As most private practice owners know , one of the most important parts of the jobs is to know your target audience and your niche . When I set out to open my own practice , I knew exactly the type of clients I wanted to work with — people like me .
The clients I work with are Black millennials who are in the professional business realm . No matter if they are entrepreneurs , students , or working professionals , the clients I work with have busy lives . Many of them are not only juggling a busy work schedule , they also need to make time for finances , family , pets , friends , their own mental and physical health — and some even have to schedule time just to relax !
My practice focuses specifically on serving Black clients who are experiencing anxiety , depression , and life stressors . Cultural stigmas surrounding mental health care and treatment in the Black community account for the disparities that exist among people who receive mental health treatment . According to the report , “ Racial / Ethnic Differences in Mental Health Service Use Among Adults ,” Blacks go to therapy at much lower rates than whites — 8.6 percent of Blacks compared with 16.6 percent of whites .
These statistics , which are from the 2015 report by SAMHSA ( the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration ), includes charts that show that the use of mental health services by gender was similarly disparate . The Black male rate compared with the white male rate was 6.6 percent versus 11.3 percent ; and the Black female rate compared with the white female rate was 10.3 percent versus 21.5 percent . ( Read the report at bit . ly / 3qUn-Qk7 .)
To draw more Black people into therapy in general , I knew I would have to address the time and expense of therapy , two of the most common reasons people tell me to explain why they are not currently seeing a therapist . That prompted me to begin to do some research on therapists who offered shorter sessions at a lower cost . I was surprised to find that there was not much existing research on the topic .
Having worked in a school setting , I began to approach the research from that angle . Being a school counselor is a demanding job , not only due to the high number of students that make up many school counselors ’ caseloads , but also because the job consists of much more than direct contact hours . Many restrictions are placed on school counselors as to which classes they
Counseling Tips
When Do Shorter Therapy Sessions Work Better ?
Maya B . Galathe , LPC , is a Licensed Professional Counselor and the owner of the virtual private practice , Goal Digging Therapy , based out of Baton Rouge , LA . A past-president of the Louisiana College Counseling Association , Ms . Galathe is also a contributor to a local news station and a TEDx speaker . She specializes in working with clients who deal with depression , anxiety , and race-related trauma in Black communities . Her philosophy is that “ Therapy Is a Vibe ”— something that is enjoyable , inspiring , and life-changing — and she uses that slogan to help break the stigma that exists around talking about mental health in the Black community . can pull students from for sessions and how many instructional minutes a student can miss . Being the resourceful and creative individuals they are , counselors have found ways to turn these restrictions into opportunities .
One of these opportunities struck me : the idea of being able to “ get the job done ” in much less time than what a typical clinical session would take . Thus was born the idea of incorporating “ Spark Sessions ” into my practice . These are 30-minute condensed therapy sessions that I use with some of my private practice caseload .
When Does Using Shorter Sessions With Clients Work Best ?
My first session with any new clients is the typical 50-minute hour , and I suggest this as a universal standard . Using the regular-length first session , even with clients who might be interested in Spark Sessions , is important because it gives me time to ask any questions that may have arisen when I reviewed the client ’ s intake questionnaire . When considering if a client is a good fit for shorter sessions , all of the counselors I work with at Goal Digging Therapy first look at the issue a client presents with , as well as a possible diagnosis .
Clinical presentations that are not a good fit for Spark Sessions include clients who report current suicidal ideation and / or past suicide attempts . Other issues that are not a good fit for shorter sessions include clients who display traits of a personality disorder , psychosis , hallucinations , or other more severe disorders that generally require higher levels of care .
The initial session will also give you an idea of whether or not your client is a “ talker .” When I present the idea of 30-minute sessions to clients , I am sometimes met with a response of , “ I don ’ t know if that ’ s enough time to say everything . I talk a lot .” I keep clients who would label themselves “ talkers ” on the 50-minute session schedule .
Many of the clients I work with are therapy “ first-timers ,” and so have never worked with a therapist before . I find that many of these clients opt for and are a good fit for Spark Sessions . The
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10 The Advocate Magazine 2022 , Issue # 1 American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA ) www . amhca . org