Listed below are common questions that clients have asked about counseling/therapy:

What is counseling
      Counseling is a process in which a trained, emotionally uninvolved, professional person acts as a guide or catalyst in assisting the client to understand more clearly their motives, behaviors, and values, and hopefully to make more rational decisions about their lives. A counselor does not attempt to solve problems for you. They will provide you with insight and offer new ways of looking at your situation, allowing you to solve your problem. This process will vary depending on the personality and style of the counselor and client, and the particular problem the client is experiencing.

What types of credentials do counseling professionals have
      While there are many counseling professionals that fall under the mental health category, their training and credentials are distinct. Listed below are the primary mental health professionals and their credentials:

1. Psychologists: hold a Ph.D., Psy.D., or Ed.D. Their training typically includes 4-7 years of graduate course work, an internship, and dissertation. They usually specialize in clinical or counseling psychology. Most states require psychologist to take a credentialing examination.

2. Social Workers: hold a MSW (Master of Social Work) or CSW (Certified Social Worker) and have completed 2- years of graduate course work along with a supervised clinical internship. In addition, certified social workers have to pass a written examination.

3. Marriage and Family Therapist MFT: Hold a master’s degree or higher in marriage and family therapy and are licensed in most states as Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.

4. Mental Health Counselors usually have a master’s degree in counseling or other mental health related field and are licensed in most states as a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor.

What are there different types of counseling services
      Depending on your needs there are different counseling services.

1. Individual Counseling: This involves a one-on-one session between the counselor and client. These sessions are usually scheduled once or twice a week, depending on the severity of the client issue. The sessions usually last 50 minutes, giving the counselor the remainder of the hour to make notes that will assist in treatment planning.

Individual counseling is ideal for individuals who may not be comfortable working in a group setting or whose specific problem does not lend itself to a group environment. Occasionally, clients start individual counseling and move on to a counseling group after the initial crisis is resolved.

2. Couples Counseling: This particular type of counseling is effective for couples who are experiencing relationship difficulties. Couples counseling is also ideal for those who are considering marriage and want premarital counseling. In couples counseling, each person has the opportunity to express his or her feelings with the counselor. The goal of couples counseling is to identify the underlying issues in the relationship and instruct the couple on ways to improve their communication system and resolve conflict.

3. Family Counseling: Unlike couples counseling, a family counselor not only works with the couple, but also with the relationships between parents and children or any other family member that is a significant factor. Family therapy allows interaction among family members in a safe setting where they can express their feelings and explore family roles.

Due to other issues that may have been revealed during family counseling sessions, it is common for a family member to require personalized attention. If this does occur, the counselor will offer that person individualized counseling sessions.

4. Group Counseling: This type of counseling offers individuals the ability to increase their interpersonal skills and to develop social support networks. During group sessions, members share feelings, ideas, and situations with each other. Group counseling sessions are facilitated by a trained group counselor.

Most groups have a specific theme such as divorce or separation groups, women’s group, survivor groups, relationship groups, and weight loss groups. Group sessions generally last from 1 ½ to 3 hours, and meet once a week.

How long will it take before I start feeling better
      This is probably one of the most difficult questions to answer. Depending on your situation and its severity, the number of counseling sessions will vary. There are two distinct timetables for counseling. Short-term or brief counseling usually requires anywhere from 5- to- 25 sessions, while long-term counseling or therapy can range from 1 year and beyond. Whether you receive short-term or long-term counseling will depend on the nature of your problem and the your therapist’s counseling orientation. During your initial visit, it is often a good idea to find out about your therapist’s counseling orientation and whether they view your situation as requiring short-term or long-terms treatment.

During the counseling process, it is quite common for individuals to experience sadness, pain, guilt, anger, and a host of other emotions. Sometimes clients will leave feeling worse than they did prior to the session, and may not want to come back for future sessions. This is part of the therapeutic process, which occurs when client progress is being made. Remember, counseling is about identifying emotions, feelings, and behaviors and for some individuals they will re-experience feelings that they have packaged for many years. Therefore, it is a strong possibility that clients will encounter some of discomfort when talking about certain situations.

Remember, a good counselor does not attempt to solve your problems for you; they will act as a catalyst to help you solve your problems yourself.

Will anybody know that I am receiving counseling
      Nobody will know that you are going for counseling unless you decide to reveal that information. Professional therapists are guided by legal and ethical guidelines. Each state has its set of guidelines regarding confidentiality and when certain statements revealed in the session may needs to be reported. It is important that you ask your therapist about their responsibilities regarding limits of confidentiality.

How do I schedule an appointment with Personal Enrichment Counseling, Inc.
     It is easy as 1, 2, 3…You can give us a call at 718/291~4557 to schedule an appointment. Or if you have a specific question that you want answered, feel free to email your question to Ask Dr. Debi.

What are your fees
      Personal Enrichment Counseling, Inc, offers low cost counseling services to assist you with your needs.

Fees:
Individual Counseling: $100 session*
                                 $55 ½ hour session
*Pay in advance for 10 sessions, and get one free.

Couples Counseling: $125 a session*
*Pay in advance for 6 sessions, and get one free.

Family Counseling: $150 a session

***Payment Plans available.

We provide consulting services and crisis counseling for schools, police departments, and other emergency service departments. Please contact us to find out more about your consulting services.

Dr. Debi is available for workshop on the following topics:
1. Relationship Enrichment
2. Stress Management
3. Conflict Resolution
4. Organizational Stress Management

Please email Dr. Debi drdebi@counseling4wellness.com for more information.