Counseling
“For a long time, the only thing I had to look forward to was a weekly appointment with my counselor at VYFS. Today I got a job offer. I’ve been out of work for a year and a half, and I couldn’t have done it without you and your services.” -VYFS Client
Counseling Services
Vashon Youth and Family Services Behavioral Health is a comprehensive program providing a wide array of services to King County residents. The goal of our counseling program is to increase stability and coping skills for individuals, families, youth and children. We address emotional challenges, behavioral problems, anxiety and depression, suicidal thoughts and threats, school problems, peer difficulties, trauma recovery, family conflict, self-esteem issues, abuse issues and other behavioral health issues.
Counseling techniques vary according to client needs and abilities. Only approaches recognized by the larger mental health community (e.g. American Psychiatric Association, National Association of Social Workers, American Society of Addiction Medicine, etc.) or approaches that are evidence-based will be used. Your treatment may include psychoeducation, case management services, group therapy, individual psychotherapy, family therapy, play therapy, art therapy, psychiatric evaluation, and medication monitoring.
All staff providing direct services are registered, certified, or licensed with the State of Washington. Counseling can be provided at the agency, schools, client homes, or other agreed upon locations. Referrals, crisis intervention and advocacy with other service systems are provided as needed. Counseling fees may be covered by Medicaid, self pay, or sliding scale payments.
Call to schedule an appointment with a counselor: 206-463-5511
Accessing Counseling Services
If you would like to engage counseling services through VYFS, please call (206) 463-5511 to schedule an initial intake appointment with the Clinical Director. The intake process is scheduled for 90 minutes, but actual times do vary. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time to complete initial paperwork. During intake you will be asked questions to identify areas of concern that you want to discuss during counseling. Following intake, the Clinical Director will determine which of our clinical staff is best suited to provide counseling. Your counseling will then contact you to set up ongoing counseling as needed.
We accept Medicaid/Apple Health, self-pay, and also offer sliding scale payment options. At times of high volume, new clients may be temporarily wait listed. In this case, you may also visit vashonwellness.com for a listing of counselors available on Vashon, visit the King County Resource Network, or call 2-1-1 for additional resources.