Individual counseling is a form of counseling in which the client is treatment on an individual basis with a therapist. Individual counseling allows the therapist and client to focus on each other, build a rapport, and work together to resolve the client's issues. Often clients come into counseling to inspire change or improve their quality of life. Many clients seek counseling for help in dealing with issues that are hard to face alone. Counseling can help you overcome obstacles that are detrimental to your own well-being.
It is best to seek counseling when you are truly ready to do the "hard work" that is required during the therapeutic process. Change is often meant to be uncomfortable and challenging. It is important to seek counseling when an issue causes distress or interferes with your daily life. Counseling is very useful if you are often feeling unhappy, overwhelmed, and/or hopeless about issues in your life. Overall, individual counseling can help you with the following issues:
- anxiety
- stress
- anger
- relationship or marriage challenges
- addiction
- abuse
- family issues
- sexuality
What to expect during individual counseling
The first session often focuses on gathering information about why you are seeking counseling at this time. Ms. Mullins will ask you questions about your past physical, mental, and emotional health. It may take a few sessions to obtain all of this information depending upon the client's issues. During the first session, you can decide if Ms. Mullins is a good fit for you as well. Finding a therapist you are comfortable with is a critical to successful treatment in counseling. Ms. Mullins will also determine if you are a good fit for counseling. She will discuss the type of therapy to be used, treatment goals, session length, and how many sessions are needed. Ms. Mullins utilizes a direct approach wherein she does not just listen to the client, but she provides honest and thoughtful feedback. She believes in challenging the client so that he or she may grow during their therapeutic journey. Some sessions may bring up intense emotions, but Ms. Mullins encourages you to remain committed to the process.
At times, there is homework to encourage clients to build upon the topics that are discussed during counseling. Clients are free to also ask questions at any point during treatment. During treatment, you can expect confidentiality. However, it may be broken if a client threatens to harm themselves or others. The limits of confidentiality will be explained during the initial session.
Ms. Mullins often utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) when working with adults in individual counseling. This is one of the most effective types of therapy. This therapeutic approach helps clients to look at the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. After doing so, the clients will learn to replace negative thought patterns with positive ones. The premise behind CBT is that healthy thoughts often promote feelings and productive actions.
Individual counseling sessions are typically 45 minutes if the client is covered through their health insurance benefit plan. If the client is opting to take advantage of longer, personalized sessions, then the sessions can last from 75 to 100 minutes. The rates are as follows:
45 minutes $130
75 minutes $195
100 minutes $260
How often sessions occur and how long they last depend upon factors such as, the mental health condition addressed and its severity, the length of time the person in counseling has had the issue, how much the issue affects day-to-day life, how much distress the issue causes, how quickly the person in counseling improves, and ability to afford out of pocket counseling rates.
Finding a therapist you are comfortable with and cooperating with them can help you get the most out of treatment. When a person is open and honest, Ms. Mullins is generally able to address each issue and adjust the treatment approach as needed. It is important to attend each session and complete any homework assigned. Being patient and sticking to the treatment plan can facilitate long term success in counseling.