Do you offer phone or video counselling, or just in person?
Currently, due to the pandemic, we are offering video & phone sessions. Please inquire about availability for in-person sessions, as public health & governing college guidelines change with fluctuations in the number of Covid cases.
How will counselling help me? How is it different from talking to a friend?
Counselling/therapy can help you to explore & understand why you feel the way you do, & can help you to resolve problems & learn new ways of coping. Therapists do not generally give advice, but can teach you new skills, & help you to more effectively use the strengths you already have. Therapists have years of training in techniques to help people with various concerns. They learn the theories behind why people think, feel, & behave in certain ways, & can apply these theories to help you to understand & overcome your challenges. Therapists are unbiased, & non-judgemental. We all need the support of friends, but many people do not want to burden them with their problems. Friends are not unbiased, & may want to offer advice which is not grounded in understanding of the problem.
What will my first session be like?
The first session is an intake assessment. The therapist will ask you about why you are coming to seek therapy at this time. They will ask you about your family, your childhood, your current relationship status, your work & leisure time, & what kind of support you have. They will also ask about health issues & drug & alcohol use, as all these things affect our mental health. It may be uncomfortable to answer some of the questions, as you don't know the therapist, but the purpose is to build a picture of each client, so the therapist has a clear idea of the person sitting in front of them, & can draw on their theoretical knowledge to help the client. During the first session, you are also free to ask the therapist questions about how they are going to help you.
What about other sessions?
Each session should build on the previous one. Often the client & therapist will agree on a goal that the client can work on between sessions. How the sessions develop depends a lot of what problems you are dealing with, & you & your therapist may discuss what has developed since the previous session, or you may talk about your childhood, or other aspects of your past.
How many sessions will I need?
That's impossible to answer; everybody is different. It depends on the type of issues you're dealing with, as well as the length of time you've been dealing with them, & their complexity. Sometimes what seems like a fairly straightforward issue will turn out to be more complex, & require more sessions than originally thought. Sometimes people take a break after they have reached a certain point in their therapy, & return after a few weeks.
Do I have to do "homework?"
You don't have to do homework, but it may help if you do. Therapy is rarely a once a week thing; in order to make changes in our lives, we have to do something between sessions. Homework may involve reading or writing, or may be as simple as reaching out to a friend for coffee.
Do you do couples counselling?
No, I'm not trained in couples counselling, but I do see individuals who are struggling with their relationships, but are not ready for couples counselling, or whose partner is unwilling to go. When working with individuals, I can only help with the client's side of the relationship, & how they respond to their partner, I do not give advice on how to change their partner. I have a few couples counsellors that I regularly refer to, when a client is ready.
Currently, due to the pandemic, we are offering video & phone sessions. Please inquire about availability for in-person sessions, as public health & governing college guidelines change with fluctuations in the number of Covid cases.
How will counselling help me? How is it different from talking to a friend?
Counselling/therapy can help you to explore & understand why you feel the way you do, & can help you to resolve problems & learn new ways of coping. Therapists do not generally give advice, but can teach you new skills, & help you to more effectively use the strengths you already have. Therapists have years of training in techniques to help people with various concerns. They learn the theories behind why people think, feel, & behave in certain ways, & can apply these theories to help you to understand & overcome your challenges. Therapists are unbiased, & non-judgemental. We all need the support of friends, but many people do not want to burden them with their problems. Friends are not unbiased, & may want to offer advice which is not grounded in understanding of the problem.
What will my first session be like?
The first session is an intake assessment. The therapist will ask you about why you are coming to seek therapy at this time. They will ask you about your family, your childhood, your current relationship status, your work & leisure time, & what kind of support you have. They will also ask about health issues & drug & alcohol use, as all these things affect our mental health. It may be uncomfortable to answer some of the questions, as you don't know the therapist, but the purpose is to build a picture of each client, so the therapist has a clear idea of the person sitting in front of them, & can draw on their theoretical knowledge to help the client. During the first session, you are also free to ask the therapist questions about how they are going to help you.
What about other sessions?
Each session should build on the previous one. Often the client & therapist will agree on a goal that the client can work on between sessions. How the sessions develop depends a lot of what problems you are dealing with, & you & your therapist may discuss what has developed since the previous session, or you may talk about your childhood, or other aspects of your past.
How many sessions will I need?
That's impossible to answer; everybody is different. It depends on the type of issues you're dealing with, as well as the length of time you've been dealing with them, & their complexity. Sometimes what seems like a fairly straightforward issue will turn out to be more complex, & require more sessions than originally thought. Sometimes people take a break after they have reached a certain point in their therapy, & return after a few weeks.
Do I have to do "homework?"
You don't have to do homework, but it may help if you do. Therapy is rarely a once a week thing; in order to make changes in our lives, we have to do something between sessions. Homework may involve reading or writing, or may be as simple as reaching out to a friend for coffee.
Do you do couples counselling?
No, I'm not trained in couples counselling, but I do see individuals who are struggling with their relationships, but are not ready for couples counselling, or whose partner is unwilling to go. When working with individuals, I can only help with the client's side of the relationship, & how they respond to their partner, I do not give advice on how to change their partner. I have a few couples counsellors that I regularly refer to, when a client is ready.
