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Treatment for suicidal ideation at Quest Wellness Center is structured outpatient care for adults whose suicidal thoughts are present but not an immediate emergency. Through PHP and IOP, in person or online, we treat the depression, anxiety, or trauma underneath the thoughts, with therapy, medication, and safety planning. If you are in crisis now, call or text 988.
If you are thinking about suicide, you are not alone, and support is available this moment. Reach out right now through any of these:
These services are staffed by trained counselors who can help you through this moment. Reaching out is a sign of strength, not weakness, and people do get through this. Quest Wellness Center is an outpatient provider, not an emergency service, so if your safety is at immediate risk, please use 988 or 911 first, and we are here for ongoing care once you are safe.
Suicidal ideation means having thoughts about suicide or not wanting to be alive, and it ranges widely in intensity. For some people it is a passing wish that the pain would stop; for others it involves more frequent or specific thoughts. These thoughts are a symptom, most often of treatable conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, or the strain of overwhelming life circumstances, and they can also occur in people without a diagnosed mental illness. Having these thoughts does not mean you are broken or that you will act on them, and it does not mean you are beyond help. What it does mean is that something is causing real pain and deserves attention and support. Suicidal ideation is common, it is treatable, and the conditions underneath it respond to care. Understanding that these thoughts are a symptom, not a life sentence, is the first step toward relief.
Outpatient treatment is appropriate when suicidal thoughts are present but your safety is not in immediate danger, and it is one of the most effective ways to address what is driving them. Quest works with adults who are experiencing suicidal ideation at a mild-to-moderate level, meaning thoughts are present but you are not in acute crisis and do not have immediate intent or a plan to act. In that situation, structured outpatient care provides frequent, consistent support that can reduce the thoughts by treating their root cause, while you continue living at home. If you are in acute crisis, have a plan, or feel you may act soon, a higher level of care is the right and safe choice, and 988 or an emergency room can help you get there immediately. Part of what we do at the start is help determine the right level of care with you, honestly. If outpatient is the right fit, we begin; if you need more intensive support first, we help you find it.
Quest helps by treating the conditions that drive suicidal thoughts through structured outpatient care, with support built in at every step. Because suicidal ideation is almost always a symptom of something treatable, the most effective response is to address what is underneath it, the depression, anxiety, trauma, bipolar disorder, or substance use feeding the pain. Quest delivers this through Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs, with several hours of treatment on most weekdays in PHP and a lighter but still substantial schedule in IOP. Treatment combines individual therapy, group support, medication management by a psychiatrist where it helps, and ongoing collaborative safety planning. As your underlying condition improves, the suicidal thoughts typically ease, which is the real goal, not just managing the thoughts but resolving what causes them. Care is available in person and through secure telehealth, and most clients step down through the levels as they stabilize.
Several evidence-based therapies directly reduce suicidal thoughts, and Quest uses the ones with the strongest support. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you recognize and shift the patterns of hopelessness and all-or-nothing thinking that fuel suicidal thoughts, and specific forms of CBT are shown to lower the risk of future attempts. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was developed in part for people with chronic suicidal thoughts and self-harm, and it builds concrete skills for tolerating distress, regulating intense emotions, and getting through crises without acting on them. Group therapy reduces the isolation that so often deepens these thoughts, and family involvement helps the people around you understand and support your recovery. These therapies work by treating both the immediate thoughts and the conditions underneath, and most clients receive a combination matched to what they are facing.
Medication can be an important part of treatment when an underlying condition is driving suicidal thoughts, and Quest’s medication management is led by a board-certified psychiatrist. Because suicidal ideation is usually a symptom of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or another condition, treating that condition often reduces the thoughts, and antidepressants, mood stabilizers, or anti-anxiety medications may be part of the plan depending on the diagnosis. Our psychiatrist works with you to find the right medication and monitors it closely, since the goal is steady relief with manageable side effects. Medication is paired with therapy rather than used on its own, because the combination treats both the chemistry and the patterns behind the pain. The decision about whether medication fits is made together, based on your symptoms, history, and preferences.
If someone you love is having suicidal thoughts, your support matters, and there are concrete things you can do. Take any mention of suicide seriously, and ask directly and calmly whether they are thinking about suicide, asking does not plant the idea and often brings relief that someone noticed. Listen without judgment or trying to fix it, and let them know you care and that help is available. If they are in immediate danger, call 988 or 911 and stay with them, and help reduce access to anything they could use to harm themselves. Encourage them toward professional help and offer to help them take the step, whether that is calling 988, contacting a provider like Quest, or going to an emergency room. You do not have to have the perfect words; staying present, taking it seriously, and connecting them to help is what counts.
Quest Wellness Center accepts most commercial PPO plans with out-of-network benefits, and we verify your coverage before treatment begins. What you pay depends on your plan, deductible, and coinsurance. Call (818) 275-9810 or verify your insurance to get exact numbers for your plan. If you are in crisis, please reach 988 or 911 first; insurance is never a barrier to immediate safety.
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Reach out for support this moment: call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, free and confidential, 24/7. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. You are not alone, and trained counselors are ready to help right now.
Yes. Suicidal ideation is almost always a symptom of a treatable condition like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or trauma. Treating that underlying condition, through therapy and often medication, typically reduces the thoughts. Most people find real relief with the right care.
Outpatient care fits when suicidal thoughts are present but you are not in immediate danger and do not have a plan or intent to act soon. If you are in acute crisis, a higher level of care is safer; call 988 or 911. Quest helps determine the right level with you at the start.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) have the strongest evidence. DBT was developed in part for chronic suicidal thoughts and self-harm, building skills to get through crises. Quest delivers these alongside medication and safety planning.
A safety plan is a personalized, written plan you build with a clinician to stay safe in difficult moments. It includes your warning signs, coping strategies, supportive people to contact, crisis numbers like 988, and steps to reduce access to means during high-risk periods. It is an evidence-based tool, updated over time.
Take it seriously, ask directly and calmly whether they are thinking about suicide, and listen without judgment. If they are in immediate danger, call 988 or 911 and stay with them. Encourage professional help and offer to help them take the step. Your presence and connection to help matter.
Yes. Quest provides outpatient treatment in person and through secure telehealth across California, so you can attend from home. For immediate crisis support, 988 is available by call or text any time, anywhere in the U.S. Call (818) 275-9810 to learn about ongoing care.
If you are in crisis, call or text 988 now. For ongoing outpatient treatment when you are safe, call Quest Wellness Center at (818) 275-9810 or verify your insurance
Marriage and Family Therapist Associate, MA
Medically reviewed by Verta Keshishyan, AMFT (Associate Marriage and Family Therapist), registered with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences and supervised by Ari Labowitz, LMFT. Verta has three years of experience with the Department of Mental Health supporting low-income families and families in crisis.
We specialize in treatments for mental health issues and co-occurring disorders.
We concentrate on mental health treatments and co-occurring conditions.
We provide a personalized approach to care.
We possess many years of relevant experience and a strong track record of success.
Our partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs provide choices for morning, afternoon, or evening sessions.
We offer case management grounded in clinical evidence.
Experience a secure setting that allows you to concentrate on healing and maintaining a healthy way of life.
We provide opportunities to engage with individuals at every phase of recovery.
We accept most commercial PPO plans with out-of-network benefits. Coverage and costs vary by plan, and we verify your benefits before treatment.
Safety planning is a practical, collaborative tool that helps you stay safe during difficult moments, and it is part of care at Quest. Rather than a one-time promise, a safety plan is a personalized, written plan you build together with your clinician and update over time. It typically includes recognizing your own early warning signs, listing coping strategies that work for you, identifying people and places that provide distraction and support, writing down who to contact in a crisis including 988, and working with your clinician on reducing access to means of harm during high-risk periods.
The plan is yours, it is concrete, and it gives you specific steps to follow when thoughts intensify, so you are not facing those moments without a map. Safety planning is an evidence-based practice, and at Quest it is paired with the therapy and medication that treat the underlying condition, so you have both immediate tools and longer-term relief.
We accept most commercial PPO plans with out-of-network benefits. Coverage and costs vary by plan, and we verify your benefits before treatment.
