Q/A #2: ESA Letters, Can I Be Your Therapist?, and How Do I Find/Vet/Fire My Therapist?

Derek takes another stab at taking questions from listeners.  This time, he addresses Emotional Support Animals, including how he supports clients and their Emotional Support Animals, detailing advice from the American Counseling Association as to how to protect the animal and the client/handler.  This is a more significant request than any "ESA Letter Mill" will communicate for a nominal fee online.  We want to be responsible and communicate well for your safety and the animal's.  

Derek also answers the common request as to if he is permitted or has time to provide therapy to someone who finds him on social media through a group or page.  Following up on that is how to find a therapist, in different jurisdictions, as well as how to property vet/select a provider for what may be a 3 month to decade-long therapeutic relationship.  He also addresses how to terminate a therapeutic relationship with a provider; it can be really emotionally taxing, particularly for someone who might be experiencing the trauma response of "fawn" (associated with people pleasing).

I, as a therapist, serve my clients.  They don't work for me.

If you live in New York or Pennsylvania and are interested in learning more about working with me in the context of mental health therapy, check out my profile at the Sage in Time website. Unfortunately, I am not able to accept any Managed Medicare or Medicaid, regardless of the branding.

I am a sex-positive AuDHD mental health counselor who specializes in griefwork and relationships, working within the AuDHD space, supporting those of diverse sexual orientations and genders, of those engaged in non-traditional relationship structures, and I offer services to individuals, couples, families, or other systems of multiple individuals.

A special thank you to Melissa Reagan for providing the voice talent over the episode theme music.

Disclaimer: None of the content within the podcast or my website is deemed to be clinical or advisory and is purely for entertainment and educational purposes, even when posed a question in the first or second person ("I" or "you"). Responses are general and hypothetical only. Any content is not deemed to be covered by privacy laws and any participant on the podcast or within other public interaction has given permission for the content to be recorded and distributed.