1. What is an “EthnicCounselor™” ?

    Ethnic (eth’nik) adj. a) Of or relating to a sizeable group of people sharing a common and distinctive racial, national, religious, linguistic, or cultural heritage

    Counselor (koun’se-lor) n. a) A person who gives counsel; an advisor.
    (Source – American Heritage Dictionary Of English Language 4th Ed.)

  2. Who can be an “EthnicCounselor™”?

    Any person, of any race, religion, ethnicity, or nationality, who is located in the United States.

    All Professional Counselors & Credentials Are Welcome! 

    Social Workers
    Psychologists
    Psychiatrists
    Professional Counselors
    Pastoral Counselors
    Marriage & Family Counselors
     
    LSW, LCSW, Ph.D., Psy,D., LMFT, LPC, LISW, MD, LMSW , A.P.R.N., LCADC, CADC Etc.

    This person can provide independent counseling services or services under supervision.

  3. What does EthnicCounselors.com™ actually do?

    EthnicCounselors.com™ makes it easy for consumers (people of various ethnic groups, nationalities, religions etc.) along with professionals, behavioral health agencies, training centers, schools, hospitals, non-profits, and students to identify and locate professional, licensed “ethnic counselors” with the knowledge, expertise, language(s), specialized skills and services they seek.

  4. Why do you offer an “ethnic” oriented counseling related website?

    Because of the tremendous need for it. The Supplement to the Surgeon General's Report on “Mental Health: Mental Health, Culture, Race, and Ethnicity”, discusses how the cultures that patients come from shape their mental health and affect the types of mental health services they use. The cultures of the clinician and the service system also affect diagnosis and treatment as well. It’s undeniable that cultural differences must be accounted for to ensure that various ethnic groups and minorities, like all Americans, receive mental health care tailored to their needs. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [DHHS], 1999)

  5. What are the top priorities of EthnicCounselors.com™ ?

    Managing Diversity. Facilitating Access. Promoting Professionalism.

  6. How does the site work?

    EthnicCounselors.com™ is a membership driven site. Two types of memberships are offered: 1) Basic which is FREE and; 2) Premium based membership which offers advanced unlimited access to online tools to providers. (FREE FOR THE TIME BEING)

  7. What Benefits come with membership?

    A Basic Membership provides public users with the ability to search our directory of EthnicCounselors.com™ and connect directly with providers of interests. Individual Professional & Agency Memberships are for counselors and service providing agencies ONLY. Basic provider membership provides restricted access and use to the following:

    • Customizable Profiles
    • Searchable Directory Of Providers
    • Job Listings Tool
    • Custom Events Tool
    • Client Appointment Tool
    • Profile Resources & Links
    • Various Search Capabilities
    • Integrated Social Media Platforms
    • Counseling Related Content & Info
    • Direct Messaging & Statistics Tools

     

    A Premium Professional / Agency Membership provides unlimited access to ALL website features.

  8. What makes EthnicCounselors.com™ unique?

    EthnicCounselors.com™ is targeting a unique niche of broad cultural groups in general and various ethnic, racial, linguistic and religious groups in particular. These groups tend to have some difficulty identifying and acessing counselors skilled clinically and culturally. This site provides an easy, accessible FREE way for people (agencies, consumers, students, other professionals etc.) to find a counselor with the specialized skills, training and experience that best suit their cultural needs.

  9. There are many ethnic groups, nationalities, religions etc. How does your site manage so much information and so many variables?

    Given the complexity and dynamic nature of racial and ethnic identification, EthnicCounselors.com™ believes that a person’s racial and ethnic identity is a personal choice. Acculturation, assimilation and global migration have in many cases blurred the ethnic and racial lines normally referenced. The challenge we face is how to “manage” that by creating simple but yet effective ways for people to identify and connect with others from various cultural backgrounds.  

     For example, the descendant of an East Indian immigrant from Trinidad who comes to the United States may identify him/herself nationally as an American citizen, culturally as Trinidadian, racially as Asian, etc. EthnicCounselors.com™ has done its best to use technology, social science and common sense to provide a number of variables that give both Professional Members and consumers more flexibility and choice when it comes to defining who they are without compromising the listing and search processes. We believe our efforts in this area are what truly make what we do more meaningful and unique.

  10. How do I know the counselors listed in your database are properly licensed?

    We at EthnicCounselors.com™ are strong consumer advocates. It is the potential client's responsibility to make sure that the individuals they are seeking counseling services from are properly licensed. To give providers the opportunity for additional transparency, we now give providers the option of having their profile "Verfified" by EthnicCounselors.com. Verification is done at the request of the provider. EthnicCounselors.com cannot and does not guarantee that a verified provider is or has been in good standing with the provider's respective state of licensure after verfication has occured. Verification simply confirms whether a provider is licensed by a particular state and does not address issues related to consumer complaints etc.

    Counselors are required to include all licensing information in their profiles as well to make it easier for their credentials to be verified independently by potential clients and others. 

  11. Why would counselors / agencies want to be members of EthnicCounselors.com™?

    • Our online community makes professional networking quick and easy.
    • Freedom to modify and change their professional profiles as they see fit.
    • Our commitment to work with our members to maximize exposure online and offline.
    • Professional Members can promote other skills and expertise as well. (Are you a trainer? Do you offer  clinical supervision? Are you a public speaker? Etc.)
    • Cost! Free Basic Membership and Our Premium Members get hundreds of dollars worth of services for just pennies a day.
    • We Offer a 100% money back guarantee if you not satisfied with our services for ANY reason. No questions asked.

     

  12. Who does EthnicCounselors.com™ best serve?

    Individual consumers, families, behavioral health agencies, training centers, schools, school districts, hospitals, non-profits, graduate counseling students, trainers, therapists, religious organizations, state agencies, foundations etc.

  13. I see the value of EthnicCounselors.com™ and want to be a part of it. How do I get started?

    STEP #1: Go to the upper right part of the website and click on "Sign Up And Get Listed". 

    STEP #2: Select the type of membership that best describes you: 1) Consumer / User; or 2) Service Professional / Provider

    STEP #3: Provide your full name, select a user name, and provide your email address (Confirmation will be sent to your email address)

    STEP #4: Review Terms of service, check off "Agree" and then click on the "Register" button.

    STEP #5: You will be sent an automated email for confirmation. Check the email account you listed to confirm registration. Click on the link that is in the email. A login window will come up. Login using your username and password.

    STEP #6: Please be sure to go to your profile DASHBOARD and update and complete your profile. This information is what will show up in the search results.