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What is counseling?

Counseling is a collaborative process between you and your counselor. This process begins with identifying your goals, setting objectives, and measuring your progress along the way. Counseling then helps you objectively look at your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors so you can develop more effective ways of dealing with life struggles.

Change can happen! Nine out of ten Americans surveyed by Consumer Reports said that counseling had helped them. In other studies, half of the clients were making improvements after eight sessions of therapy, 75 percent after six months of therapy.

When should you seek counseling?

From childhood through late adulthood, there are certain times when we may need help addressing problems and issues that cause us emotional distress or make us feel overwhelmed. When you are experiencing these types of difficulties, you may benefit from the assistance of an experienced, trained professional. Professional counselors offer the caring, expert assistance that we often need during these stressful times. A counselor can help you identify your problems and assist you in finding the best ways to cope with the situation by changing behaviors that contribute to the problem or by finding constructive ways to deal with a situation that is beyond your personal control.

Is everything I say confidential?

Confidentiality means that information about you is never released to others without your written permission. Everything said in therapy is confidential and will not be disclosed except when reporting is required or permitted by the HIPAA Privacy Standard or North Carolina law. Exceptions to confidentiality include the following:

1. Potential suicidal behavior

2. Threatened harm to another

3. Suspected abuse of a child, developmentally disabled person, or a dependent adult

4. When legal requirements demand that confidential information be disclosed such as a court case

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