Practitioner record · Checked 7 Oct 2026
James Cole has been in practice 11 years and is licensed in North Dakota. James lists stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and family conflicts among 16 subjects on the BetterHelp roster.
Everything below is either quoted from James's own BetterHelp listing, taken from public licensing records, or written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such. Nothing here is an availability promise, a review, or a rating.
01 · Who James works with
James lists 16 specialisms. Specialisms are the subjects James chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.
02 · In James's own words
Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.
Welcome!
My name is Michael Cole (James) and I am a licensed mental health professional. I offer my services here as a part-time, private practice contractor. I hold multiple degrees including a Master's in Social Work and I am currently a doctoral candidate studying advanced clinical social work. I hold multiple licenses to practice as an independent mental health professional (LICSW/LCSW) in various states.
My approach to services is eclectic in nature, which is to say that I shift my approach to meet your needs, whatever those may be. I do not believe in "cookie-cutter approaches" to this kind of work as each person is unique as are their needs and goals. I strive to be culturally informed and desire to provide competent support to all persons in need.
You deserve a clinician that you can trust and who is focused on your specific needs. You deserve someone who will hold space for you, who will not cast judgement, and who will work with you to help you determine what the best path forward looks like. These things are what I strive to provide to every client I see.
I am very excited to meet you and to get started on addressing the concerns/issues that brought you in to see me. Please, don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
PLEASE NOTE: I do not offer "messaging sessions" and due to my limited availability I mandate that clients only book sessions that they can keep as no-shows, late cancels, and late appearances will result in my having you find another provider to work with who can accommodate such things. While there are some people who don't care for this approach, this policy is the best way that I have found to be equally fair to all clients.
Thank you for reading up on me. I hope to connect with you soon.
James Cole, on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Oct 2026
03 · What happens next
James practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of James's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.
BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking James at this point.
BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for James is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to James.
You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.
A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.
Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.
04 · Before you commit
Built from what James actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not James's - James has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.
“How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”
Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.
“How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”
On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.
05 · Practical details
06 · Provenance
James's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 7 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.
The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.
Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met James. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.
Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.
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