe medications. Only a medical doctor or nurse practitioner is able to prescribe.

It has been well established through research that the long-term solution to mental and emotional conditions typically respond well to psychotherapy.

However, there are some situations where medication can be helpful as temporary or for continual management of mental health conditions due to biological factors.

Overall, the best sustainable growth and wellbeing can be achieved with an integrative approach to wellness. Working with your medical doctor as a member of your support team in addition to your therapist can help determine what’s the best care for you. In some cases a combination of medication and therapy is the best course of action.

In order to protect your confidentiality and the importance of minimizing dual relationships, therapists will generally not accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking site (Facebook, Instagram, etc).

Adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise your confidentiality and your respective privacy. It may also blur the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship. If you have questions about this, please ask your therapist to discuss them in detail.

You are welcome to like Kirkland EMDR Counseling’s Facebook page, subscribe to the YouTube channel, or follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. This is the best way to stay connected through social media.