Asha Clinic
Suicide Care at UVM Health
If you or someone you care about is struggling with thoughts of suicide, help is available. The Asha Clinic at University of Vermont Health provides specialized, evidence-based outpatient care for adults experiencing:
- Suicidal thoughts
- Suicidal behaviors
- A recent suicide attempt or suicidal crisis
- Mental health conditions associated with increased suicide risk
Our team offers compassionate, individualized treatment focused on recovery, quality of life and hope.
If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, you can receive immediate mental health care:
- Howard Center’s Mental Health Urgent Care (MHUC) located at 1 South Prospect Street, Burlington, VT
- Call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- Call 911
- Go to your nearest emergency department
The Asha Clinic is not a crisis hotline and does not provide emergency services.
Our Approach
At the Asha Clinic, we treat suicidal thoughts and behaviors as a primary health concern, not simply a symptom of another condition.
Our care is centered on Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (BCBT), proven treatment designed specifically to reduce suicide risk. BCBT helps you:
- Create a personalized crisis response plan
- Recognize warning signs and triggers
- Build skills to manage intense emotions and distress
- Challenge patterns of thinking that contribute to hopelessness
- Strengthen resilience and support long-term recovery
Your care team may include psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors and psychiatrists.
They explained coping mechanisms in a way that was professional yet felt like a regular conversation. I felt very comfortable speaking about things and received lots of helpful advice.
What to Expect
BCBT typically takes place over 6 to 12 sessions. Treatment focuses on helping you stay safe, build coping skills and move toward recovery.
We work together to create a personalized crisis response plan based on your experiences and needs. You’ll learn to recognize warning signs and develop practical strategies for managing difficult emotions and high-risk situations.
Together, we identify and challenge thoughts and beliefs that may contribute to hopelessness, despair or increased suicide risk. You’ll develop healthier ways to cope with stress and life's challenges.
You'll practice using the skills you've learned, prepare for future stressors and develop a plan for maintaining progress and support ongoing wellness.
Additional Treatment Options
Some patients may benefit from other evidence-based therapies in addition to BCBT. Treatment recommendations are based on your individual needs, goals and experiences.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is an evidence-based treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It helps you identify and challenge beliefs related to trauma that may contribute to guilt, shame, emotional distress or hopelessness.
Prolonged Exposure (PE) helps you gradually face trauma-related memories, thoughts and situations that you may have been avoiding. This structured approach can reduce PTSD symptoms and improve confidence in managing difficult emotions.
Written Exposure Therapy (WET) is a brief PTSD treatment that uses structured writing exercises to help process traumatic experiences and reduce the impact of trauma-related symptoms.
Research and Innovation
The Asha Clinic is closely connected to STRENGTHENS, an active research program focused on developing and improving treatments that prevent suicidal behavior and support long-term recovery.
Our clinicians work alongside researchers to ensure patients receive care informed by the latest scientific evidence. This partnership helps advance suicide prevention treatment while improving outcomes for the people and communities we serve.
Locations near you
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1 South Prospect Street
Burlington, VT 05401-3456
