A consult’s purpose
a consultation is an anxiety-free meet & greet
Graduate school doesn’t effectively prepare fresh soon-to-be interns of the obvious attributes of being a practitioner.
The first being that strangers would be contacting you.
This seems silly, yet the context of talk therapy is an intimate setting between a therapist and a client. This default design may need affable warming before engagement for both the prospective client and the therapist. The phone consult is a safe mechanism to introduce both parties and provides relief from the uncertainty of the first session.
Secondly, going from 0-60 with emotionally intense events is difficult on session nine⸺let alone session one.
The consult provides a preview of future time spent with the counselor allowing the prospective client to imagine and anticipate sensitive disclosures. This is the time to speak freely about what to expect. The following are some questions each prospective client should ask themselves before booking any session with a therapist, but specifically the initial consultation.
Can I see myself talking to them about what happened?
Do I feel I can trust him/her?
Can I see myself progressing positively with my time with him/her?
Did I develop a quick report (became acquainted) with him/her during the consult?
Third, the therapist desires to have an impact.
There are plenty of talented clinicians with varying credentialing and education levels. Each having certain specialties they’ve excelled at or more simply, each is motivated to help certain demographics over others based upon their unique professional and academic experiences.
When a therapist states they don’t work with certain ages, a specific diagnosis, or neurophysiological impairments, it is because they don’t feel they’re the best counselor for that person. It’s almost never because they are being rude that day!
Their background, personalities, and motivations make each clinician one of a kind. They too want to pair with clients where there is a ‘connection’ so the impact they make will be high and effective.
I want to provide phone consultations at no cost.
I don’t want to burden prospective clients with fees when there’s a potential that the relationship won’t work. This is unfair for the incoming client as it emphasizes fee collection, which clouds the fragile budding relationship that the consult should be fostering.
Lastly, I’m almost always in-session on any given weekday. Life is busy.
Scheduling a free consultation reserves a place in time just for you & me to talk. I’m blessed to be a full-time practitioner & the consequence is that I may not be available to answer your phone call or respond to your email promptly.
Prospective clients should take advantage of the freedom to schedule their own consult. It’s immediate, & places them in control of scheduling the consult without restriction.
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Consultations are an introductory encounter. They should be free of anxiety. They should be free of sales-y pressure to book. Consultations should be, well⸺free.
Interview a few therapists before beginning a protracted well-being program. It’s in the best interests of both parties.