The American Counseling Association and the National Board to Certified Counselors have issued statements acknowledging that e-counseling and telephone counseling are valid and ethical. They have written some specific guidelines for practicing this type of counseling, and I have made every attempt to adhere to these guidelines on my website and in my practice with client.

I will also use my site to make clients and the public aware of any updates to these guidelines.

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Telephone counseling is also effective, although it doesn’t allow us to see visual cues. Counseling via e-mail is unique in that it gives both the client and the counselor more time to reflect on the problem and the response. This type of counseling works well for people who enjoy reading and writing and express themselves effectively with writing. In the past, people often sought support from each other through letters. It’s also nice because clients can keep the written responses and refer back to them at a later time.

Direct chat is in real time, more like a conversation. Direct chat counseling is accomplished using Yahoo! Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, Skype, or other service.

I offer each one of these types of counseling.

Click Here to find out more about each type of counseling, and the fees for each one.

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My website is also secure in the areas where you provide sensitive information. I will not release any client information to any outside party without a Release of Information from the client.

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The therapist must have the skills to address the issues presented by the client. A counselor should never attempt to address problems or issues for which he/she is not trained. I encourage clients to trust their feelings and instincts when choosing a counselor.

The relationship between a client and counselor is a professional one. It is not a friendship. The client must be as open and honest as possible with the counselor to ensure that the client receives the most benefit from counseling.

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• Symptoms of depression or anxiety (they often go together)
• Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder, including mania
• Difficulty stopping self-destructive behaviors
• Difficulty managing emotions and emotional pain
• Loss and the associated grief
• Difficulty coping with a traumatic event
• Relationship conflict or dissatisfaction
• Life transitions (divorce, “empty nest”, going back to school or work, etc)
• Problems with self-esteem/ self-image
• Problems being appropriately assertive
• Difficulty setting or reaching goals
• Finding meaning/ purpose

IMPORTANT: Certain problems and symptoms are not suited for treatment with online or telephone counseling. Some of these include active psychotic symptoms, schizophrenia, eating disorders,  dissociative disorders, some personality disorders, some sexual/gender identity disorders, current suicidal or homicidal thoughts, plans or intent to harm others.

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The length of therapy will depend on the complexity of the problems or symptoms presented by the client, as well as the client’s specific goals. I do not believe therapy needs to be a long-term endeavor. I tend to see the client-counselor relationship much like a student-teacher relationship.

One of my goals is to empower clients with skills and help them develop insight so they don’t need counseling anymore! Often, people experience distress or symptoms (i.e. anxiety, panic or depression) when they lack the skills they need to cope effectively with difficult situations or painful symptoms.

As stated above, clients may terminate therapy at any time. I do feel that a final session to wrap things up is very helpful.

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I won’t have to gather all of the information during your session. This information helps us to create a Treatment Plan that guides and focuses counseling, and ensures that you are able to address what is most important to you.

Online Counseling uses modern technology to help make professional mental health services more available to people who need them. While it is not exactly the same as traditional counseling, it does offer many benefits. It is a resource for people who live a long distance from a mental health professional or facility. People who have difficulty getting out due to illness , lack of transportation, or other problems can talk with a counselor from the comfort of their own home. It is very private, safe and discreet. There is no need to travel, and there is often much more flexibility in scheduling sessions. Online Counseling or telephone counseling is also often more affordable than traditional psychotherapy.

The Drawbacks:

One drawback with online counseling is that urgent crisis situations cannot be handled online. If a client is feeling suicidal or homicidal, help must be obtained through a local emergency resource such as the emergency room, 911, or the local mental health crisis line. There are also problems that are not suited for treatment with online counseling. E-Counseling is not appropriate for treating dissociative disorders, eating disorders, psychosis , or schizophrenia. There is also the possibility of technology failure or unavailability with online and telephone counseling. With telephone , e-mail and chat counseling, the inability to see each other and read visual cues can potentially lead to miscommunication.

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I help each client I work with to identify local resources in their community for help in the event of an emergency. If one of my clients is having difficulty, and it is not a life-threatening emergency, I do make every effort to schedule a session within 24 Hours.

1. Go to “Get Started” and complete the Intake, Privacy & Disclosure Forms.
2. Select the service you would like to purchase.
3. Proceed to checkout to pay for services. We will communicate either by telephone or e-mail to set up your first appointment. I make very attempt to contact and schedule new clients within 24 Hours.

We will communicate either by telephone or e-mail to set up your first appointment. I make very attempt to contact and schedule new clients within 24 Hours.

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