What to Expect

When you call Vickie’s office, she will personally speak with you to set up an appointment and to briefly explain the counseling process. Sessions usually last 50 minutes and are scheduled according to your needs. For most people, sessions are scheduled once a week or once every two weeks. During the first session, Vickie will discuss this process in more detail and create a personalized counseling plan for you.

How does counseling work? Effective counseling is a cooperative venture requiring the combined resources of you and Vickie working together. The counseling process generally consists of three phases: assessment, intervention and termination. The assessment phase enables Vickie to get to know you, understand your problems and concerns, and to identify and establish your goals for counseling. The intervention phase focuses on helping you deal with the issues you are facing, achieve personal growth, resolve problems and/or make decisions. The termination phase involves a review of your original goals, evaluation of progress, and recommendations of any further steps that need to be taken. The amount of time each phase, and the whole counseling process, takes is dependent on your specific issues and personal progress.

Confidentiality is a key component of the counseling relationship, allowing clients a safe place to work through their issues. Your right to confidentiality will be carefully maintained and will not be disclosed without your written permission, except in cases of possible harm to yourself or others (especially children or the elderly) or a criminal court subpoena (not civil).