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Access Counseling

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Access Counseling

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Providing mental health services to children and their families of our community since 2005

02/06/2026

Client says something concerning in session. Do I handle this? Or refer out?

Your brain thinks you should handle everything. You’re terrified of seeming incompetent. Or abandoning your client. So you stay in over your head. And hope it works out.

But here’s what I notice. New therapists don’t know where their scope ends. So they do crisis work they’re not trained for. Or they refer out too quickly. Both create problems.

Here’s what to ask before every crisis moment:

Am I trained for this level of risk? If you haven’t had crisis intervention training yet, refer. Period.

Does my liability insurance cover this? Check your policy. Some exclude high-risk populations.

Can I provide adequate follow-up? If you see clients once a week or bimonthly and they need daily check-ins, that’s not your scope.

Do I have backup? Consultation group? Supervisor available on call? If you’re alone, you may need to reconsider.

What does my gut say? If you’re scared, that’s information. Listen to it.

You’ll stop taking on cases that keep you awake at night. You’ll refer confidently rather than feel guilty. And you’ll know the difference between stretching your skills and drowning.

God calls us to be faithful stewards of our gifts. Part of that faithfulness is knowing when a client needs someone with different training.

The confusion about your scope? Gone. The fear you’re abandoning clients? Replaced with clear boundaries.

Save this for crisis moments. Free Know Your Scope checklist in bio.

Have you ever stayed in over your head with a client? (Be honest - we’ve all done it)

02/02/2026

20 clients this week. Notes due same day. You’re already drowning.

You’re scared you’ll forget what they said. Or miss something important. Or fall behind and lose your job.

So you try to write perfect notes between sessions. But clients are back-to-back. You have 10 minutes. Anxiety starts creeping in.

Here’s the real cost: You’re still writing notes at 8pm daily. Missing downtime. Missing fun. The guilt if you turn in your notes late.

Here’s the pattern I see: New therapists think same-day means perfect notes immediately after a session.

But insurance compliant notes don’t need to be perfect right away. They need to be captured, then structured.

Try this two-step system:

Step 1: Bullet capture (2 minutes after session) Write 3-5 bare-bones bullets while client details are fresh. Just facts. No formatting.

Step 2: Template fill (end of day) Drop bullets into your template structure. Fill in the blanks. Done in 10 minutes per note.

You’ll close your laptop by 5:30 instead of 8pm. Actually show up for dinner. Stop carrying that knot of Sunday-night dread into every week. And your notes will still be compliant.

What’s your biggest struggle with same-day documentation? (Be honest - we’ve all been there)

01/21/2026

University of ________, they taught you the theory. But not how to actually do the job.

Here’s the thing. Your degree taught you the concepts. Frameworks. Best practices.

But it didn’t teach you how to finish work in a reasonable time. Or respond to formal requests professionally. Or set boundaries without apologizing.

So the first few times, you panic. Spend hours on tasks that should take minutes. Google ‘what to do if’s’ at 10 pm. Undercharge or overcommit constantly.

Your go-to thought is that you should already know this stuff.

But you’re not doing anything wrong. The training just has gaps.

Here’s what I noticed working with new professionals: They don’t need more theory. They need practical systems for the stuff nobody teaches.

That’s why I offer resources. Documentation templates. Professional formatting. Workflow structures.

Not to replace mentorship, which is vital. To fill the gaps between what the school taught and what the job actually requires.

You’ll finish work in less time. Respond to requests without panic. Set your fees and schedules with confidence.

The guilt about not knowing some stuff? It disappears when you realize it’s not your fault.

What did school NOT prepare you for? (Comment below - let’s make a list)

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01/19/2026

New therapists doubt 47 things before their first client.

Your brain thinks doubt keeps you safe.

If you question everything, you won’t make mistakes.

But here’s what actually happens.

The doubt never stops.

It just gets louder.

Monday: Did I say the right thing?

Tuesday: Am I even qualified?

Wednesday: Everyone else seems confident.

Friday: I’m definitely getting sued.

Here’s what I notice working with new therapists.

The doubt isn’t so much about skills.

It’s more about proof.

Your brain needs evidence that you’re capable.

Try this Monday morning.

Before your first session.

Write ONE thing you know you’re good at.

Read it before each client.

You’ll walk into sessions grounded.

Not shaky.

You’ll stop replaying conversations for 3 hours.

You’ll actually enjoy Friday.

Instead of dreading Monday.

What’s your biggest doubt this week?

Comment honestly. We’ve all been there.

01/12/2026

Used to text clients back at 7pm. Felt “responsive.”

Then I realized I was teaching them I had no boundaries.

Here’s what changed:

I stopped answering client texts after 6pm. Full stop.

Not because I’m mean. Because boundaries teach clients how therapy works.

When I respond at all hours, I’m teaching them work has no end, their crisis is always my emergency, healthy people sacrifice themselves. That’s not therapy. That’s codependency.

Now my voicemail says: “I return non-urgent messages within 24 business hours. For crisis support, call 988 or 911.”

And you know what happened?

Clients adjusted. They planned ahead. They used their coping skills.

The work got better because I modeled what I was teaching.

If you’re answering texts at 7pm, you’re not being a good therapist. You’re being available.

Those aren’t the same thing.

Try it for one week. 6pm cutoff for non-urgent communication. See what shifts.

What time do you stop responding to clients? (honest answers only)

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01/10/2026

Burnout isn’t a you problem. It’s a systems problem.

Used to think ‘Not sure this is what I’m supposed to be doing’. Staying up late doing notes most nights and skipping lunch some days, bringing work stress home. Thought if I just worked harder, got better at time management, and learned to focus more, it would click.

Then one night I’m staring at my laptop at 9 pm, still working on notes from that afternoon’s sessions, and it just hit me: This isn’t sustainable. Something has to change.

That’s when I realized: I’m not failing the system. The system is failing me.

Most agencies expect 25-30 client hours per week plus documentation, treatment planning, care coordination, and professional development, all in a 40-hour week. The math doesn’t work. It never did. You’re not constantly behind because you’re incompetent. You’re behind because you were handed an impossible equation and told to solve it.

Here’s what actually changed: I stopped writing from scratch and started using templates I could fill in. My notes went from 30 minutes to 8 or less. Lately, I can close my laptop before 7 pm and don’t think about work the rest of the night.

I’m grateful I stopped believing the lie that I had to suffer to be good at this work. Some of the templates I built for myself are in my bio if you want to try them. But the real shift? Believing I deserved to finish my work and actually go home.

You’re not the problem. The expectations are.

Save this if you needed to hear it today. What’s one system you wish worked better for you?

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01/08/2026

Parent hands you a letter from their lawyer asking you to “document everything.” Here’s how to stay ethical.

Your documentation should reflect clinical observations, treatment interventions, and progress. Not legal strategy. You’re not an investigator, and your notes aren’t meant to prove anyone’s case.

When custody comes up:

Document what you observe in session
Note what the client reports
Record your clinical interventions
Keep language factual and behavioral
Don’t speculate about outcomes or fitness
Your role is clinical. The documentation reflects that role.

If you’re asked to testify or provide records, consult your lawyer or supervisor before you respond. Not after your notes are already written with the courtroom in mind.

My Court Templates walk through ethical documentation for high-conflict cases. They’re linked in bio if you need them.

Has this request landed on your desk yet? Comment below.

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01/07/2026

Left session feeling like a total failure?

Session went sideways. Client looked disappointed. Now you’re replaying every word you said.

Convinced you’re in the wrong field.

I used to stress out for days after a bad session. Couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t focus on the next client. Just kept replaying what I should have said differently.

Showed up to my next client still going over the session with the last one. Wasn’t fully present. That made it worse.

Here’s what I learned:

Bad sessions don’t mean you’re bad at therapy. They tell you that you’re learning and that you care.

The therapists who never doubt themselves? They’re not paying attention.

I still have sessions that feel off. Difference now? I don’t stress about it for 3 days. I talk with a peer. I show up for the next client.

Save this for your next doubt spiral.

The session that made you spiral the longest? Drop your story. Let’s normalize this together.

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01/05/2026

Client meltdown in session 3.

Note deadline at 5pm.

I had no idea what was “safe” to write.

What do I document when they’re sobbing so hard they can’t breathe? When that mandated teen refuses to say a single word? When everything I planned goes sideways?

Year 1, I’d stare at my blank progress note for 20 minutes. Terrified I’d write too much. Scared I’d write too little.

Everyone else seemed to know what they were doing.

Just me, stressing out.

Here’s what changed:

Document the crisis behaviors I observed. Document my interventions. Document the client’s response. Document safety planning if needed. Keep it clinical and brief.

I don’t need to capture every tear. I don’t need a transcript. I need enough to show I responded appropriately.

This cut my crisis note time from 30 minutes to 8.

Home by 6 pm instead of staying late, spiraling over what to write.

Now, when a client melts down? I’m present with them. Not already panicking about the note.

The structures I actually use are in bio if you need them too.

Real talk: Do you still panic about crisis notes? Or was it just me back in the first few years? Drop your story, I promise you’re not alone.

newgradtherapist therapistlife documentationtips agencytherapist therapistburnout mentalhealth clinicaldocumentation therapytools licensedtherapist therapistresources clinicalwriting soapnotes therapiststruggles crisisintervention documentationhelp

Address

804 S Garnett Street
Henderson, NC
27536

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 5pm
Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 1pm

Telephone

+12529158966

Website

http://myaccesscounseling.com/

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