+ What is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor?

Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a specialized field within mental health counseling that focuses on providing professional therapeutic services to individuals dealing with various mental health issues and emotional challenges. Clinical mental health counselors are trained and licensed professionals who work with individuals, couples, families, and groups to address a wide range of mental and emotional concerns.

Their work typically includes:

  1. Assessment: Clinical mental health counselors assess their clients' mental health conditions and needs through interviews, standardized assessments, and clinical observations.

  2. Diagnosis: They may provide a formal diagnosis of mental health disorders and develop treatment plans accordingly.

  3. Treatment: Clinical mental health counselors use evidence-based therapeutic techniques and interventions to help clients manage and overcome their mental health issues. This can include individual counseling, group therapy, family therapy, and more.

  4. Support: They provide emotional and psychological support to clients, helping them build coping strategies, improve communication, and enhance their overall well-being.

  5. Education: They may educate clients about mental health issues, treatment options, and self-help strategies to empower them to take control of their mental health.

  6. Advocacy: Clinical mental health counselors often advocate for their clients, helping them access appropriate resources, services, and support within the community.

Clinical mental health counselors can work in various settings, including private practice, community mental health centers, hospitals, schools, and other healthcare and counseling facilities. Their goal is to facilitate the healing and personal growth of individuals experiencing mental health challenges, ultimately helping them lead more fulfilling lives. They play a vital role in the mental health care system by providing therapeutic services and support to those in need.

+ Do you take Insurance

At this time I take mediciad and self pay

+ How do I reach out to a therapist?

Reaching out to a therapist is an important step in seeking help for your mental and emotional well-being. Here's a guide on how to do it:

  1. Identify Your Needs: First, consider what specific concerns or issues you'd like to address in therapy. This will help you find a therapist who specializes in the area that aligns with your needs, whether it's anxiety, depression, relationship problems, trauma, or any other mental health issue.

  2. Search for Therapists: You can start your search by:

    • Asking for recommendations from friends, family, or your primary care physician.
    • Using online therapist directories and search engines, such as Psychology Today, GoodTherapy, or TherapyDen.
    • Checking with your health insurance provider to find in-network therapists.

  3. Read Therapist Profiles: Review the profiles of therapists you're interested in. Look for their areas of expertise, treatment approaches, credentials, and patient reviews.

  4. Contact the Therapist: Once you've found a therapist who seems like a good fit, contact them. You can typically do this through:

    • Their website or email if provided.
    • Calling the phone number listed on their profile.
    • Using online contact forms or messaging platforms if available.

  5. Ask Questions: Prepare a list of questions to ask the therapist during your initial contact. Some common questions might include:

    • Are you accepting new patients?
    • What is your therapeutic approach or style?
    • What are your fees and payment options?
    • Do you accept insurance?
    • What is your availability for appointments?
    • How do you handle confidentiality?

  6. Schedule an Initial Consultation: Many therapists offer an initial consultation (often free or at a reduced fee) to assess whether you are a good fit for each other. This is an opportunity for you to gauge your comfort and connection with the therapist.

  7. Prepare for the First Session: If you decide to move forward with a therapist, prepare for your first session by writing down your goals and any questions or concerns you want to discuss. This will help make the most of your time.

  8. Attend the First Session: Attend your initial appointment, and be open and honest with your therapist about your concerns and goals. The first session is a chance to get to know each other and determine if it's a good fit.

Remember that finding the right therapist may take some time, and it's essential to choose someone with whom you feel comfortable and confident. If you don't feel a good connection with the first therapist you try, don't be discouraged; it's okay to explore other options until you find the right fit for your needs. Your mental health and well-being are worth the effort.

+ What is a Consultation?

A consult with a therapist is a short meeting to determine if the therapist would be a good fit for you. Consultations are generally pretty informal. It’s a chance to get to know each other. It’s also a chance for the therapist to get a sense of what your presenting problem is and make sure they feel they can competently treat you. A therapist has an ethical duty to refer you to other therapists that they think would be a better fit for you if they don’t feel able to treat you.

You should not expect any real therapy to take place in the consultation. Therapeutic work starts in the first full session after the consult. One of the most important parts of a consultation is that it gives the client a chance to ask the therapist some questions. As the client, you should feel empowered to ask the therapist any questions you have, especially if getting the answers will help you to feel more comfortable talking to the counselor. This article will focus on questions you may want to consider when speaking to a therapist for the first time.

Find more info here: https://www.therapyden.com/blog/a-beginners-guide-to-therapy-part-2-what-to-ask-in-the-consult

+ Have more questions?

If you have further questions about working with me please email me at clearmoonhealing@gmail.com

+ What is OpenGate

If you are a client and are receiving email/text appointment reminders, filling out paperwork, or requesting health records, you will be receiving emails from my online Electronic Health Record system. All of this information will have "OpenGate" in the subject line. OpenGate is the name of my supervisor's counseling business, and all of our electronic health records systems use her business name.

You can find more information about Opengate here: https://opengatevt.com/tlc-counseling-team

+Clear Moon Healing LLC Policies for Clients

APPOINTMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS Please remember to cancel or reschedule 24 hours in advance. You will be responsible for the entire fee if cancellation is less than 24 hours. For Medicaid clients - I do not earn any money if my clients do not show up. I cannot bill your insurance for a no-show. For cash-pay clients – Except in the case of extenuating circumstances, I require 24 hours' notice to cancel an appointment without a charge. Appointments canceled with less than 24 hours' notice and without any extenuating circumstances will require 50% payment for that session.
Your scheduled time is held for only you, and I cannot fill it with another client if you are unable to attend. A pattern of missed appointments needs to be discussed if it persists. Three missed appointments may result in termination of services. Life also happens. If you have an emergency or illness, it is completely acceptable to cancel our appointment, and there will be no charge. I only ask that you give me as much notice as possible in these cases. The standard meeting time for psychotherapy is 50 minutes. It is up to you, however, to determine the length of time of your sessions. Requests to change the 50-minute session shall be discussed with the therapist in order for time to be scheduled in advance.

TELEPHONE ACCESSIBILITY Please leave a message on my voicemail if you need to contact me between sessions. I am often not immediately available; however, I will attempt to return your call within 24 hours. Email and text are for scheduling only. For all other concerns, I will wait to discuss them with you in a session. It is fine for you to email or text me if there is something you want to make sure we bring up in our next session. But please understand that I may not respond. I am not able to offer after-hours or crisis services. Clients acknowledge receipt of the following crisis resources: Washington County Mental Health Screeners (802) 229-0591 Suicide Prevention & Self Harm Lifeline call 988 or text VT to 741741 Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a volunteer Crisis Counselor.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND TELECOMMUNICATION Due to the importance of your confidentiality and the importance of minimizing dual relationships, I do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking site (Facebook, Instagram, etc). I believe that adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise your confidentiality and our respective privacy. It may also blur the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship. If you have questions about this, please bring them up when we meet, and we can talk more about it.

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION I cannot ensure the confidentiality of any form of communication through electronic media, including text messages. If you prefer to communicate via email or text messaging for issues regarding scheduling or cancellations, I will do so. While I may try to return messages in a timely manner, I cannot guarantee immediate response and request that you do not use these methods of communication to discuss therapeutic content and/or request assistance for emergencies.

LIMITS OF CONFIDENTIALITY I am a mandated reporter in the state of Vermont. This means that if a client discloses knowledge of abuse or neglect of children, elders, or at-risk people, and has intent to harm self or others, then I am legally required to report these disclosures to the proper authorities. If a report is necessary, I will let you know that I have reported the matter.

SUPERVISION My supervisor reviews my notes, and we discuss clients’ cases so that they can offer input and feedback to me and hold me to a high standard of ethics and best practices. This is standard practice. Until approximately 2026, I will practice under Kathleen Landry's LCMHC supervision.

PUBLIC CONTACT POLICY It is entirely possible that we will run into each other outside of therapy. When this happens, my policy is to act as if I have never met you. This allows you the choice to greet me or not. If you choose to greet me, then I will, of course, respond. I am fine with saying hello to clients in public. It is important to me that that be your choice and not mine.

MINORS If you are a minor, your parents may be legally entitled to some information about your therapy. I will discuss with you and your parents what information is appropriate for them to receive and which issues are more appropriately kept confidential.

TERMINATION Ending relationships can be difficult. Therefore, it is important to have a termination process in order to achieve some closure. The appropriate length of the termination depends on the length and intensity of the treatment. I may terminate treatment after appropriate discussion with you and a termination process if I determine that the psychotherapy is not being effectively used or if you are in default on payment. I will not terminate the therapeutic relationship without first discussing and exploring the reasons and purpose of terminating. If therapy is terminated for any reason or you request another therapist, I will provide you with a list of qualified psychotherapists to treat you. You may also choose someone on your own or from another referral source.