Differences Between Counseling / Therapy and Mentorship & Personal Development Services Provided by Mainichi Mentorship
Considering that my former profession was being a licensed professional counselor, I believe it is important to really establish transparency that I am not providing counseling services as a mentor. I detail this as clearly as I can on my website and client contract, however, I believe creating a comparison table may be further helpful in defining the differences. My hope with this table is to establish where counseling/therapy can be helpful, as well as where Mainichi Mentorship’s mentorship and personal development services can be beneficial. I believe that both types of services can change people’s lives positively, but for different reasons, under different circumstances, and utilizing different approaches. In a nutshell, I would say that counseling would be the first step in ensuring that you are stabilized from impairment (which is typically the extent that insurance covers), and mentorship and personal development services help take you further in your journey in becoming the best version of yourself beyond functional stability.
| Counseling / Therapy | Mainichi Mentorship |
|---|---|
| A professional, clinical relationship focused on mental health, wellness, and life functioning (aligned with CACREP standards). | A professional, non-clinical partnership focused on life skills training, relationship dynamics, identity exploration, and growth-oriented mindset, built around sustainable, incremental change, moving beyond functional stability and working towards thriving. |
| Can assess, diagnose, and treat mental health conditions (often utilizing the DSM or ICD-10 depending on the country of licensure and practice to guide case conceptualization and treatment planning). | Does NOT diagnose or treat mental health conditions. Focuses on self-understanding and forward movement in the areas that matter to you, along with life skills training. |
| Often explores past experiences to understand current thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Some modalities are present and future focused, but the past often provides context for dysfunction in the present. Dysfunction or impairment in functional domains are the session focus, which are used as the basis for diagnosis and treatment. | Primarily focused on the present and future, emphasizing action and progress. Your current patterns and experiences may come up, but only as context for where you want to go next. Improving and teaching skills regarding life skills training, relationship dynamics, identity exploration, and growth-oriented mindset. |
| Uses evidenced-based therapeutic approaches, such as CBT, DBT, ACT, EMDR, etc. for the purposes of clinical treatment. | Uses goal-setting frameworks, accountability, mindset shifting, and values-based strategies, informed by evidence-based approaches such as Motivational Interviewing, for the purposes of self-actualization. |
| Requires graduate-level training, supervised clinical hours, and state licensure (LPC, LCPC, LMHC, etc) | No universal licensing requirement. However, your mentor holds credentials, education, and skills at the graduate level with nearly a decade of experience. See more here. |
| Bound by legal and ethical regulations (ACA Code of Ethics), including confidentiality laws and mandatory reporting requirements. | Operates under a signed mentorship agreement and informed consent, with confidentiality practices in place. Not a mandated reporter role. |
| Appropriate for clients experiencing emotional distress, mental health symptoms causing functional impairment. Functional impairment domains typically include mental and emotional functioning, social/relational functioning, occupational/work functioning, home functioning, etc. | Appropriate for clients who are generally functioning well but seeking direction, clarity, or growth regarding life skills training, relationship dynamics, identity exploration, and growth-oriented mindset. In the specific case of Mainichi Mentorship, must be age 21 or older. |
| Can address trauma, grief, and psychological disorders in a clinical capacity. | May discuss challenging life circumstances, but does not process trauma clinically. Refers out when necessary, such as in the case of trauma, crisis, or mental health concerns beyond the scope of my practice. |
| Services may be covered by insurance, depending on provider and plan. | Paid out of pocket on a tiered pricing system. Not covered by insurance. |
| Counseling may ask, "What's going on beneath this impairment? Why is this impairment happening, and how do we heal, cope, or stabilize this?" | Mainichi Mentorship may ask, "Who do you want to become, where do you want to go, and how do we build that, one day at a time? What would a meaningful life look like for you?" |
Due to the sensitive nature of counseling, a lot of masking was demanded of me as the provider. I could not be my authentic self in the counseling room for a myriad of reasons, but the main one was that everything had to be in service to the client. I did not want to cause discomfort, distraction, or harm to my clients, and that meant that I constantly had to monitor my facial expressions, vocal tone, word choice, and body language while analyzing what would be most therapeutic and appropriate to the situation, and I could not engage in stimming behaviors or say what was truly on my mind, even if I felt it could be beneficial to the client. As counselors, you are not supposed to impose your own personal values onto the client (see the ACA Code of Ethics), and I felt that if I were to be really direct and honest in what I wanted to say, it would be in violation of this. I understand why this protection is in place, as when people come into counseling or therapy, they tend to be in a more vulnerable and impressionable state in their life and may require a space to feel less influenced and more in touch with what they truly see in themselves and reach functional stability. One of the goals of counseling is to help clients come to their own conclusions, although personally, I think people would really benefit from an external perspective and receive guidance at times, and that is probably why a lot of autistic individuals do not find counseling very helpful if they’re already introspective, and it was a limitation for myself in the counseling space as a client. Overall, I think with the type of support needs I require and the type of personality I have, being a provider in counseling was not meant for me, and that is okay. That is why I retired from counseling and created my own practice grounded in mentorship, based on what I have learned from the different training, skills, and roles I’ve played over the past near decade, along with feedback I’ve received and observed regarding the limitations of counseling.
The difference for me when it comes to mentorship, clients must be in a stabilized state in their life, that they would not be significantly impacted by me existing as a semi-unmasked autistic person in an authoritative role (as a mentor, I am inherently in an authoritative role within the mentorship relationship, and I understand that this comes with a degree of influence and responsibility). I say “semi-unmasked” because I believe that all people mask to certain degrees, with some cultures and identities having proclivities towards higher or lower masking behaviors, regardless of neurotype. While I still mask to a certain extent regardless of the social or professional situations that I am in, I would just like to exist within an occupational paradigm in which I could release a bit of the reins so that I am not under undue pressure or distress.
Furthermore, this is not to say I am a disruptive person by any means, but the level of masking, censorship and self-control required as a counselor working with vulnerable individuals (whether they were autistic, ADHD, or not) caused me a great deal of distress and made it impossible for me to function, to the extent that I was at risk for heart attack and stroke and developed a heart condition. It is important to me that my clients are in a state where they can accept me as an autistic individual, as we end up both benefiting when that is the case. Counseling inherently does not allow this, as the expectation is that the provider always prioritizes the client’s needs (see the ACA Code of Ethics). With mentorship, I expect to have a bit more of an egalitarian relationship dynamic with my clients, and I think that is a fair expectation considering I expect to work with more stabilized and less vulnerable individuals, although again, I acknowledge that the authority still lies on my side inherently as the mentor figure.
As a mentor, I feel more free to lightly stim in front of clients to regulate myself and improve focus when in session, and I feel less self-conscious about the way I word my sentences or how I interact with clients. I am able to slightly unmask while still being very intentional about the way I communicate, listen, and build skills and insight with my clients, whether they are neurodivergent or not (see Testimonials on my website!). This relationship and form of services can be beneficial for autistic folks who also feel that they are already very introspective and maybe feel less benefit from counseling, but are seeking more guidance on building communication, life skills, and direction in life, and getting insight on their experiences that they may be confused about, especially from an experienced and educated autistic individual themselves. And for non-autistic individuals who maybe did not find counseling beneficial, they may find mentorship to be a helpful form of social support and personal development, especially if you already function fairly well (and therefore, insurance will not cover counseling. This does not negate that you still would benefit from support!). I am able to be more direct and tell you my analysis of your focus areas, situations, and dynamics, and I don’t mind giving some advice or personal insight if that is something that you are seeking (I also will not give that to you if that is something you are not looking for – let’s communicate clearly!). Additionally, there is still a stigma attached to counseling in certain cultures, and mentorship may allow people to attain a space to work on themselves without worrying about judgment from their family or peers.
I hope that mentorship can be a mutually beneficial relationship where I am able to continue to support people and help them improve their life satisfaction without sacrificing my sense of self and existence when doing so. When I am able to relax in session, I am able to be my best self, and therefore, you get the best quality of support and services. I am a fairly open book, so if you have any further questions, make sure to book that free initial consultation and intake session, and if you’re already an established client, bring it up in session! And remember, if you’re concerned about the standard session fee price, talk to me about the tiered pricing system – it’s all context driven and not set by a fixed annual salary. Let’s chat soon!