FAQs
- Those living in rural areas with limited counseling options
- Urban dwellers who want to avoid the mad traffic and long commutes to a therapist office
- Professional women with busy work schedules who don’t have the time to take off of work
- Those living abroad
- Busy working moms with busy kids doing many extracurricular activities
- Individuals who have physical or emotional challenges leaving their home
- Those who have a device with video and secure internet connection
No, video counseling probably isn’t for you. Since we’ll be engaging in “distance counseling,” it’ll be difficult for me to respond quickly and effectively during a crisis. Some situations such as experiencing a mental health crisis are more beneficial if you meet with your therapist in person. Therefore, video counseling is not recommended if you are experiencing any of the following:
- Suicidal or homicidal thoughts
- Hallucinations
- Delusions
Don’t worry if you’re still not sure if you’re a good fit for video counseling. We’ll talk about what’s going on, and determine if this is right for you. If not, I’ll be happy to provide you with some resources to help.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800.273.TALK (8255)
Domestic Violence Hotline: 800.799.SAFE
Crisis Text Line: Text NAMI to 741-741
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800.656.HOPE (4673)
It’s natural to feel nervous about starting something new, especially when that something new is counseling. I hope to put your fears at ease and make you feel comfortable as we establish rapport and get to know each other. In our first session, we’ll go over paperwork such as confidentiality, scheduling, and procedures to ensure our sessions run smoothly. We’ll talk about the issues that brought you to therapy and your expectations. It usually takes two sessions or a 90-minute intake session to gather all of the important information needed to develop a deeper understanding of the issue and set some goals.
Coaching and counseling are similar in that they both connect you with a professional to support your wellness and growth, but there are significant differences, especially in their training, techniques, and outcomes.
The following distinctions* may help make this clear:
Therapy is about healing; Coaching is about achievement
Therapy is about understanding; Coaching is about action
Therapy is about safety; Coaching is about momentum
Therapy is about progress; Coaching is about performance
Therapy is about protecting; Coaching is about attracting
Therapy is about resolving; Coaching is about creating
Therapy is about getting closure; Coaching is about creating new openings
Counseling aka therapy helps people address and resolve problems that make them feel bad emotionally or impair their ability to function well. The person must work through and resolve the problem if they want to make a significant improvement in their lives. She or he can start taking action to change their circumstances once she or he feel stronger and more confident.
Coaching helps people who are highly functioning and emotionally well develop practical skills, define goals, develop a plan of actions, and use strategies until they achieve the desired outcome. Coaching works well with people who understand their issues and know exactly what they want but don’t know how to get there. It is short-term and action-oriented.
Counselors are required by law to have at least a Master’s degree in a counseling-related field and receive hundreds of hours of training and supervised practice. A coach is not required to have any training or education although some choose to go through a life coach training program or become board certified, while others rely on their expertise in a particular area.
When deciding you’re ready to make a change, you’ll get the best of both worlds when working with me – the education, training, and experience of a counselor combined with the action-oriented approach of a coach. During your free initial consultation, we’ll discuss whether counseling or coaching is the best way for you to experience change.
*distinctions created by Dr. Philip E. Humbert, Ph.D.