Welcome to the Empowered Client
em·pow·er
1: to give official authority or legal power to
2 : enable 1a
3 : to promote the self-actualization or influence of
cli·ent
2 a : a person who engages the professional advice or services of another b : customer c : a person served by or utilizing the services of a social agency
When it comes to mental health, an empowered client has answered questions like these: Will counseling help me? How do I find a counselor? What’s the difference between a psychologist, a social worker and a professional counselor? Is everything I tell my counselor confidential? What should I expect from counseling? What is expected of me in counseling? What are my legal rights as a client? What should my counselor tell me about themselves and the therapeutic process? Is my current counselor a good fit for me?
The intention of this site is to help you to become an empowered client and get the most out of your experience with therapy. The content of the site is organized in the following pages:
- Helping Professionals – identifies the various mental health professions including what they do and what their credentials are
- What To Look For – nine points to consider when looking for your counselor
- Your Rights & Responsibilities – what to expect and whats expected of you
- About Confidentiality – privacy and exceptions to confidentiality
- About Informed Consent – what is it and what does it entail
- Therapy Myths – Top 15 Myths About Therapy
- Find Your Therapist – suggestions and resources to find a helping professional
- Articles of Interest – related articles from various web sources
- Resources – helpful links
Who are we?
The Empowered Client website is a group client advocacy project. The group is comprised of master’s level students of clinical mental health counseling, and each have been or currently are clients ourselves. As clients, we know how daunting it can be to begin therapy. That is why we sought to compile helpful information to make the process more accessible, understandable, and transparent.
