I went here in an adult PhP and IOP program about a year ago. Both of these programs use DBT, dialectical behavioral therapy. The PHP was not a good experience, I would rate it a two (at least nothing too traumatic happened while here unlike a few times I was in a full time psych ward, and you can go home to your loved ones at night). Nobody was able to drive me, so I had to drive myself from Federal Way to Bellevue, both ways, for starters. Then when I got there, they do not let ADULTS entering the program use the restroom unsupervised unless they have special medical needs. They called it an "incentive" to advance in the program, but the only thing I found motivating about that was the motivation to drink LESS water. I am an older adult and have issues such as arthritis and weak knees that made it very difficult to participate in the group art therapy and group yoga. While you are in Thira programs, they insist that you use only their therapists. You are assigned to one main therapist, and mine was wonderful. The way the DBT was taught really was not helpful. They used a ton of acronyms and skipped all around in the workbook. When one asked about the ones we did not know, we were told that we would learn about those later. Not a good way to be introduced to it. The PHP was also a huge overload of information, like taking a full time college load of 15 credits all dedicated to DBT. You got the impression some group leaders did not want to be there. By stark contrast, the adult iOP was wonderful. This was all done via Telehealth so no exhausting commute. We formed a wonderful support group while learning about DBT, I only wish I could have located some of the contact info of former group members to keep in touch after the program. The reviews above mentioned pricing: yes, expect to pay around $3k here, and if you miss a session without pre approval that day is out of your own pocket since insurance does not cover missed appointments. It is on par with rehab centers, but is still less expensive than a hospital stay with a bed. Your cost out of pocket also depends on your insurance coverage, so ask questions about the price BEFORE insurance. They can only guess and give averages of insurance, so ask your insurance company instead. read more

I would not recommend THIRA Health based on our family's experience. My daughter entered this program needing significant mental health support, and she left in a worse condition than when she arrived. The lack of communication and coordination of care was shocking and inexcusable. Throughout her time there, it was nearly impossible to reach anyone. Phone calls always unanswered, including attempts to contact her doctors and therapist via phone or email. As a parent trying to understand my child's treatment and participate in her care, this was incredibly concerning. I also had serious concerns about the amount of medication she was receiving and the new medication she was placed on. These concerns were not simply my opinion--the medication issues and her condition were subsequently documented in her medical care by Seattle Children's as alarming. The kept increasing her anti-depressants and even adding anti-psychotics. There were also serious problems regarding supervision and safety. Despite having an approved contact list, my daughter was allowed to communicate with individuals who were not on that list and UNSAFE. For a child receiving intensive mental health treatment, I expected established safety boundaries and approved-contact restrictions to actually be followed. There was also a verbal altercation involving my child and a staff member. Rather than helping de-escalate the situation, the staff member's interaction made the situation worse. I was told by the therapist that the staff member was in my child's face screaming at her and that the incident was under review but it was that staff members fault. There are vulnerable children here. Staff should be trained to de-escalate difficult situations rather than contribute to their escalation. What was even more alarming was what happened when she ultimately required a higher level of care. Seattle Children's attempted multiple times to obtain information from THIRA & was not able to get a response. When my daughter was transported from THIRA to Seattle Children's by ambulance, Seattle Children's did not receive any information explaining what had happened or why she was being sent there! I was contacted by Seattle Children's and asked to explain the situation further. I could not believe that the hospital receiving my child from a mental health treatment program was having to ask ME what had happened because they had not received the necessary information from the facility sending her. Thira only told me she "had to leave and receive a higher level of care". Then hung up! My daughter stated staff and the program also made her uncomfortable. I additionally had significant concerns about the therapist assigned to my daughter and whether her qualifications and experience were appropriate for the level and complexity of care my daughter required. In my opinion, she was not qualified in any way. Families place an enormous amount of trust in a mental health facility when they send their children there. Communication between the treatment team, parents, and other medical providers is not optional--it is fundamental to safe patient care. The same is true of appropriate supervision, adherence to established safety restrictions, medication management, and proper de-escalation by staff. Our experience with THIRA was deeply disappointing and frightening. My daughter did not improve there. She left worse than when she entered, and I would never send my child back to this program. By the way, my insurance was billed $84,000 for the 3 week stay. I would expect a much more robust program centered around safety with qualified providers and staff. My daughter left a lot worse than when she entered. I highly recommend Paradigm in Idaho. huge success with their program. I plan on filing a formal complaint with the state. read more

Not willing to make accommodations for those with special needs. My daughter is autistic and she was denied help because they will not take into consideration her special needs. Not an acceptable place at all! read more

I lasted one day at THIRA before I knew it wasn't the right program for me. Maybe some people need more time to make an informative decision but I knew almost immediately that THIRA was not a good fit and had some major red flags. For reference, I was in the Adult PHP ED cohort despite not having an ED. During my intake, I mentioned low self-esteem and previous disordered eating behaviors from when I was younger so I guess they thought it made sense and I agreed to it. I don't know how different the MH cohort is but according to them it's very similar. The ED side just gets a dietician, more meals covered, and a few different groups. To be fair, everyone at THIRA was generally nice. My issue is the lack of training and experience among the (very young) staff, the lack of individualized care, and the rules that seem more about control than about therapy. Nearly all the mental health "technicians" looked no more than 22. You can tell that none of them have actually received more than maybe a week of THIRA-sponsored training, or at best went to undergrad for general psychology. When the individual teaching a skills group mentions that they "didn't even know what DBT was until they started working there," that's a red flag. I'm a grown woman in my thirties, yet I could not even take a piss without being supervised by a some kid. It's dehumanizing. I could not do anything without permission unless I advance up their "level system" which is very reminiscent of those WWASPS programs that are notoriously abusive. Much of THIRA reminded me of that system actually and I'm speaking from experience as I was in one as a minor. It's the reason I struggle so much internally today which led me to seek out a DBT-based program in the first place. (Watch the new Netflix documentary The Program for some more insight into that industry). THIRA obviously didn't match that level of abuse but it was a bit too close for comfort, especially with the unnecessary rules, structure, and unqualified staff. I wasn't about to stick around and find out what else this program had in common with those ones, and I'm genuinely concerned for the teen and residential side of THIRA where they can't leave as easily as I did. The individual care I received compared to what I was told I would get was not aligned. "Therapy" was supposed to be an hour. It was maybe 30 minutes. I explained some of my reasons for seeking out treatment and while my therapist seemed caring, she only took notes and we did no actual therapeutic work. Instead the session was ended early and I was scurried off back to group (which is just worksheets and informal discussion with the "technicians"). My therapist was a 25 yo with a new social work degree. She seemed nice and I think she'd be great for the teen cohorts or very young adults. But I've been in therapy my entire adult life exclusively with psychologists, so this just wasn't sufficient for me. I know she was being supervised but when I asked if I could work with anyone with at the doctorate-level there was hesitation. Eventually they did work that out but by then I had already decided it was not a good fit. My psychiatrist was an actual MD which was refreshing because at that point I was expecting to just get a nurse practitioner. Unfortunately I still ran into some issues. I was told my appointment with her was supposed to be 90 minutes but again it was only 30. I explained my TRD and that I have tried several psychiatric medications throughout my life. The biggest reason I enrolled at THIRA is because my depression had gotten so bad that I recently ODed on my psychiatric medication which landed me in the ICU. I explained this to her and that through this experience it was discovered that my years of SSRI use led to medication-induced psychosis so I had to come off of them. Her response? To diagnose me with depression with psychosis (despite the psychosis being from SSRIs and this diagnosis previously being rescinded) and the suggestion to try a new medication. All within 30 minutes of meeting. I was disappointed to say the least. I expressed my concerns to the program staff after that first day and they did admittedly try to help a little by switching me over to the MH cohort and assigning me to a psychologist. Ultimately, it just wasn't enough to convince me to stay. Despite being in the program for only ONE day, they follow a strict policy of charging you out-of-pocket for three days after. So this program is costing me thousands of dollars for one ineffective day of treatment and to essentially be left re-traumatized by the system and even more hopeless about getting the care I need than I was before. My recommendation? Buy the DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets by Linehan for under $40 on Amazon (which THIRA will charge you $55 for if you lose) and seek out an individual DBT therapist to help you work through the book on a personalized-level. You'll save money and keep your sanity. read more

They listened to all my concerns and had the perfect program for me. The location worked out perfectly for me.

THANK YOU for being there in a time of need! And for taking insurance! It is clear the staff cares.

My daughter went through a 1 month program (they tried selling her 6 weeks). Before she enrolled, we had an interview with a Thira rep. The interviewer was positive that after insurance the total amount will not exceed $1350 for a 30 day program. She also said everything is covered by your insurance, don't worry. Well, we heard from the billing today that after insurance, our share is more than $2000! Then the billing lady says "If insurance doesn't approve anything, you are responsible." Hello! Why did the interviewer not say this to us? When I asked this from the billing lady, she hung up on me! Nice. I thought they treat mental health problems. By hanging up on customers, they are causing mental health issues. My daughter also said, her requests were often dismissed during the program she attended. read more

I believe they do some things well. But if your child is not ready to control their ineffective behaviors *during* the program, they seem ill-equipped to deal with it. They have a very narrow allowance for mistakes, and seemed to expect full compliance with the program (participation, eating a certain amount---regardless of whether you are in the ED program). I liked the parent support group, and think DBT skills are useful and some of the therapists seem well meaning and skilled. But they are quick to discharge if a child is not following all rules, so your child has now "failed" a program, and they provide no transition recommendations, discharge plan, or parent support after doing so. They also insisited I come in same day to discuss a behavioral plan despite my work schedule and a request to make a meeting the next day. Make sure this program is the right fit for your child before proceeding. read more

Yes, I would see how thira would help some people. At first, when I was at their residential I felt welcomed and safe, the staff and patients were very nice(mostly because there were only 2 of us). As I got more into the program I started to see a lot of big flaws. I felt that when we started to get more people admitted, the staff seemed stressed, not knowing how to take care of that many people. At Thira in their residential, they have 2 nurses at all times, for the majority of the time they were pretty nice, but I can not say that they were understanding or validating. I have some health conditions that cause recurrent fainting spells that are triggered by stress. While I was at Thira I was extremely stressed, so I was passing out a lot more. At first, the nursing team was very accommodating, then I started passing out almost every day if not twice a day, when this started happening more the nurses just kinda stopped caring, as well as the other staff. They all brushed it off like it was nothing. One day I was having an anxiety attack about eating, I felt a fainting spell coming on, and earlier that morning I was told by the head of nursing that if I felt like I was going to pass out I needed to lay down so I don't get hurt. I guess the nursing decided to not inform the other staff members about this. So when I was at lunch and started having a panic attack I got up and tried to lay on the floor. The staff started yelling at me, due to how you are supposed to get out of your seat during meals. The communication between staff members was so very insufficient. Another time that I passed out I was told by the other patients that the diet tech indeed failed to call nursing and I was left on the ground unconscious for a good amount of time. I had been asked by staff members if I was faking. As you might think feels so very invalidating. To add to these bad staff encounters, there were a good few traumatic moments with a few staff members, one including a staff member yelling at all of us in the bathroom, saying how rude and brattie we were being, and how we should speech to adults that way. This caused a pretty bad panic attack from a patient with passed trauma. There was also a time when one of the staff members was eating food that a patient was allergic to, even just being near this food could give them an extreme reaction, and we said to the staff member that she was allergic and the staff member made a snarky comment and brushed it off as if it was no big deal. About a week before my discharge date things started to get more and more strict, normally after night hygiene we would get 30 minutes of downtime every night to watch TV, play games, and just act like normal kids for a little bit. They slowly but surely started to take away more and more downtime til we had none. It felt more like a hospital than a facility to help kids get better. I can see how this would work for adults, but this was not a good fit for kids. read more

The worst place to work for and the worst place to trust with your mental health! Not only are patients charged $950 PHP / $350 IOP for being absent (no matter the excuse) but they have a high turn over rate because of their lack of trust and respect for their employees. Go somewhere else and thank me later. read more

to be honest this place was a great experience for me. Yes, it is a bit challenging to to adapt to a PHP program because it is so different from your everyday life. The staff was very welcoming and was always willing to help. I loved being on the 7th floor on the weekends because everything was in one room. read more

Somehow a Google Review appeared from my account, with a 5 star rating. I NEVER posted that rating. There is not an atom in my body that enjoyed my 14 week period at Thira. I was tricked into "voluntary" admission, and was unable to leave the program when I wanted to (which was immediately). I disagreed with the majority of the methods used, and was never respected in what I knew about myself. I was wrongly diagnosed, put on extremely strong medications that made my recovery so much more difficult after leaving. Only once I was leaving did ONE staff member tell me that things "would change"... I doubt they have. DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILDREN HERE. read more

I was a patient here a few years ago as a teenager (the Bellevue one) and it was a horrible experience. My recommendation is DO NOT GO HERE IF YOU SUFFER FROM AN EATING DISORDER. It's a mediocre facility otherwise, but they were absolutely horrible for me with anything related to my ed. I was asked if I developed one because I was too lazy to exercise by my therapist (Emily if you're out there this one is for you), and whenever I was struggling with it they were no help (if they didn't make it worse). I can only hope that they have improved, but I doubt it if that's how horrible it was. I even had to convince another patient to have lunch rather than fast, and they didn't understand why this was difficult for me. I was there for depression and bipolar, and I shudder to think about how it would have gone if I was there specifically to treat my eating disorder. I honestly can't even recommend them for those issues either. If you want to read out of a textbook of DBT skills for every group, this place is for you but if not please look elsewhere. read more