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What can I expect when I seek counseling from Soul Care Counseling and Consulting, PLLC?
When choosing Soul Care Counseling and Consulting, PLLC you can expect to have a free consultation to ask questions about therapy, discuss your difficulties, and discuss what you would like to achieve in therapy, before making a commitment to therapy.
The free consult allows me the opportunity to have a deeper understanding of your desired outcome in therapy. After the free consult, if you decide to move forward in therapy, you will set up with a client secure website, and be scheduled for an hour and a half intake. The client secure website is a HIPPA compliant, convenient way for you schedule appointments, make payments, complete journal entries, and send messages to me. You will get reminders of your appointments through the client secure portal.
During the intake, you will be asked about mental health symptoms, health history, social history, family history, and past psychiatric history. This allows me to assess your needs using a whole person concept to assist you in reaching your desired outcome.
After the intake, a treatment plan will be completed with evidenced-based interventions that will assist you in meeting your therapeutic goals. After the intake, you will schedule for 53-minute sessions. During these sessions, you will be asked to list some issues that you would like to address as part of the agenda and you will start learning the skills to manage your symptoms. My focus is on teaching skills that you can transfer to all aspects of your life to improve your mental wellness. My foundational therapeutic model is cognitive behavioral therapy, but I do tailor the interventions with several evidence-based interventions to assist you in meeting your specific outcome goals in therapy.
Keep in mind that the therapeutic relationship is a partnership, I am not an expert in your life, you are the expert. I consider myself a guide to assist you in getting to your destination.
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a short-term, evidence-based, therapeutic model of treatment that focuses on emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and outcomes. This model is effective in treating a range of issues using a structured treatment plan to streamline the focus to meet the client's specific mental wellness needs. You can expect to learn positive result-producing skills that you can apply throughout the course of your life. You will be assigned homework to practice the skills and report on your progress in the therapy session. The goal of CBT is to assist you in coping effectively, modulating your emotions, and challenging unhelpful thinking styles leading you to more favorable outcomes.
If I am seeking therapy, am I "crazy"?
You would be surprised how often I answer this question. This question is deep-seated in a history of mental health stigma and myths. We all could use a mental health check-up, just as we all need routine physical check-ups. Our brain is part of our body: mental health is part of our physical health. The majority of all people will experience some form of challenging circumstances in their lives that results in the need to seek a professional to assist in getting through the challenges and working toward the desired outcome. Most of the people I see in outpatient mental health therapy are high functioning individuals proactive in advocating for their own mental wellness. The definition of crazy is mentally deranged and wildly aggressive. I have yet to meet anyone that meets this criteria in all my years of counseling.
What is the therapist's qualifications and credentials?
My credentials are MS, LCMHCS, NCC. This means that I have a Master's of Science degree. I graduated with a Master's of Science in Mental Health Counseling from Capella University (a CACREP college) in 2009. CACREP is an accreditation that is recognized by the ACA and the U.S. Department of Education which means that the college met stringent national standards. I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor. This means that I meet the state requirements of the North Carolina Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Board. I have to maintain 45 hours of CEUs per each renewal period to maintain my license. The "S" at the end of LCMHCS means that I am a supervisor. I have met time requirements and have taken a 45-hour course to become a supervisor for licensed clinical mental health associates trying to become fully licensed clinical mental health counselors. The NCC means that I have met the qualifications for the National Board of Certified Counselors. This is the premium standard for counselors as this is voluntary and has the highest level of standards for the practice of counseling.
