If You're in Crisis Right Now
If your teen is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988, available 24/7
Crisis Text Line — text HOME to 741741, available 24/7.
Teen Suicide Prevention Counseling in Athens GA
Support for teens and families in depression, self-Harm & suicidality
If You Are a Teen Reading This
If you found this page on your own, I want to say something directly to you: I see you. Looking this up, reading this far, is a genuinely courageous thing to do. This isn't the end for you. I'd like to walk through this with you, whenever you're ready.
If You Are a Parent or a Caregiver Reading This
If you're here, there's a real chance you're in the middle of this right now — not just researching for later. So I want to speak to that directly, not around it.
If you've reached out because your teen has had thoughts of suicide, or has attempted to take their life, I want you to know this gets my full attention. Whatever brought you here, however mild or serious it might seem, I'm going to take it seriously — every time, no exceptions. One study found that nearly half of parents whose teen was having suicidal thoughts had no idea it was happening. That's not a failure on your part — it's exactly why trusting your instinct to ask, even without a clear warning sign, matters as much as it does.
If you indicate in an inquiry or submission that your teen is at risk, I'm going to contact you as soon as I possibly can, and during that first call, I'll help walk you through what you can do to keep your teen safe right now, in the immediate moment — not just schedule an appointment for later. When a parent reaches out to me about a teen at risk, I respond within 24 hours, and I generally get that teen into an appointment within 24 to 48 hours.
One thing worth hearing early: this is not a sign of bad parenting. Kids from stable, loving homes end up here too. At its core, this is a sign that your teen is in a vulnerable place right now — not a verdict on you.
Immediate Steps While You Wait for Your First Appointment
If your teen is safe right now but you're waiting to get established with me, there are concrete things you can do starting today:
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Remove access to means. This is the single most effective thing a family can do, and it's worth being specific: firearms are involved in roughly half of youth suicides, so my recommendation is to temporarily remove all guns and ammunition from the home entirely while your teen is struggling — many families turn them over to a relative (not one your teen visits), a trusted friend, law enforcement, or a gun shop. Locking guns in the home is not a substitute; too many teens know or can find the combination or key, and this isn't worth the risk. Also lock away medications (prescription and over-the-counter), and secure other potential means like ropes, cords, sharp objects, and household chemicals. It can feel like a lot, but suicide attempts are often impulsive — this step buys real time during exactly the moments that matter most.
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Don't leave your teen alone during an acute crisis. If you have to step away, make sure another trusted adult is present.
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Save the crisis numbers in both your phone and your teen's: 988 (call or text) and 741741 (text HOME). Sometimes calling or texting 988 is the first step a teen is actually willing to take — they may not feel ready to talk to you yet, but reaching out anonymously can feel more possible. The person on the other end is trained to help guide them toward getting further help, even if that's as far as they can go tonight.
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Stay present and listen without arguing. You don't need the right words, and you don't need to convince them they're wrong to feel this way — you just need to stay close and keep the door open.
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Agree on a plan together for what happens if things escalate before we meet — usually, that means calling 911 or going to the nearest emergency room.
None of this replaces the full safety plan we'll build together, specific to your teen — but these steps matter starting today, not after our first session.
Warning Signs to Watch For
Normal teenage moodiness — irritability, wanting space, occasional withdrawal — is a real part of adolescent development, and it's not the same thing as what to actually be concerned about. What crosses the line is hopelessness, a sense of worthlessness, pulling away from friends and activities they used to care about, or any talk of suicide. You know your teen's normal patterns better than anyone. If what you're seeing goes beyond their usual range, trust that instinct.
A helpful way to keep the concerning signs in mind is the acronym FACTS:
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Feelings — hopelessness about the future, persistent sadness, anxiety, or increased anger and aggression
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Actions — pulling away from friends or activities, risky or dangerous behavior, or researching ways to die
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Changes — any noticeable shift in your teen's normal mood, sleep, or behavior, especially if others in their life (teachers, friends) have noticed it too
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Threats — direct statements like "I'd rather be dead," or vaguer ones like "nothing matters anymore"
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Situations — a recent loss, conflict, legal trouble, or another event that's felt overwhelming to your teen
If you notice several of these, trust that instinct rather than second-guessing it.
Never dismiss statements like these as drama or exaggeration, even if they're said casually: "I want to die." "Nothing matters." "Everyone would be better off without me." "You won't have to worry about me much longer." Many teens who attempt suicide tell someone ahead of time, even if it doesn't sound like a clear warning in the moment. Take every version of it seriously.
How to start the conversation
You don't have to wait for our first appointment to talk to your teen. Asking directly about suicide does not plant the idea or increase risk — research is consistent on this. It's far more likely to feel like relief to a teen who's been carrying something secretly.
A way to open it up: "You haven't been quite yourself lately, and I've noticed some things that concern me." Name the specific changes you've seen, then follow with something direct: "I've heard that sometimes when someone's going through what you're going through, they think about not wanting to be here anymore. Have you ever felt that way?"
Another way in, if that feels more natural: "I care about you so much, and even though I know you're strong, I can't help but notice you've been hurting lately. That makes some people think about suicide. Does this ever cross your mind?"
If they say yes, stay calm and keep going — ask when, how often, and whether they have a specific plan. A specific plan means you need to act immediately: call 988 or go to your nearest emergency room. Once your teen is safe, reach out to me so we can get them into care quickly.
If they don't want to talk right now, don't force it. Leave the door open: "Whenever you want to talk, I'm here. I won't judge you, and I'm not going anywhere." Teens often open up sideways rather than face-to-face — in the car, doing something else together — more often than in a sit-down conversation.
Listen more than you talk. Resist jumping in with solutions or "you should." Simple, open prompts like "tell me more about that" keep the conversation going further than advice does.
It's natural to feel shocked or scared in this moment, but try to avoid responses like "That's a ridiculous thing to say," "You have a great life, why would you want to end it," or "You don't mean that." Even when they come from love and fear, they can shut the conversation down fast. Responses like "I'm sorry you're feeling this way — can you tell me more?" or "You must really be hurting to feel like that" keep the door open instead.
How I Assess Risk
I use the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) to evaluate your teen's level of risk. It's the standardized tool most widely used in clinical and school settings, because it looks at the full picture — passive thoughts of not wanting to be alive, active suicidal thoughts, whether there's a specific plan, intent to act on it, and any past attempts. That gives us a clear, consistent read on exactly where your teen is right now, rather than a guess.
How I Actually Work With This
I'll focus on keeping your teen safe while, at the same time, working to get to the root cause of their hopelessness — the two happen together, not one before the other. If a teen has gone through a breakup and developed suicidal thoughts somewhere along the way, I'm going to start by focusing on the breakup — because that's what's actually driving what they're feeling. Alongside that, I'll assess your teen's level of risk (more on exactly how below) and work directly with you as the parent to build a safety plan that keeps your teen safe while we do the deeper work together. That plan typically covers your teen's specific warning signs and triggers, concrete coping steps for when they're triggered, who they can turn to (family, friends, other trusted adults), and exactly what to do if things escalate.
When More Support is Needed
Sometimes counseling alone isn't enough at a given moment, and part of my role is being honest with you about that. I have experience helping families assess whether a higher level of care — an intensive outpatient program (IOP) or, in some cases, residential treatment — would serve your teen better right now. That's never a failure. It's part of taking this seriously.
Teen Suicide Prevention Counseling in Athens, GA
A note on medication
If medication becomes part of the conversation, that's a decision for you, your teen, and your teen's doctor — not something I'll push in either direction. Medication is generally well tolerated, and the goal of it isn't to numb your teen or change who they are — it's to help them feel more like themselves again. I can help prepare your family for that conversation and provide documentation to support it, but medication is never required for our work together to continue.
Resources I Recommend
Books
Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig — A widely read, honest account of the author's own experience with depression and suicidal thoughts, and how he found his way through it. Appropriate for older teens.
This is Depression by Diane McIntosh — A clear, compassionate explanation of what depression actually is.
My Living Will: A Father's Story of Loss & Hope by John Trautwein — Written by a father after losing his son to suicide, and the founder of The Will to Live Foundation. For parents specifically — heavier reading, but a meaningful one if you're trying to understand what's truly at stake.
Organizations & Other Resources
FOR Students (forstudents.org) — A nonprofit focused on helping teens build resilience and have hard conversations before they reach a crisis point. Their podcast is a good, teen-facing entry point.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: Teens and Suicide — A clear, practical guide for parents on recognizing warning signs, starting the conversation, and knowing what to do if your teen opens up.
HealthyChildren.org: Suicide Prevention, 12 Things Parents Can Do — Written by physicians for the American Academy of Pediatrics, with detailed, practical guidance on home safety, starting conversations, and supporting your teen through treatment.