Frequently Asked Questions

Many people think that in order to come to counseling a person must have serious problems in their life. That can be true, but many times people come to counseling to get a new perspective in their life. You may be going through a new phase in your life, or having problems with a close relationship, or you just want to simply problem-solve a difficult situation. The idea of counseling is to have a third party who is outside of your circle of friends and family who can give you an objective, new perspective on life. Sometimes having an outside person give feedback to a problem can help bring a new understanding to old problems.

As therapists we are trained in developmental stages of children, developmental stages of marriages, good communication techniques, parenting issues, relationship functioning, trauma issues, depression and anxiety, and much more. This perspective of knowledge and training is helpful because we can recognize quickly how to make things better in a relationship. All kinds of people from all walks of life seek counseling everyday in order to make the most of their lives.

As you can imagine, this answer varies from person to person because each person has varying problems and complexities. Some issues only take a few sessions to problem-solve, others need deep work and can take months. However, at the first session we will talk in-depth about what you are wanting to accomplish and our counselor will give you an estimate of how long it will take based on your specific circumstances. It is unethical for us to keep you in treatment longer than what you need, so we will be constantly evaluating our effectiveness to make sure that you are continually growing and learning during treatment.

This will be entirely your decision. We recognize that in order to come to a counselor you must first and foremost be comfortable with the person. If you are not comfortable, you will not want to disclose personal information or want to enter into a trusting relationship. This is the nature of counseling. We have experience working with people from all walks of life, all kinds of backgrounds, and all kinds of belief systems. We work hard at remaining open and understanding of individuals and their circumstances. However, we also do not pretend that we will be able to counsel everyone who walks through our doors. Our feelings are not hurt if you tell us that you think that you would be better served by someone else. We will discuss together what you are looking for and we can make recommendations of other qualified professionals to help you on your journey. If we are not right for you, we will help you find someone who is a better match for you.

Everything you say in counseling is confidential. What this means is that we will not be talking about you to anyone else without your permission. It also means that because we live in a small community and we may see you on the street, we will ignore you. This is not because we are rude, but rather because we are respectful that if you are with other people and we say “hello” you will be forced to explain who we are. If you come talk to us, we will talk and be friendly, but we are wanting to protect your right to confidentiality.

However, you must also be aware that by law we are required to discuss a few things if they come up in session. If we find out that you are aware of any child who is being abused in any kind of way, we have to report that abuse to the Department of Human Services. If you tell us about elder abuse or a disabled person being abused, we will report that as well. If you tell us that you are going to commit suicide and we think that threat is very serious, we will call the police. If you tell us that you are going to kill someone else, or if someone is going to kill you, again, we will call the police.

Obviously, all of these circumstances are meant to protect people from harm. But many things can be said inside a counseling session that will never be spoken outside the office walls again. For that reason, we believe that counseling and counseling rooms are a sacred space. There have been secrets told to us in counseling that has been the first time that a person has been able to utter the words. It is for this reason we take confidentiality very seriously.

Every therapist has their own personality, but our style is relaxed, open and flexible. That is usually how our sessions are as well. We will be working on goals that we have set, but will also be checking in with what is on your mind and heart on that particular day. Sometimes our goals change based on new information or new perspectives.  We take you as you are and what is on your agenda to discuss. We use your information to guide my interventions to help you gain new understanding in your life. Our experience is quite broad and this gives us a depth of understanding that is unique. We have been working with families with serious chronic issues for years and have helped many to find more peace lives in their lives through our sessions.