FreQuently Asked questions

Individual sessions are about 45 minutes in length. The number of sessions will vary per client and is dependent on each person's individual situation. Treatment and progress evaluation is an on-going process. When to end therapy will be a decision determined between you and the counselor.

Information you share in session will be kept confidential. However, there are a few limits to the confidentiality.

The law protects the relationship between a client and a counselor, and information cannot be disclosed without written permission.

Exceptions include:

• Suspected child abuse or dependent adult or elder abuse, for which I am required by law to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.
• If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person(s), I must notify the police and inform the intended victim.
• If a client intends to harm himself or herself, I will make every effort to enlist their cooperation in insuring their safety. If they do not cooperate, I will take further measures without their permission that are provided to me by law in order to ensure their safety.

Counseling has both benefits and risks. Risks may include experiencing uncomfortable feelings, such as sadness, guilt, anxiety, anger, frustration, loneliness, and helplessness because the process of counseling often requires discussing the unpleasant aspects of your life.

However, counseling has been shown to have benefits for individuals who undertake it. Counseling often leads to significant reduction in feelings of distress, increased satisfaction in interpersonal relationships, greater personal awareness and insight, increased skills for managing stress, and resolutions to specific problems. But, there are no guarantees about what will happen.

Counseling requires a very active effort on your part. In order to be the most successful, you will have to work on things we discuss outside of sessions.

No. You will be met where you are at and specifically address issues that you may be facing.