When looking for a counselor in South Carolina it can be quite difficult to even know where to begin. There are all these funny letters after people’s names and really you are just looking for help rather than trying to figure out the complexities of insurance or if Cognitive Behavioral therapy or Existential Psychotherapy is actually helpful. Also it is hard not to worry about if you are making a mistake selecting one person over another. This guide hopes to help take some of the mystery out of the question so that you can start to find the help you are looking for.
Your Step By Step Guide
Start With Your Goals
This might seem obvious but the best first step is actually to start with your goals for counseling. What are you hoping to work on. This can help you clarify what sort of therapist you might find. So the questions you might ask yourself are:
- Is there a specific issue I am trying to work on?
- Is this issue a symptom of a possible mental health issue?
- Is this a Relationship or an Individual problem
- Would my partner or spouse go with me to counseling?
- If I made 3 specific improvements after 3 months of counseling, what would they be?
Now that we have know the goal we are looking for in counseling we can begin to ask the question of what sort of clinician we should work with.
What are the Different Types of Therapists?
One of the most confusing aspects of Therapists is that there are so many different types of licenses that do things differently but also not. In South Carolina there are three types of Masters level counselors, meaning those who have a masters in counseling or a related field. They are:
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
All of these have slightly different trainings and philosophies on how to work with clients. For example a LPC is trained to work with Individuals and Groups, where an LMFT is trained to work with couples and families. Here is the really difficult part: LPCs can work with couples and often do, and LMFTs can work with individuals and often do. The specific license is not as important as the fact that the therapist went through the effort to get it, and is accountable to the licensing board for their work.
Use Reputable Directories
It is not a bad idea to start by looking at directories that therapists go to in order to advertise themselves. Places such as Psychology Today or TherapyDen. These sites require the therapists to pay a fee monthly in order to get listed. This also gives the therapist the opportunity to show what sorts of clients they are able to work with. Most importantly for us, it gives perspective clients the ability to find a lost of Therapists in one site.
Start with what are you specifically looking to work on. Then ask if the client has a background that would apply to your specific issues. Finally, look for options like a free consultation.
Do A Test Drive - Do A Consultation
You wouldn’t buy a car without doing a test drive first. It should be the same with a counselor. It is very important that the counselor you are seeing is the right “fit”. What this means is that you believe that this person is actually going to be able to help you and has the expertise and experience to do it. Most counselors will offer a free 20 minute consultation, and so you should ask them if they are able to offer a free consultation.
What Are Red Flags & Green Flags
Red Flags in Counseling
Unlicensed Providers
Believe it or not there are still people who don’t take the step to get licensed to practice counseling. For whatever reason they will tend to use unregulated titles like “relationship coach” or “trauma coach”, “holistic healer”. These are unregulated terms and so you don’t really know what you are dealing with. It is far better to find people that you know are licensed and are competent.
Vague Pricing
When you invest in yourself you need to know what you are getting yourself into. There needs to be clarity about that. Sometime therapists are not upfront about their pricing in the first phone call or during the consultation. If in a consultation the counselor doesn’t tell you that it will be $— then you need to ask yourself if you want to be working with them.
Poorly Trained or Using Veg or Unproven Treatments
There is a massive amount of clinical modalities that counselor can be trained in. There are, however, only a few that are actually evidence based. These modalities have undergone rigorous review by a number of studies in order to find out if they actually prove that they work. If someone cant or wont tell you want modality they use RUN!!!!
Green Flags
Specialization
Counselors who are truly specalized and have undergone the necessary training and experience to work with your specific goals are by far the most effect. Unfortunetly many Counselors maintain very low caseloads or do not undergo ongoing trainings to be at the top of their games. By way of example, many of our counselors spend multiple weeks a year in conferences, and hold multiple masters degrees in related fields to be at the top of their game.
Transparency
Do you feel that your counselor is being honest with you and upfront about your issues and their ability to help. Often times this comes through the discussion of a treatment plan that outlines specific goals and progress towards those goals.
Cultural/Spiritual Understanding
Your counselor doesn’t need to agree with you about every single detail of your spiritual practice. They do, however, have to respect your spiritual and cultural beliefs. If they are unable to do that, then they will be dictating to you what you should do or believe. This is the role of a priest or a pastor, but not the role of a therapist.
Understanding South Carolina Options
Finding the right counselor in South Carolina requires an understanding of what is available. Whether you’re in Charleston, Greenville, or tucked away in a quite corner of the Lowcountry, there are ways to connect with care that fits your life and your values.
Telehealth Counseling
For many people, online therapy is the most flexible and consistent way to get help. South Carolina allows licensed therapists to meet with clients anywhere in the sate though secure video sessions. So whether you are in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville or anywhere else, you can see a trained therapist.
It is also important to say that thanks to telehealth you are able to see specialists who don’t happen to be in your city or even South Carolina. That is one of the exciting aspects of telehealth. Our therapists have seen clients in a host of States and even Countries where we are able to help people in the comfort of their homes.
Faith-Informed Counseling
South Carolina has a strong spiritual tradition, and many people want counseling that honors that part of their life. If your faith is important to you, it can help to find a counselor that understands that language. A Counselor who can hold both psychological and spiritual realities together with care and respect.
Lets Get Started!
If you’re ready to begin counseling with a licensed therapist in South Carolina, you can book a free consultation here or learn more about our approach to individual counseling, couples counseling and upcoming groups.
Our South Carolina Counselor
Basil Ryan Balke MA MTh. LPC
Basil Ryan Balke brings an uncommon blend of spiritual sensitivity, psychological depth and clinical expertise to his work. With over a decade of experience seeing clients; He serves individuals, couples, families and groups. He helps them flourish with a formation-mindset of healing and growth. He holds a Masters in Clinical Counseling (MA) from Regis University (2016), a Masters of Theology (MTh) from the University of Balamand, and holds advanced specializations in marriage issues.
Rooted in the Christian tradition, his approach honors client’s spiritual journey while embracing contemporary psychological science.
He also loves working with people as a South Carolina Counselor
About The Author
Basil Ryan Balke MA, LPC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor providing therapy for adults, couples, and families across, Colorado, Iowa, South Carolina, Wyoming, Washington, Ohio, Oregon and much of Canada through secure online sessions. He is the founder of Mount Tabor Counseling, a faith-informed counseling practice founded in 2016.
With more than a decade of experience, Basil Ryan specializes in helping clients navigate anxiety, relationship challenges, and spiritual or existential concerns. His approach integrates evidence-based methods such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and the Gottman Method for couples with a deep respect for each person’s faith, values, and story.
Outside of counseling, Basil serves as a Deacon in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA and teaches courses on pastoral counseling and spiritual formation. His work bridges the best of modern psychology and the ancient Christian understanding of healing and growth — helping people move toward wholeness, peace, and freedom.