When they come back you spend a lot of time catching up and explaining the events in your life. The first session will be a lot like that, You will be helping your therapist understand your life, both what is going on overall, what problems you see and what you want to accomplish in therapy, as well as what you see as your strengths and assets. Understanding the complete picture of you helps your counsellor choose techniques and strategies that are right for you.

The ability to talk with someone in confidence is what helps people begin to address their struggles and heal from them. Counselling is to be confidential according to various countries’ laws, as well as the professional organizations’ ethical standards that Counsellors adhere to.

If you have concerns about your confidentiality if, for example, you are an online client and in a different county, please talk with your counsellor so that your concerns may be addressed

This is a common question, but a harder one to answer. Overall counselling is very effective with treating most negative emotions, improving relationships, as well as helping individuals overcome stress, trauma, grief and loss, and destructive behaviours.

If the concern is a medical condition, counselling could be used to help the individual understand and adjust to their new reality, but it wouldn’t change the condition. For example, if a person has a closed head injury and brain damage, they may not be able to think clearly and remember things correctly anymore. Counselling may not be able to change that, but its focus would be on helping that person cope with the stress and adjust to the change in their life’s circumstances.

In the end, counselling can provide many things, but always ask your therapist their assessment and what they think is possible with counselling and what is not.

It is very important to meet with your counsellor regularly. This provides you with the most opportunities to improve your life and to gain the most from the therapeutic process.

You and your counsellor will work out a schedule that is most helpful for you and what fits into your life. We understand that not everyone has the same schedule and some amount of flexibility is necessary. We will strive to make it so that you can attend your sessions regularly and often enough so that you get the most out of it.

Another very common question. Most of the reasons that bring people into counselling can be addressed and handled within a brief time period. This may be a matter of several weeks to a couple of months, and people can get what they want out of counselling..

The key here is what are your own specific goals? Counselling ends when your goals are met and you are satisfied. For some complicated issues, this may require longer-term support. As always, we will seek your input on how long you feel like you need to see someone, and when you feel like you have accomplished what you set out to do.