Hello! Welcome to BetterHelp! I’m so proud of you for deciding to take care of yourself and joining me at BetterHelp! I look forward to getting to know you. I understand that you’re nervous –that’s common and to be expected! Taking the first step is always the hardest in anything we pursue in life- I am here to give you the support, encouragement and empowerment to take control of your life! You can rest assured that you have found a safe and supportive environment here at Better Help. We will start out by getting to know each other more and how I can help. I’m always open to your feedback about how it’s going and what you need. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the states of South Carolina, West Virginia and Maine with over 17 years of behavioral health experience working with individuals and families in multiple settings including community mental health, emergency room, private practice and telehealth. Throughout my career, I have worked with symptoms including but not limited to depression, anxiety, stress management, anger management and relationship issues among others. In working with patients, I refer to Person-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness and Solution-Focused Therapy. I check messages 2-3 times per day, Monday-Thursday up until 4:00. I am unable to see patients from 12:00-1:00 during the week and do not see patients after 5:00 pm due to outside obligations. Saturdays and Sundays are my days off, as well as holidays. I am based out of South Carolina and therefore am on EST. To avoid double bookings with appointments, it’s best for me to schedule appointments. I am available for appointments Monday-Thursday from 9:00 am-5:00 pm. Please let me know what your needs are with availability, and I will do my best to accommodate your needs. With this said, I would like to establish a few general guidelines: counseling can be empowering but it also requires a commitment to change- please be patient as symptoms and issues are processed and explored and understand that it takes time to gain strength. Most presenting symptoms are deep rooted and require more than a few short correspondences to fully resolve. Also, please be mindful that this is a paid subscription so it is to your advantage to actively participate in treatment and keep the lines of communication open. Please take note that after two no shows or same day appointment cancellations, I will recommend that you switch to another provider. My time is just as valuable as yours and appointment no shows and cancellations result in financial loss. I also ask that you please understand that not all cases are appropriate for online counseling and some are better suited for an office setting. I do not accept any cases with substance abuse or addiction of any kind as a chief complaint. Please remember you have access to the room 24/7 and may write as much as you want, anytime. Longer posts from you typically take me a few days to process and fully respond to. Also, few logistics as we start – here’s information about: 1) the informed consent 2) confidentiality 3) safety I want to be sure to go over informed consent and mandated reporting and some other important information. Your emergency contact information is secure and I am bound by confidentiality, which means everything you tell me stays in this room with the following exceptions, as I am a mandated reporter: (1) if you are suicidal/homicidal, (2) abuse/neglect to a child, elderly or disabled person, (3) if I am subpoenaed by a court. Informed consent means you are consenting to therapy services with me and understand all of your rights, as explained in the informed consent document you sign. You will receive a request to complete your emergency contact information which must be completed before we start working together. The information will never be used if you become silent, but only in a true emergency, as I am always going to do my best to ensure your safety. Speaking of safety, as we work together I want to let you know that BetterHelp is not a crisis center. Please make note of the emergency procedures and resources listed below should a crisis arise during my time off or when I am offline. Even though there is an option to mark messages as urgent please do not use that for crisis situations. Marking a message as urgent does not ensure I will see it or respond quicker. Urgent/Emergent Resources: You can go to your local emergency room, call 911, or call 1-833-929-1721 www.hopeline.com to access a database of suicide crisis hotlines or dial 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433) from your area and you will be immediately connected with a trained crisis counselor. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 for crisis support. Please take note of the following additional resources for urgent/emergent crisis situations: FOR SOUTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS: South Carolina Mobile Crisis: 1-833-364-2274 South Carolina NAMI: 1-800-950-6264 Crisis Text Line: 741741 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 FOR WEST VIRGINIA RESIDENTS: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 Crisis Text Line: 741741. NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): (304) 445-7866 Call or text 844-HELP4WV (844-435-7498). HELP4WV offers a 24/7 call, chat and text line that provides immediate help for any West Virginian struggling with an addiction or mental health issue. Help304 – West Virginia’s Emotional Strength Line: Call 1-877-HELP304, text 877-435-7304 or chat (www.help304.com). HELP304 Provides social, emotional, and supportive counseling via call, text, and chat. National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 FOR MAINE RESIDENTS: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 Maine Crisis Line: 1-888-568-1112 Nami Maine: 1-800-464-5767 (Press 1) The Intentional Peer Support Warm Line: 1-866-771-WARM (9276) or 711 (Maine Relay). The Intentional Peer Support Warm Line is available toll-free from anywhere in Maine, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is a mental health peer-to-peer phone support program offering mutual conversations with a trained specialist who has life experience with mental health and/or substance use issues and recovery. Domestic Violence Helpline: 1-866-834-HELP (4357) Sexual Assault Helpline: 1-800-871-7741 (Voice) or 711 (Maine Relay) Crisis Text Line at 741741 National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 Please let me know if you have any current/past safety concerns. We will continue to discuss this as we get to know one another. Have a great day – I’ll be back to check in and will talk to you more soon!