In today’s world there are lots of self-help resources, and often we can make changes on our own without counseling. But other times, we have blind spots, lack personal insight, or need validation, feedback, or advice from a professional in order to really move forward with change. It can feel difficult, scary, or make our issues feel bigger by telling someone about them, but that process itself can be the beginning of change. Often times, we dismiss feelings of anxiety, emotional pain, relationship stress, or depression as “just life” – even to the point of encountering real difficulty in normal day-to-day functioning. Deciding to take responsibility for your mental wellbeing is an empowering first step. It takes courage, but it puts you back in control of your feelings and sense of self. Even this small action step of reaching out can have a surprisingly positive effect on your outlook!

Because therapy is tailored to a specific person’s goals and challenges, there is no pre-defined number of therapy sessions. Consultations may be only one or two sessions. Therapy itself can make incredible progress in mere minutes, but it is common for therapy to span from several sessions to over a few weeks or months. Individual sessions are generally about 50 minutes in length. Couples and family sessions are often 80 minutes in length.

During Covid, we compared the outcomes of both types of therapy and we were delighted to see that both types are effective. Obviously, in-person therapy has the advantages of personal connection and more body language, but telehealth works well too and has the advantage of convenience for traffic issues, tight schedules, or travel. Most clients choose to regularly attend either in-person or telehealth, which allows for a regular therapy schedule with therapists who block their days for either in-person or telehealth. For other clients, they may choose to switch between in-person and online counseling depending on their work schedule, child care, privacy availability and other reasons. Please note, your clinical can only see you if you are physically located in the state they are licensed in. if you travel out of that state for work or pleasure, your clinician cannot see you while you are gone.

In Florida, there are several degrees that qualify someone to acquire a license to practice professional counseling with individuals, couples, or families. They are the following:

Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC) – What sets them apart in their licensure is focus in training on presenting concerns from an individualistic perspective.

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT) – What sets them apart in their licensure is their focus in training to address presenting concerns within the context of relationships and systems instead of as an individual concern.

Licensed Social Workers (LCSW) – What sets them apart in their licensure is their focus in training to see presenting concerns within the context of a client’s environment, in social systems, and linking clients with resources in the community.

Psychologists (PsyD) – What sets them apart in their licensure is their ability to provide psychological testing and diagnosing which influences their treatment planning with the client. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have specialized in the brain. They focus on medication for mental health and can, but typically do not, provide therapy.

Psychiatrists, Psychiatric PA’s, or other medical doctors (like a primary physician) are the only medical professionals who can prescribe mental health medications.

Pastoral Counselors are ordained seminary graduates who also have had classes in psychology. They typically use those skills as well as biblical principles to guide people in their ministries and refer out to licensed therapists for deeper or longer psychological services.

Life Coaches currently have no standard requirements for certification and are not licensed by the state for counseling. Life Coaches may take classes on how to coach their clients in their specific expertise or may rely on life experience. They can charge fees and promote their personal expertise, but are not supposed to provide professional mental health counseling, unless they are also licensed as such.

“Biblical Counselors” are certified by a school, typically a bible college or seminary, but are not licensed professional therapists. They provide counseling guidance using only the Bible as their guide and do not utilize tools from the psychological sciences.

“Christian counselors” is a term for those who provide counseling that is founded in biblical principles. They can be lay Christians trained in a particular problem (such as grief or addiction recovery) or professional licensed therapists who have integrated their Christian world-view of the nature, needs, and purposes of human beings into their understandings of psychological assessments and remedies for mental health.