Welcome to my practice and thank you for reaching out! I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to work with you and be a part of your journey.
If you are familiar with my work, then I’m sure you already know my passion for counseling. I believe we can all use some help to navigate life’s sometimes troubled waters but also to help us understand relationships and ourselves.
Before scheduling a session or messaging there is important information that you need to be familiar with to make educated decisions about your care. This is called “informed consent and disclosure”. In order for me to provide you with counseling or communicate with you, ethical guidelines require me to share the process, limitations, potential risks and benefits, scheduling, fees and billing, and otherwise what to expect in counseling with you. You can read more about me at https://DrVic.org or email me and ask anything and we’ll cover much of it in our first session. By license I am a Professional Counselor in NM and MI with reciprocity in other states, please ask me if it applies to you. I am a Certified Reality Therapist through the William Glasser Institute, and doctoral level psychologist.
I want you to know that I am here to listen and support you. I am committed to sharing the best information that my years of training, education, and experience can offer to help you be successful towards your goals. Our work together will be a partnership that will require your commitment to the process towards making the changes that are defined as meaningful by you.
I will strive to create an environment of trust and respect in which growth and movement forward can occur. It is necessary that we establish a relationship in which you can trust and express your feelings freely and completely. Please be as open as you can in order for us to navigate authentically through this joint effort and journey. If there are areas that you are not ready or comfortable to talk about you should feel free to tell me that and I will follow your lead and preferences.
I approach counseling as an educational self-discovery process and believe that you are ultimately in charge of steering your own ship. Tell me where you want to go, and we’ll work together to find the most effective coordinates to steer by to get you there. This doesn’t mean we won’t hit some icebergs, we will. It is a part of the healing and recovery journey. Remember, there is no magic pill, quick fix, or guarantee in counseling or psychotherapy to address life's challenges but there are solutions that you can choose to apply or new perspectives to embrace.
You are your own best expert in YOU and only YOU have the power to make the changes you want to make.
Many people google their health challenges and set expectations that may not be helpful based on the general information that the internet provides. Your experience can seem similar to someone else's, or meet certain criteria, when it is in fact not because you are unique. Comparing your situation or timeline to others or online information can complicate your counseling experience and limit understanding of your unique needs within your context and history.
Although our sessions may include sharing of psychological and emotional content, it is important to realize that we have a professional relationship rather than a personal one. Our contact will be limited to counseling sessions and messaging per ACA and APA Codes of Ethics. It is important to remember that you are experiencing me only in a professional role and context.
https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf
https://www.apa.org/ethics/code
It will take a little bit for us to get to know one another and for me to understand what information may be most beneficial to share with you. The more specific you can be the better. It’s the small things that can make a big difference in our everyday lives especially when something big is demanding our attention.
Everything matters and what you think and feel are the most important ingredients. It can be difficult to disclose our inner thoughts but those are what fuel and drive what we do. I'm not here to judge, analyze, or critique anyone. I have no agenda or bias except what you decide is important and meaningful to you for your life. Our work will only be as limited as the degree to which you share information with me.
Feel free to ask questions about anything at any time. Counseling is a change process that involves sharing information to understand a problem and develop the best strategy to address it. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming and frustrating. It is important to talk about it when you feel like things are not going the way you were hoping in the counseling process. We can work to make the necessary adjustments to customize the experience and make it work for you.
By reaching out to me, and/or agreeing to counseling, you acknowledge and understand the above information and that:
Counseling is a process that involves unconditional positive regard and being person-centered. This means that there are no hidden agendas or biases. Your world view matters and the counselor is not a judge and jury or here to analyze and critique. This is about your life experience and making it work.
A counselor may challenge you but also empower you, this is my mission. This is a part of the work and a process of change. It is an exchange of information. What you know and what the counselor knows.
Services are limited to scheduled sessions.
Informed consent is a living document with conditions that may change. You will be notified of any changes in writing. Feel free to ask questions at any time.
If referring someone you understand that you will not be able to know whether they followed up or not due to confidentiality laws. You will neither be able to find out if they are in counseling nor if they scheduled an appointment. If you have family or friends that mention that they also see me, I can still not comment on whether that is true or discuss any of those interactions unless you AND they have signed a “RELEASE OF INFORMATION (ROI)” Form. Confidentiality and Privacy are of utmost importance.
Counseling is a process that may require your regular commitment for optimal results. Ultimately you are in charge of what you want to implement in your life relative to your thoughts, behavior, and feelings. Only you can make decisions about your life. There are no guarantees with services provided.
The average time for basic counseling is generally 20 sessions depending on history and goals. However, my clients tend to return as needed for monthly or annual check-ins or transition to basic life or executive coaching. Try to remove any time pressures or expectations you set for yourself and keep an open mind in the counseling process. Your life experience is most important and can be unique compared to others. Please note that psychotherapy can take significantly longer. We will work together to establish the right approach for you in our first few sessions.
For optimal counseling results it is recommended that one session per week is scheduled for the first 12 weeks.
All sessions are conducted online via video conference. You can use your phone or a computer. Whichever is most convenient for you. If you are using a phone, please be sure to secure it when on the call to avoid disruptive movements. You must have a steady and strong signal to participate in sessions fully. It is important that you are in a safe and secure environment that is void of distractions or other people to ensure your confidentiality and privacy. A separate technology information document will be sent to you before your first session.
Session costs range between $55 - $125 dollars depending on the type of counseling and length of sessions. Basic counseling begins at $55 per session for 30-45 minutes, a full psychotherapy session runs $75 for a 45-60 minute-session.
Although I am trained and experienced in psychiatric diagnosis, I use a non-diagnostic model in practice. I will only provide a psychiatric mental evaluation and diagnosis by request, if circumstances warrant it, or a report requires it.
I use a person-centered and holistic model with a theoretical base that stems from evolving psychological research rather than prepackaged tools limited to diagnostic categories. I focus on these areas: physiology of behavior, cognitive, humanistic/existential principles, developmental and lifespan processes, and Choice Theory.
Counseling services are self-pay unless prior agreement or contract has been made with a third-party payor (crime victim’s unit, EAP, or other trauma related support service). I do not bill insurance directly. Monthly reimbursement statements are provided on the 15th of every month for the previous month so you can submit to your insurance carrier.
You have been provided HIPAA information at https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/index.html
In the event that your mental health requires additional emergency attention, or if you have an emotional crisis, you will need to reach out to the appropriate emergency resources including one of the following:
Go to the nearest local urgent care center
Call a community mental health center or contact the national or international treatment locator for inpatient facilities and community mental health centers at: https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/
Contact the national hotline to talk to someone at: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/talk-to-someone-now/
If you are outside of the United States utilize: https://www.betterhelp.com/gethelpnow/
National Domestic Hotline https://www.thehotline.org/
Any crisis communication will result in a $125 charge payable within 7 days.
Online counseling services may not substitute in-person psychological services, mental health assessments, or other psychiatric treatment. Evaluations can be scheduled at an additional cost at $150 per hour. Some assessments can take up to four hours spread over several sessions. All range of mental health evaluations are available, please let me know if you have questions.
Communication through messages is asynchronous unless scheduling a video session. This means that when sending a message, the response will NOT be immediate. Messages are responded to during the office hours as noted on my website.
There are no Chat/Text/Phone options for counseling except by special request and arrangement.
Support is limited to video & messages as scheduled and both require signed informed consent forms be signed and submitted. You are not a client until you have signed and submitted those forms.
Messaging is mainly to communicate any changes or updates between sessions and should not be utilized as the primary modality for services provided.
Client portal access is free, it is a standard doctor/patient system. There are no subscription costs.
Sessions can be scheduled through the client portal and payable on the day of your session.
The online technology platform that is used is not managed by DrVic/VOLConsulting.
Online payment information is only disclosed to the technology administrators at and is not accessible to DrVic/VOLConsulting.
DrVic/VOLConsulting does not manage or have authority over login access, passwords or any other administrative process within the client portal technology and cannot be held liable for its operations.
Your information and file are retained by the technology owner and not DrVic/VOLConsulting except for your session information.
Reports or letters relative to disability claims, unemployment, court orders, or mental health evaluations and assessments, are available at an additional cost to cover time and effort for processing, file review, writing, and any applicable delivery fees. The costs run between $125-$300 per report and are payable at time of request. Timeline for delivery is 7-10 business days from evaluation (not request).
Some conditions and circumstances may require specialized treatment that online services are not suitable for. Additionally, sometimes these are not initially known and may only surface and be revealed after services have begun. This may result in a referral or transfer for more appropriate care or relevant expertise. If your counselor should determine that you may be better served by another provider, you will be notified in writing to allow a smooth transition and relevant care coordination/continuity of care. That will also include a free termination session to give you time to ask questions and understand the change.
You can terminate services whenever you need to. Seeking counseling is voluntary.
You schedule your appointments as needed through the portal and set your reminder preferences. If you do not find a time that works for you, please send me a message to explore other times and dates.
The information shared through messaging, video meeting, or other communication modality is confidential except in the following circumstances: If you present a danger to yourself or others, are engaging in acts that require mandated reporting of abuse of children or elders, or if you sign a release of information.
Privacy is limited by the access you have on your computer, your internet connection, and physical location, and is not in the control of the counselor. It is recommended that you secure a private space and computer to participate in sessions.
You may be required to show proof of ID upon signing up for services by scanning/uploading a picture of both sides of your driver’s license. Your information will be housed in the designated technology of the client portal.
Online media clause: I participate in social media, write books/articles, and host podcasts. Please be aware that if you “follow me”, comment on posts, or recommend/refer friends or colleagues it may compromise your privacy and limit confidentiality. I do not Google, lookup, or follow clients or their affiliations online in order to maintain confidentiality. I will neither confirm or deny whether someone is being seen in my practice or not. I simply cannot comment on that in order to protect privacy. Likewise, if we see each other in public I will not initiate a conversation so to avoid you having to explain how you know me. Your privacy and confidentiality are of utmost importance to me.
We will take it one step at a time in order to work towards sustainable solutions. My goal is to get you information that you can use outside of our sessions and independently into the future to be successful. Some clients stay with me for months or years while others pop in and out as needed for specific life challenges. There is no formula or “should’s” that you must follow.
Thank you for letting me take this journey with you.
Best,
Vicki
V. Lännerholm, Psy.D. (ABD), LPCC, LPC, NCC, CTP/CRT
Choice Theory Psychologist and Reality Therapist
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
LPCC #CCMH0196831
LPC #6401017810
VOL Consulting LLC, Online Private Practice
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://drvic.org/
PH: 505-225-1317 (Messaging Service)