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Letters
remembering counselors’ genuine purpose
As a passionate and eager counseling student, I look forward to reading my monthly issue of Counseling Today. One day, I plan to open a successful private practice. Thus, I look to Anthony Centore’s inspirational Private Practice Strategies column.
October’s column was dedicated to obtaining clientele in a new private practice in just seven short days. In the article, Centore describes the tools and work needed each day to accomplish this feat. Although I can appreciate the playfulness and lighthearted tone of the article, I observed some parts of it to
be disharmonious with the counseling profession.
For example, Centore writes about two potential clients during the seven days
he is launching a hypothetical private practice. One client doesn’t have any out- of-network benefits, while another doesn’t have insurance or money for counseling. The first client initially does not wish to determine an agreed-upon rate, while the second client is provided referrals to a community health center.
Counselors do not enter the profession primarily for so-called financial stability. Rather, we have an intuition to guide others along their path of healing. Yes, private practices are designed to gain insurance reimbursement and, in turn, to make a profit. However, I feel that Centore (in his hypothetical private practice) could have offered services to these individuals. After all, our ethical code reminds us that we should see
a percentage of clients pro bono. I understand the rationale for referring if necessary, but starting the process
of counseling can be difficult enough. A client in that situation might feel discouraged to initiate counseling with another therapist.
If every counselor makes an effort to see some clients on a sliding scale or
pro bono, we can provide services for those who would not ordinarily have such an opportunity. In fact, some of
the population that could benefit from counseling the most may not have the means to even be aware of services. Some of us might choose to do outreach work in order to collaborate with those at risk or in need.
My hope is that counselors will continue to reflect on their love for therapy and, perhaps most important, practice with an open heart. In this way, we will always be effective and successful in our gracious work.
Nicole Catalano, B.A.
Candidate for M.S. in Mental Health
Counseling and LAC Monmouth University West Long Branch, N.J.
Note: The 2014 ACA Code of Ethics addresses the idea of pro bono publico (Standard C.6.e.) and establishing fees with consideration of a client’s financial status (Standard A.10.c.).
Standard C.6.e. (Contributing to the Public Good) reads: “Counselors make
a reasonable effort to provide services to the public for which there is little or no financial return (e.g., speaking to groups, sharing professional information, offering reduced fees).”
Standard A.10.c. (Establishing
Fees) reads: “In establishing fees for professional counseling services, counselors consider the financial status of clients and locality. If a counselor’s usual fees create undue hardship for the client, the counselor may adjust fees, when legally permissible, or assist the client in locating comparable, affordable services.”
However, counselors must first ensure that offering a sliding scale or fee adjustment does not violate any state law or the contract signed with the client’s insurance company (for more, read the New Concepts in the ACA Code of Ethics column on page 28).
Missed opportunity to address the empty nest in midlife
I eagerly approached the article in the October 2014 issue regarding counseling women in midlife (“Midcourse corrections”). As a therapist and friend to many middle-aged women, and fitting the demographic myself, I was curious to learn more about how to best serve this population.
Though I appreciated the article’s emphasis on targeting relationships and career exploration for this age group, I found it ironic and disappointing that
in an issue with a cover story devoted to family matters, there was no mention of the void many women who are mothers experience when their grown children leave home. In my exposure to women in this age group, many struggle to navigate the sense of displacement they experience as they transition to an empty nest.
It seems that with significant emphasis placed on careers for women, both in this article and in society, midlife women who are mothers are infrequently supported in navigating the sense of loss and significant change that occurs during this transition — and which often has an impact on their mental health and marriages. I feel the article missed a key opportunity to address this very real challenge that many women experience in midlife.
Kathleen Barrett, M.Ed. Natick, Mass.
Shining light in dark corners
The implications of war for the practicing counselor should be well understood and embraced. Veterans
and their families (spouse, children, parents and others) all share in the five stressor dynamics paradigm presented in the October Reader Viewpoint article, “Exploring the impact of war.” In my professional opinion, Keith Myers’ article should be mandatory reading for any counselor.
8 | ct.counseling.org | December 2014