About Us

While all mental health professionals, each conceptualize and approach mental health disorders and their treatment in different ways. Though all may provide traditional "talk therapy," counselors are the most likely to do so as their primary focus, spending an average of 50 minutes with clients per session. As medical doctors, psychiatrists typically approach mental health from the medical model, focusing solely on what illness(es) are present and how we address the deficits. Psychiatrists typically prescribe psychiatric medication(s) as first-line treatment and regularly meet with their patients for no longer than 15-20 minutes. Psychologists typically hold a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) and often focus on administering, scoring, and interpreting psychological, educational, and behavioral evaluations and assessments, as well as conducting research. Counselors typically hold a master's degree (e.g., M.A., M.S., M.A.Ed., M.S.Ed.) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling or a doctoral degree (e.g., Ph.D., Ed.D.) in Counselor Education and Supervision. In Ohio, counselors are either provisionally licensed under clinical supervision (LPC) or independently licensed (LPCC). Many LPCCs opt to pursue a supervisory endorsement (LPCC-S) to conduct clinical supervision for LPCs. Counseling operates from a strengths-based, wellness approach, helping clients to identify resiliency factors, find solutions within themselves, and provide education about mental health. Counseling is distinct from psychiatry and psychology because of its wellness-in-the-foreground and illness-in-the-background philosophy.

Counseling begins before your first session! After scheduling your appointment, you will receive a link to complete important paperwork online in order to set you and your counselor up for success. At your first session, you can expect to meet with your counselor to gather both current and historical information, including your main concerns to address in counseling. You will get a feel for your counselor's approach and they will get to know your story. Your first session will likely feel very different from the sessions that follow, as the primary goal of the first session is information gathering. This is so your counselor has all of the information they need to provide you with the best care possible. At the end of your first session, you and your counselor will discuss the next steps, including determining if weekly outpatient counseling is appropriate for your level of need, determining if your counselor feels like a good fit for you, and, if so, scheduling your next appointment.

Folks come to counseling with a wide range of concerns. You may want to talk about developmental concerns, such as relational difficulties, ADHD, and feeling affirmed in your affectional (sexual) orientation and/or gender identity. Or, you may be dealing with more specific concerns, such as anxiety, depression, OCD, and post-traumatic stress. Sometimes, clients are not sure what brings them to counseling, just that they feel they could use support. There is no "right" or "wrong" reason to seek counseling services. A counselor can help elicit insight into what brings you to counseling and work collaboratively to identify ways to cope with whatever challenges you face.

Yes! Arbor Sana prides itself on its affirmative, celebratory, and liberatory approach to counseling. Our counselors strive to create a safe, welcoming environment for those in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender expansive, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and polysexual (LGBTGEQIAP+) communities. Several of our counselors (namely Chase, Theresa, & Tori) work alongside LGBTGEQIAP+ folks in counseling as one of their primary specializations. For clients seeking to undergo gender-affirming medical or surgical procedures and require letter(s), Arbor Sana provides evaluations to establish and corroborate one's readiness to pursue such procedures.