Good Psychiatrist at Kaiser for suicidal friend

An adult person I know is on the verge of suicide. He just got coverage by Kaiser; does anyone know of a really good psychiatrist in Kaiser Richmond or Oakland? This person is reluctant to try therapy because he has tried several time in past and didn't help, including meds, however, may be able to get them to try again. Looking for a therapist who will not just prescribe pills but get to the root of the problem, hopefully. Thanks for ANY suggestions. Extremeley Concerned

As for psychiatrists, I highly recommend Dr. Anne Menahemy. She's so much more than a drug prescriber! She actually listens. She is warm, thoughtful, conscientious and really goes out of her way to help her patients. She is not quick to prescribe medicine. She will tell all the pros and cons of a medication if she really thinks it could help.

I also wanted to recommend the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). I can't say enough about this amazing program. It meets for three hours, three days a week and your friend will have a whole team of caring therapists to work with him through this hard time. I realize a group setting might be too much at first... but that high level of attention, through one-on-one visits, group therapy and an educational approach saved my life.

The psych department at Kaiser Richmond also has great education programs too. (not health ed - those are different)

You are good to ask about this for your friend's sake. I wouldn't be here if a similar friend hadn't helped me make that first appointment. anon

I was seriously clinically depressed & suicidal when I first saw her & she got me out of that quite quickly. The lower grade chronic depression and mood instability I have is much trickier to treat & we're still working on that. My particular genetic (& permanent, I'll be on meds for the rest of my life) mood disorder is known to be difficult to treat & mine has proved to be especially difficult. She's the first doc who's ever said to me ''I can get you through this & out the other side'', & based on my experience so far, I believe her.

She's difficult to get in to see, she's one of the docs to whom difficult cases are referred, & she's been out on an extended emergency leave for several weeks so is probably going to be especially backed up when she returns to work next weeek. I had to pretty much insist on her & then wait 6-8 (I don't remember exactly) for a first appointment. If your friend can get an appointment with her & IF he can hold on for a few weeks, I highly recommend her.

If he can get an appt with Jeanne but is so seriously suicidal that he can't safely wait a few weeks, then he might try to get in to see Dr. Adam Travis at Kaiser Union City while he's waiting for Jeanne. I don't know if they'd let him make appts with two different doctors at the same time at Oakland (each Kaiser has its own set of protocols), but I'm pretty sure that he can make one there & one at a different facility (don't ask, just try to do it- I have).

Adam is a lovely person & a very competent psychiatrist, not as experienced or creative as Jeanne is, & when I got in serious difficulty I needed more help than he was able to give. But like I said, my case is especially difficult. He won't be offended if your friend wants to use him as a stop-gap, & in my experience it's easier to get in to see a psychiatrist at Union City than in Oakland.

But- if he needs to see someone NOW, if he can't wait more than a few days without being in real danger of killing himself, then he needs to say that loud & clear when he calls Kaiser, and he needs to insist on seeing someone right away. ANY psychiatrist is better than none if you're ready to jump off a bridge.

He's not going to get more than group therapy at Oakland. They will probably want him to go to their depression group which is cognitive therapy. My opinion, from my own experience, is that although cog ther can be very useful for people with mild to moderate depression, especially if it's situational, it's not appropriate for someone who is clinically & suicidally depressed. The reason I think that is because a big part of cog ther is doing little exercises, & when a person is to the point of being suicidal they're usually literally incapable of doing things like that, & it can become more evidence to them that they're a hopeless failure.

Everyone's different & maybe he wouldn't feel that way about it but I'd suggest he consider maybe holding off on doing the group until he's in better shape. Kaiser will push him to do it right away, cog ther people are totally convinced that it works for anyone & everyone.

Jeanne Leventhal has a very upfront personality, which I really like, but it's possible that some people might find her a bit abrasive. Don't let that fool you, she really cares about her patients. Anon

Looking for a Richmond Kaiser psychiatrist

Hello - I'm looking for recommendations for the following Richmond Kaiser pyschiatrists for treatment of long-term chronic depression: Fuensanta Botello, Christopher Eaton and Anne Marie Menahemy. Thank you very much. anon

Therapist/psych for alternative meds

If by any chance you have Kaiser, I work with an excellent psychiatrist there who is very knowledgeable about alternative treatments as well as conventional ones. He is Rafael Gray, 415-833-3181.

I take medication, which I am comfortable with and has saved my life, and I also take some supplements that he has recommended which do have benefits for me. I asked him once if he ever used only alternative treatments, and he said he has with patients who were completely anti-medication. He is a non-nonsense guy who can come across as abrupt, but from 2 years of working with him I know that he is not only very knowledgeable, but also very compassionate. He returns my calls the same day (or the next day that he is in his office), and he even answers his own phone!

During long years of battling depression, I tried many alternative treatments, including homeopathy but not biofeedback, and none of them helped me. So eventually I got over my fears of medication, went through many trials, and finally found a combo of drugs that works for me.

I like to encourage people to stay open-minded all around- to alternative as well as conventional treatments, but to not give up on conventional treatments. It can take a lot of persistence to hang in there with drug trials and side effects, and you must work with someone who you trust and can communicate well with. I have a friend who has been experiencing terrible depression for the last 2 years as he has bounced from one alternative therapy to another. It pains me to watch him. I have much understanding and empathy from my own experience, and I know how hard it can be to trust and be rational when depression has you in its grip.

Psychiatric services at Kaiser for 10 year old

I am interested in seeking psychiatric services for my 10 year old son. Smart but unmotivated, feels inadequate, fearful, opositional behavior at home and at school, etc. We have Kaiser and I'd like to hear from parents who have had experience from any of the following Kaiser psychiatrists: Harold Bornstein, Michael Wymes, Virginia Wolfe, Robin Asher, Alexander Tribe Thanks! su

Psychiatrist for Medication management

I'd appreciate recommendations on psychiatrists at Kaiser Oakland to do medication management. I see a therapist out of the Kaiser network, but she is not an M.D. Modification of antidepressent medication is not a topic I feel my Kaiser internist would know that much about.

Family Psychiatry, Oakland Kaiser