Our Approach to Safety, Risk, and Levels of Care

Our approach to crisis support is informed by the CAMS Framework®  and is anchored in the principles of compassion, autonomy, and non-carceral care. If you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts, you will be met with understanding—not judgment or automatic emergency responses. We’ll collaboratively explore what safety means for you, both in the immediate moment and in a more lasting, sustainable way. This may include creating a personalized safety plan, identifying supportive people or resources, and clarifying what helps you stay connected and grounded. If additional care becomes necessary, we’ll navigate that decision together—always centering your voice, your preferences, and your dignity. Hospitalization or emergency services are never my default; they are last-resort options, considered only after all other paths have been thoughtfully explored with you involved in the process. Our priority is to stay in relationship, not to escalate or take control.

 Medical Risk Management for Eating Disorders

We follow the guidelines set by the Academy for Eating Disorders’ (AED) Medical Care Standards Committee and Safe Exercise At Every Stage (SEES). If you’re being treated for an eating disorder, it’s essential that you have a Primary Care Physician (PCP) or Pediatrician overseeing your medical stability, and a HAES®-aligned Registered Dietitian (RD) supporting your nutritional healing. You’re also welcome to include other key supports in your care. To ensure we can collaborate effectively, you’ll need to sign a Release of Information for each member of your care team. If you don’t have a PCP or RD yet, we’ll help you find professionals who align with your values and needs. Ideally, medical and dietary support should be in place within the first month of our work together, though we can adjust that timeline if necessary. As part of this multidisciplinary team-based approach, you’ll be expected to complete medical labs and vitals when requested to ensure that outpatient remains a safe and appropriate level of care for you. If medical information or clinical concerns indicate that outpatient support may no longer be sufficient, we will recommend a higher level of care (HLOC), guided by AED standards. These decisions are always made in collaboration with you, with a focus on your safety, autonomy, and long-term healing.

 Substance Use Policy

We take a harm-reduction, nonjudgmental approach to substance use—including being 420-friendly. If substances like cannabis or alcohol are part of your life, we can explore their function together to determine whether they’re aligned with your healing goals. That said, sessions should not be attended while under the influence of any substance that significantly impairs your ability to think, feel, or engage clearly. This helps keep our work grounded, ethical, and effective. If we believe you are impaired during a session, we may need to end it, and the full session fee will still apply. If this occurs more than once, we’ll talk openly about whether this space remains the right fit, or whether more specialized support might better serve your needs. While members of our team may hold education or training related to substance use, we do not provide specialized substance use disorder treatment. We can support reflective exploration and harm-reduction-informed conversations, and we may refer you to specialized care if deeper substance use treatment is needed.