What happens in counseling?

Your counselor's first job is to listen closely to you to learn exactly what your needs and concerns are. Together you will design a plan of action to make the changes you want in your life. Then your counselor will support you in moving forward on that plan.
Your personal growth plan may include:
  • Learning new skills
  • Communicating differently with yourself and others
  • Changing old habits of thought, feeling and action
  • Taking better care of yourself and those you love
  • Releasing past pain
  • Resolving conflicts and developing these skills
  • Value and goal clarification
  • Making new friends
  • Counseling as an individual, couple, or family and attending classes or groups

Issues that counseling can help with:

  • Uncomfortable emotions and moods, like anxiety, depression, anger, and shame
  • Relationship problems, as in parenting challenges, partnership issues, and family-of-origin concerns, as well as intimacy and communication problems
  • Traumas, like physical or sexual abuse, assault, or past health- or life-threatening situations
  • Distressing symptoms such as PTSD, chronic illness, panic and anxiety attacks, and compulsions
  • Self-esteem issues, such as shame, problems with body shape, gender identification, or sexual orientation
  • Work and life planning issues
  • Grief and other adjustment challenges

What do all of those letters and titles after people's names mean?

Jane Smith, LPC  ~  John Doe, LMFT  ~  Jane Smith, LCSW  ~  John Doe, Ph.D.   ~
Mary Smith, Psy.D.  ~  John Doe, Professional Counselor Associate
First, there are two things we want to let you know:
  1. The words “counselor” and “therapist” usually mean the same thing.
  2. Becoming a licensed counselor requires an internship (an apprenticeship) for about two years during a master’s program, and then about two to five years after graduating the master's program as a registered associate before the person can become licensed.
Professional Counseling Associates: (previously known as registered interns, LPC-I) means that the person has graduated from a master’s program (usually an additional 2-3 years of school after the usual four years of college), but is still working toward licensure under supervision.
Licensed Counselors: Just about every counselor has attended a 2-3 year training program, completed their internships, and then became licensed. Depending on what kind of program or school they went to, they then are a:
  • LPC (licensed professional counselor) 
  • LMFT (licensed marriage & family therapist) 
  • LCSW (licensed clinical social worker)
Psychologists: Some counselors then go on to even more schooling (usually another year or two), or may go straight from their undergraduate college to a 3-5 year program, and when they graduate from these “doctoral” programs, they get a Ph.D. or a Psy.D. after their names. These folks are called psychologists. Psychologists often are trained in doing assessments, like for learning disabilities. A few can prescribe medications, but most can’t. Other than medical doctors, psychologists are the only other folks who can call themselves “doctors” (e.g. Dr. John Smith).
Psychiatrists: Psychiatrists go through very different training. First they go to medical school, and then they specialize in mental health issues and how to treat them medically. All psychiatrists can prescribe, because they are Medical Doctors (M.D.’s).​​