Counseling

What are the requirements to become a counselor in the state of Texas?

​

Counseling professionals who are fully licensed are called Licensed Professional Counselors, or LPCs. To become an LPC in this state, you need to first earn your master’s degree or receive a doctoral degree. These degrees can be earned in counseling, or you may choose to study a field that is similar, such as social work, marriage and family therapy, psychology, or psychiatry. If you choose psychiatry, you will be earning a medical degree, rather than a doctorate. Then, counselors must complete an internship consisting of 300 hours or more, and 100 hours of those must be working with clients. Additionally, future counselors complete 3,000 hours of supervised training over a period of eighteen months or more. Finally, you need to pass two licensing exams. The first is the the National Counselor Examination (NCE), and the second is the Texas Jurisprudence Exam. Each exam requires you to pay a fee before it can be taken.

 

Are counseling professionals required to continue their education or training?

​

No matter what type of counseling services being provided, to keep a license up to date, counselors must apply for license renewal every two years. To renew a counseling license, the counselor must complete 24 hours of continuing education in the field over the previous two years, and a total of four of those continuing education hours must be focused on ethics. Then, the counselor will need to pass the Texas Jurisprudence Exam, which will cost a fee.

 

What are the ethical standards for counselors?

​

Ethical and professional standards for counselors are set by the The American Counseling Association (ACA) Center for Policy, Practice, and Research. This organization has an approved Code of Ethics, which is made accessible to all practicing counselors. The ACA Code of Ethics covers a broad range of topics related to ethical practices in counseling fields. For example, counseling that is provided using technologies, like video chats or text messaging, have specific expectations around conduct that might not apply to in-person counseling sessions. The code of ethics needs to be carefully followed when handling diversity and multiculturalism, boundaries set between client and counselor, keeping records. intervening in a client’s personal or work life, caring for a client who is diagnosed terminal, and diagnosing clients with various psychological disorders and afflictions. Furthermore, a counselor’s own personal biases, experiences, and personal values shall not interfere with the level or type of care given in counseling sessions.

 

How important is confidentiality in the field of counseling?

​

All medical and health professionals follow specific guidelines around confidentiality, and for counselors, confidentiality is a key aspect of the ACA Code of Ethics. Additionally, counselors are bound by the same laws that medical doctors are, specifically the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, which is a federal law. This law dictates that personal medical records, including mental health records and those obtained through counseling or therapy, are protected and shall remain confidential. There are a few exceptions to this. For example, if you are seeing a counselor and the counselor believes you pose an immediate threat to yourself or others or that an immediate threat is posed to a minor, elderly person, or person with disabilities, then these circumstances will be reported to the appropriate authorities. In the instance of threatened suicide, a counselor may choose to contact a loved one instead of or in addition to the authorities. 

 

Are there any specific laws in my state around confidentiality and counseling services? 

​

In the state of Texas, counselors and other medical professionals must follow the Texas Medical Records Privacy Act, or TMRPA, in addition to following HIPAA. When it comes to something as personal, private, and affecting as your medical history and health records, it is reassuring to have both federal and state regulations in place. This can help ease your mind when discussing sensitive or personal information with a counselor.

 

What are some common issues that can be treated through counseling?

​

Counseling can be highly effective for various types of common psychological problems. For example, if you suffer from depression, anxiety, or excessive anger problems, then talking with a licensed, experienced counselor can make a big difference in your quality of life. Plus, you can learn coping strategies to help you process your emotions and feel more content even when you are not in a counseling session.

 

What are some issues that are not as common that can be treated by Doug Barnes?

​

There are several less common, or at least less talked about, types of issues that Doug Barnes specializes in treating. For example, if you have experienced a traumatic betrayal in your relationship or if your spouse has had an affair or suffers from a sex addiction that is comng between you, counseling can help. Treatment for pornography addiciton or sex addiction is availbe for adults and adolescnets as young as 15 years old. Addiction means that you are not able to control your impulses or behavior. A qualified counselor will be able to recognize the warning signs of sexual addictions, provide a proper diagnosis, and teach you how to manage your addiction so that it no longer has an impact on your personal relationships.

 

What psychological treatment methods are used at Doug Barnes Counseling?

​

Doug Barnes is a licensed marriage counselor who provides a range of treatment options for his clients. The types of counseling methods, as well as treatment options, depend highly on each individual client, couple, or family. For example, he is fully qualified to utilize traditional methods like family counseling. In other cases, more modern techniques might be more effective, such as EMDR. EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and it is a type of psychotherapy that can work well to treat and process experienced trauma. It is often the therapy of choice for those who suffer with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, as well as those who have experienced prolonged trauma and have been diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder, or C-PTSD.