Mintfour Change LLC

"I was referred to Joyce through my EAP for 5 sessions for couples counseling. When she reaches out to you, it is very impersonal and through email requesting days that you are available. Although couples counseling is not her specialty, we agreed to try her out. On the initial visit, before hearing any of our problems, she told us she was sure that we would need more than 5 sessions. That made me pause. I was initially disappointed in how she approached our situation because when we first met with her, she affectionately told my husband that he reminded her of a friend she had "who was laid back, cool and calm." I felt that imagining her friend in my husband was personal and swayed her objectivity. Throughout the session, it seemed as if everything I said she countered with something I needed to change or a different outlook I should have but never my husband. I acknowledged my issues and explained some of my issues with my husband and her reply was "has he always been this way?" When I told her yes, she shrugged her shoulders as if "why would you expect him to change" but that's why I thought we were seeking counseling? Even with my concerns of her ineffective counseling in the first session, we decided to return for the to the 2nd session. During that session I pointed out my concerns that she was not objective the last time we met. She apologized that I felt that way but I noticed that her questions and suggestions were more balanced during this session. We arrived to our 3rd session but my husband was tired and not engaged. After no more than 5 minutes into the session, Mrs. Winter suggested that we end the session because he was not into it and reconvene at a different date and we agreed. We scheduled for our next session in her office before we left. When we arrived to what we thought was the reconvened, 3rd session, Mrs. Winter told us that we only had one session left because she considered the previous session, that she suggested we end, as the 3rd session and that the current session was our 4th. She stated that we could either pay a no-show/cancellation fee for the session she suggested we end, or pay for an additional session. I told her that she should have explained to us that she was considering the session, that she suggested we end 5 minutes into it, as a full session and we would have stayed the hour. Her reply was "I should have been more clear but I'm not gonna argue with you" and she shrugged her shoulders. I called my EAP to report her business practice and they ended up giving us 5 additional sessions with a new counselor but we have yet to schedule because my experience with Mrs. Minter was not therapeutic at all so I'm reluctant to go through the stress of discussing my relationship issues again only to fall on the ears of a therapist who's only concern is how she can get more money out of us."