Mission Statement
Lead the way to improving your own life, and we will help
Do you dream, by day or night, of a more content, more effective version of you? Of how work, love and hobbies can be more satisfying? Are you able to imagine, even a little, the way life might feel more like the life you were “supposed” to lead?
Perhaps finding Toltex and reading this far is part of a turning point. Perhaps you only want to talk to someone who won’t judge you, someone who will listen carefully to what you have to say and help you hear for yourself the health and possibility you carry within. No textbook has the key to you, and no expert knows you better than you do. Healing begins with you, but we are here to help make your courage and desire to improve your life go a long way.
Reaching out to others is a big step
Talking to others is a necessary way and one of the best ways to address the problems of life. These include coping with emotional and practical issues, relationship problems, feeling lost and uncertain, being on the edge of an important choice, and trouble finding necessary services. Sometimes help can involve finding practical solutions; sometimes it is about reflecting carefully on feelings and the words that are hard to say – because these are the clues to who we are and what we need.
No theory can teach us more than what we already, in some way, know about ourselves. Sometimes we just need the space to think and speak, and reflect with a caring and expert listener. On some level you probably know that, because you were probably looking for someone who would listen to you in this way when you found our web site.
Who are we?
Toltex is an international organization of mental health professionals of rich and varied backgrounds, dedicated to offering caring, professional guidance and counseling on a wide range of issues. We have had education and experience in helping people cope with nearly every sort of human problem.
We have achieved our education and experience both in school and in life. When you speak with a Toltex counselor, you will be speaking with an educated counselor who is an experienced human being, not someone reciting from a textbook or manual.
What do we believe?
Toltex counselors do not represent any one school of thought regarding the human mind, although we are schooled and interested in many. We do not represent any particular religion - though we pledge to provide utmost respect and support for personal spiritual beliefs. We are of several nationalities and different races of the human race.
No one at Toltex will tell you what you should think, believe, how you should live, or in any way show disrespect for who you are as an individual and as a part of a culture. Each from our own backgrounds, we make up part of a greater culture that is based on the ways we are similar and the ways our differences enrich and challenge one another. This is what makes communication possible and helpful, and one of the most important aspects of being alive.
What do we offer?
Toltex offers counseling by telephone, and, if necessary, by instant messenger and e-mail. We believe the sound of a voice is an important part of understanding one another fully. However, under some circumstances, talking by keyboard can accomplish many positive goals. Your first call will be free of charge. On future calls, you may call whenever you wish, or you may arrange to pay a fixed fee in advance for scheduled sessions with a counselor with whom you feel comfortable.
Traditionally, counseling (including “therapy”, “psychotherapy” and “psychoanalysis”) has been provided in face-to-face situations; this continues to be, where possible, the preferred way. However, in today’s world, it is not always possible or even preferable to go to someone’s office.
Sometimes this is because of privacy, in a small community or where the individual has other personal or professional dealings with available counselors. Sometimes a person may be too uncomfortable to say certain things face to face, and telephone consultations will help make talking about uncomfortable things easier; sometimes there is no way for an individual to access counseling because of where they live; an individual may simply prefer, for no specific reason, to seek help from the comfort and familiarity of home.
How can the Toltex approach help?
The different approaches to counseling – exploring, supporting, relaxing, learning new behaviors – can be done well by counselors who are experienced in helping those who are not sitting in the same room. This requires special skill, but it can be done very effectively, and can help you feel better and deal with life more effectively.
At Toltex, we believe that what we call “tele-counseling” can be an excellent choice for addressing human problems. We have developed approaches that combine the best aspects of traditional, face to face counseling with the special advantages of talking by phone or computer. We offer full and caring attention to those who ask for our help. And, Toltex offers complete confidentiality within the limits of the law.
All methods have limits…
No single aspect of mental health service should be a substitute for other necessary forms of help. Serious problems that endanger your health and/or safety, and of people with whom you may be in contact, need more immediate help that can be found in your community.
We are not a suicide hotline, although we strongly encourage you to call a suicide hotline, or preferably, 911, if you are afraid you may hurt yourself or others. We will always strongly advise our clients to see their doctor for check-ups, to determine whether a physical problem underlies their emotional difficulties and whether medication may be helpful or necessary in addressing the problem.
…but calling Toltex can make a positive difference.
For most people, counseling can be not only helpful, but an essential way of developing understanding, achieving the comfort and healing that comes from working in partnership with a good listener/guide, and learning to identify and act upon ones options for solving problems. Counseling is good exercise and healing for the mind and the spirit.
Our goal is have you leave your consultation knowing more about yourself, your situation and options. You will probably feel better and at very least more hopeful that things will improve, and that there are things you can do and people to call upon. They say that no one is an island. Reach out to us, and we’ll do our very best to make it worth your effort.
