Where does the arrow come from?

I come from a family of bow hunters (even learning myself) and my dad and brother have matching crossing arrow (making an X) tattoos. I was also completely drawn to the idea of arrows propelling us into a direction of life. 
My pastor recently preached that “Arrows are always intentional.” They know where they are aimed at. 

Does going to therapy mean I’m crazy?

No, it normally means you don’t want to get to the point of “crazy.” Also, that’s a stigma about mental health. Mental health is just as important as physical health. A list of common reasons people seek therapy is listed here:

How long will I have to go to therapy?

That’s solely up to the client. Some clients take a while to warm up to therapy, some are coming for situational issues, and some are coming for serious mental illness and trauma. Therapy requires you working & putting in effort. It requires you being motivated to change and try things differently, because I don’t go home with you at the end of the day. Many people complete therapy within 3-6 months if they’re committed. Others enjoy having someone unbiased to vent to and provide support for life changes for much longer amounts of time.

Are you going to make me (or my teen) take medication?

I cannot legally do this. I can suggest it only if I see that we are also working with clinical and chemical imbalances. However, I respect the client’s wishes and never push medication on them. I do have excellent psychiatrist referrals within the surrounding areas I can provide if desired.

Are you a doctor?

No. A psychiatrist is a doctor, an MD. They prescribe medication. A psychologist is a Ph.D or Psy.D in their field. They often have extra testing credentials or teach college professionally while seeing clients. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor. There is more about this in my About Me page.

What if I tried therapy in the past & it didn’t work?

The honest truth? I get several clients who admit to me that they weren’t committed to their therapy before and found it easy to blame on the counselor. However, maybe that counselor was not the right fit. Maybe you were not as motivated for change in your life as you are now. Or maybe you had a bad experience with a bad counselor. Every counselor is different like every doctor or lawyer or accountant. Please don’t label us all the same.

Are you a Christian counselor and will this affect my counseling?

Yes, I am a proud, born again Christian. However, I do not market myself as a Christian counselor. I don’t want to limit or reject any population who wants to seek help. Ethically, a counselor is to respect their client’s faith, politics, cultural differences, etc. I am not here to preach at you. I see several atheist and agnostic clients and treat and respect them just the same as I would a Christian client.
*In saying this, I will not betray not only my ethics or my faith and lie to a client when asked directly about my faith.

What if I don’t feel we are a good fit and want a different therapist?

I am always happy to provide a referral if the client expresses this and feels we cannot work out whatever difference it may be. I truly want the client to get the best help for themselves or they are wasting their time and money. Therapists aren’t here to get their feelings hurt. We want you to feel empowered to ask for what you need.

I haven’t hit rock bottom, so why do I need therapy?

Why wait until you hit rock bottom? Rock bottom looks different for everyone too. Mental health isn’t a competition. Take care of things before you hit rock bottom.

Why is therapy so expensive?

Therapy isn’t usually expensive if you have insurance. Deductibles can be expensive but most therapists will work with you on that because we have deductibles too. Copays are required but are not often outrageous. I, too, pay a deductible and copay under insurance. Money is never a reason not to seek therapy. Something can always be worked out or a referral can always be made.
However, something most people don’t realize is being a therapist/counselor is expensive! The possible school loans, the certifications maintained yearly, the HPSO liability insurance, the continuing education (CEUs) to keep our licenses renewed (conferences aren’t cheap), website and research resources, being on specific boards, renting an office space, paying an insurance specialist to get on insurance boards to better serve more people, the list goes on.

What are the rules on confidentiality?

In short, your business stays between you and I and my insurance specialist who works to make sure your insurance is paying for your treatment. I have a sign in my office that shows the other confidentiality exceptions. As a heads-up, I do not approach or talk to my clients in public unless they approach me first. Pleasure understand this is my respecting your privacy, not rudeness. This is further explained in the Policies and Procedures paperwork I give each client at intake.

Can I add you on social media?

Due to the increasing number of individuals on social media in today’s society, clients often wonder if they may add their therapist on social media sites, such as: Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, snapchat, and so on. Due to the American Counseling Association’s Ethics laws, I am not allowed to add you on any social media sites so please do not request to. Arrow Counseling Services, LLC does have a Facebook page that you are free to add if you would like. Furthermore, no messaging on any of these sites will be permissible as forms of therapy. It is not confidential.

What if I need to reach you for an emergency?

Due to my work schedule, I am often not immediately available by telephone. I will not answer the phone when I am with a patient unless I am expecting a crisis call, which I will let the client know up front. I will make every effort to return your call within 24 hours, with the exception of weekends and holidays. Please be advised that texting is the best way to reach me.  

If you are unable to reach me and feel that you can’t wait for me to return your call, contact your family physician, the nearest emergency room, or call 911. In private practice, a therapist is not on call and my cell phone is often set aside after business hours for family, so please respect this. If I will be unavailable for an extended time, I will provide you with the name of a colleague to contact, if necessary.

What if I don’t have the time for counseling?

We always make the time for the things we want to. Truly. Do you have the time for a breakdown or a relapse? Do you have the time your mental health is going to take on your job, physical health, education, or relationships? One hour a week is not a lot to ask for when we realize how much mental health affects.
*I also make sure I offer after school and work hours to accommodate my clients.

What is your therapeutic orientation/approach?

I’m going to give the general eclectic answer here because I’m constantly researching and learning new methods of therapy. But, at my heart, I am a cognitive behavioral therapist (CBT) because our thoughts do influence our feelings, then our actions, and our consequences. I’m also a blunt therapist when needed. My clients know my phrase, “You don’t pay me to lie to you and waste both of our time.”