Jen McLin Counseling
Psychological Counselor
Master of Science in Neuroscience and Psychology of Mental Health
Evidence-based approaches for better mental health
Offering psychological counseling services in English for adults and adolescents (ages 10-18 years) in the Lausanne area of Switzerland.
I am dedicated to offering my clients therapies that are proven to help. For those who find it difficult to leave work or school during the week, I aim to offer appointments on 1-2 Saturdays of most months, in addition to weekday appointments.
My pursuit of a Master's in Neuroscience and Psychology at King's College London, renowned for its Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience (IoPPN), was driven in large part by a desire to better understand the mind and brain and to learn evidence-based therapeutic methods.
My Approach
Frequently Asked Questions
Sessions can be booked directly online here. To allow me to focus most of my professional time and efforts on client sessions, online booking is preferable. However, should you need to contact me directly by phone (voicemail if I am not available) or email to discuss a booking, please do not hesitate to do so. My contact details can be found here.
The honest answer is ‘it depends’. Some people like to have ongoing, long-term support, whereas other people are looking for a short-term intervention during a particularly difficult situation. Each person and each case are different and therefore it is difficult to predict exactly how long it will take to reach our agreed-upon therapy goals. The more a client engages with the process, the more likely it is to be effective and efficient. I aim to get people out of therapy as soon as possible and to teach people to be their own therapist by empowering them with the tools they need to face their current and future challenges with hope, optimism, skilfulness, and confidence.
In all cases, clients are responsible for paying their session fees. I will send you an invoice following our sessions and the payment is due within 10 days. This invoice can be submitted to your insurance provider to request reimbursement. Whether or not my fees are covered by your insurance depends on the type of insurance you have. International insurance policies and complementary insurance plans may cover part of our session fees. My services are not covered by Swiss basic insurance. I recommend you speak directly with your insurance provider for more information about what they might cover.
If you or your child decide to work with me, I will provide you with more details on confidentiality. Essentially, anything we talk about in therapy will remain confidential between the client and therapist unless the client provides me with explicit permission to share with others. There are a few exceptions to confidentiality. I am required to break confidentiality in situations where I am concerned about your safety or the safety of another person. If your minor child sees me, I typically request you as parent or guardian to waive your right to access information about your child’s therapy in order to allow me to develop trust and maintain confidentiality with your child. This significantly enhances our ability to build a safe therapeutic relationship and to work together successfully. This said, I will always encourage your child to communicate directly and honestly with you about their therapy, when they feel it is helpful. When working with anyone under the age of 18, I will always inform parents/guardians if I have concerns about your child’s safety and, depending on the therapeutic goals identified, I will meet with parents/guardians to get your input and update you on therapeutic progress as well as to discuss ways your child’s progress can be supported both at home and at school.
I hear you. I was once in those shoes too! I was frustrated by the time, effort, and money I had invested in therapies that didn’t seem to be very structured, helpful, or grounded in science. I am committed to providing my clients with evidence-based therapies. With that said, therapy is a two-way street and requires active participation and a strong commitment from both client and therapist. If you come with a commitment to the process, I am confident that together we can make progress toward your therapy goals. If ever I feel my background, training, experience, approach, and/or personality are not a good fit for you, I will be honest with you and will help you to find an alternative solution.
During a mental health crisis-situation, I will always endeavor to make myself available for a call and/or in-person session as soon as possible. If I am not available or you need immediate support, please go to your nearest hospital emergency room. If you are in a vital emergency, please dial 144 for an ambulance (in Switzerland) or 112 (anywhere in Europe). Additionally, you can call one of the Swiss, 24-hour psychiatric emergency lines here.