What is counseling?

Counseling-or psychotherapy-is a professional relationship with a therapist to help you with personal problems. The counseling relationship differs from both social friendships and traditional patient-doctor relationships. Rather than giving you specific advice, counselors serve as skilled listeners who help you clarify issues, discover wishes and explore feelings, which can help you deal more effectively with your problems.

Isn't it better for me to solve problems on my own?

A counselor doesn't solve your problems for you. Rather, he or she helps you clarify issues so you can solve problems on your own. The goal of counseling is to make you more self-sufficient, not more dependent.

How does counseling help?

Counseling offers us the opportunity to identify the factors that contribute to difficulties and to deal effectively with the psychological, behavioral, interpersonal and situational causes of those difficulties. Some of the most common issues for which people come to counseling include:

Individual Therapy Group Therapy Marriage / Couples Counseling Family Therapy Parenting Issues Types of Issues Childhood Issues ADHD Sibling Rivalry Adolescent Problems Substance Abuse (youth and adult)

Parenting Skills Family Conflict Resolution Communication Issues Marital Conflict Resolution Divorce Anxiety Depression Bi-Polar Stress Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Christian Counseling

What are some myths about counseling?

Counseling is a sign of weakness: Nothing could be further from the truth. It takes courage to acknowledge a problem or difficulty. Entering counseling is an important first step in resolving the problem.

Counseling is only for people with serious emotional problems: Although counseling can be beneficial for people who do have serious emotional problems, it is also helpful for people with everyday concerns such as adjustment or phase of life issues.

Counseling is advice giving: By the time many people come to counseling, they have had more advice than they can handle. Counseling operates from the premise that the counselor is knowledgeable about the change process, but that you are the expert on your life. In some ways counseling is like working with a coach. You do the work, but by working with someone who has training and experience with facilitating positive change, you are likely to work more effectively and see results more quickly.

Counseling is a last resort: Most of us do not think that we have to experience a heart attack before we can see a doctor; it is OK to go if we merely have a sprained ankle. The same applies to counseling - you don't have to have the emotional equivalent of a heart attack to see a counselor. By working with a counselor you can often get back on track much faster and save yourself a lot of unnecessary distress.

Counseling is not confidential: Mental health professionals must maintain confidentiality except as authorized or required by law. Exceptions to confidentiality include: situations wherein you are a physical threat to someone else or yourself; there is suspected harm being done to a child, elder adult, or disabled individual; a judge provides a court order requiring that we release your records. You will, of course, be notified if your counselor is required to share information in any of these instances. Please feel free to ask your counselor about confidentiality laws.

All communication is confidential and your permission is necessary to release any information to outside persons except for the limitations required by the laws of the state of Texas. Exceptions to confidentiality may include (a) reasonable suspicion of incidents of child abuse or neglect, (b) incidents of elder abuse, (c) a determination that you are a danger to yourself or others, (d) collaborating with associates within this counseling group, (e) a request from you in writing, directing the counselor to give a specified individual or agency information, (f) the counselor is ordered by a court to disclose information or (g) in the event that your counselor is out of town and or otherwise unavailable and another professional is providing emergency care for his/her clients, then it is understood that this professional may need access to client files.