Common Questions About Counseling

What is counseling?

Counseling is designed to help people solve problems in living, by making changes in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. People generally use counseling when other efforts have not brought them the desired results.

Who uses counseling?

All kinds of people. Everyone faces problems throughout their lives. No one easily solves all of their problems. Today it is even harder because we live in such a complex and demanding society. Sometimes our coping skills can get overwhelmed, leading to symptoms of distress in various forms, including physical.

What are the goals of counseling?

It varies for people. Sometimes it is to relieve crisis, to find better problem solving approaches for everyday conflicts, and often people are looking for personal growth in areas such as self-esteem, happier marriages, a closer relationship with God, and discerning a career choice.

How does counseling work?

There are several ways you can increase the benefits of our work:

Challenge yourself to talk about the things you find hardest to discuss. What you want to discuss least, is probably what we need to discuss most.
Honesty with me and yourself, is essential. Being dishonest in counseling is like asking a surgeon to operate wearing a blindfold.
Do the homework assignments. Making change in your thoughts, feelings or behavior, requires practice outside of our session.
Set realistic and measurable goals. Change is a process that takes time.
Preparing for your session will allow you to optimize your results and our time together. Ask yourself: what do I want to get out of our time together today?
Commit to regular sessions until you feel you are progressing.

Discuss with me when you feel the need to take a break from counseling, or terminate. It is my goal to establish a long term relationship with you, so that as you go through life, and feel a need for additional help along the way, you can call me as you need me.

When you learn to end things well with me, this translates to healthier endings with other areas of your life.

Is counseling confidential?

What we discuss is protected by law as confidential communication. Information is not released without your written permission. There are some circumstances which create an exception to this. They are as follows:

Suspected child abuse, dependent adult or elder abuse. I would be required by law to report this to authorities.
If you are threatening harm to another person, I would have to notify the police as well as the person you are threatening to harm.
If you are intending to harm yourself, I would make every effort to insure your safety, but without your cooperation, further steps would be taken without your permission, to assure your safety.

What are some of the benefits of counseling?

Replacing unhealthy behaviors with new healthy behaviors.
Improved self-awareness and insight.
Learning new skills for coping with stress, depression and anxiety.
New problem solving skills.
Increasing your listening and communication with others.
Managing anger and moods more effectively.
Finding a place of peace within, and self-esteem.
Finding more joy and increasing your quality of life.