In our first meeting together we spend about 15 minutes attempting to get to know each other and to gain a basic understanding of the situation (sometimes we can spend more time, depending on the schedule). The purpose of this meeting is to discern whether we have compatible personalities and whether the issue is one that can be helped through philosophical counseling. Simple issues can often be handled in the first meeting, but more complicated ones generally take two to six.
Please follow these six steps to schedule our first meeting (subsequent ones are easier):
1. Read the philosophical counseling agreement. This is very important! Requesting a meeting with us indicates that you have read, understand, and agree to our philosophical counseling agreement.
Click here to read the agreement
2. You need a video chat device. Many mobile phones, laptop computers, desktop computers and pad-style computers have video chat abilities -- a camera, microphone, software, etc. -- already installed. If you do not have access to video chat, we can talk by telephone, but video is much better.
3. Set up an account with Skype. It is free, and is our preferred method of video communication. Many devices already have Skype installed. If there is some reason that you cannot set up a Skype account, we can also converse via Google Video Chat (Hangout). When you make your appointment, we'll need to know the email address you used when setting up your Skype account so that we can look you up and make contact.
Click here to open a new window to Skype.com, There you can download it, install it, set it up, etc. Once you've done so, please:
3a. Confirm that your video-chat is working. Try contacting a friend, etc.
3b. Within Skype, request contact with viapotentia@gmail.com. This is the e-mail address associated with our skype account name, philosophical.counseling. Requesting this link in advance will make it easier when it is time to have our meeting.
3b. Within Skype, request contact with viapotentia@gmail.com. This is the e-mail address associated with our skype account name, philosophical.counseling. Requesting this link in advance will make it easier when it is time to have our meeting.
4. Complete the intake form, below. We will review this form prior to the meeting, and use it as a means of pre-screening the situation. Yes, there is a lot in this form. There are a few reasons for that:
- It helps us determine beforehand whether this issue is something we can address productively via philosophical counseling.
- In many cases, just thinking through these questions helps the applicant discern insights into the issue, his beliefs, values, etc., and how these are interacting.
- Frankly, it filters out people who aren't really serious.
5. Schedule the meeting (FINALLY!). Click here to open up the scheduling site in a new window and request an appointment. (You can just go straight to the scheduling site to make future appointments.)
