What to Expect
Whether you’re considering trying out counselling for the first time, or you’ve been to see another therapist in the past, you may be curious about what the process might look like.
Although your experience will be uniquely tailored to your personal situation, there are certain predictable elements that can be discussed here.
First Things First
Before scheduling your first appointment, you may wish to book a free 20 minute consultation. This gives you and your therapist a chance to meet, learn a bit about one another, chat about your primary reasons for seeking therapy, and determine whether your therapist’s experience and clinical orientation are a good fit for working with your particular areas of concern.
Some things your therapist might ask you about during the 20 minute consultation include:
What led you to seek counselling, and what do you hope to get out of our time working together?
Have you had any past experience with counselling or other forms of mental health treatment?
Do you have any insurance that covers counselling, and in particular with a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC)?
Which days and times are you available to meet?
Some things you might consider asking your therapist:
What is your clinical orientation (approach to counselling)?
What frequency would you recommend for our appointments?
Do you have experience working with the areas I am struggling in?
Any other questions or concerns you may have
Moving Forward
Depending on your preference and availability, your sessions may either occur in person, on the phone, or over video chat.
The first session will offer an opportunity for you and your therapist to get to know one another, and for you to share a more detailed account of your background and present situation. This session is also a great opportunity for you to ask any questions you might have about the therapy process, or anything else that’s on your mind.
In the sessions that follow, you and your therapist will continue to collaboratively explore your story as it relates to past, present and future events, as well as your inner experience through a bio-psycho-social lens. As you begin to form a stronger and more trusting working relationship, there may be opportunities for your therapist to challenge you on certain beliefs or patterns when appropriate. These patterns are often ones that developed at a time when they were adaptive in the moment, but may not be serving you in an optimal way in the present. In this way therapy itself can be viewed as a mindfulness exercise, helping to cultivate open and nonjudgmental curiosity towards thoughts, beliefs, feelings, behaviours, and relationships. As you identify particular areas of concern, your therapist may offer some psycho-education, coping mechanisms or resources to help you deepen your understanding of your lived experience.
Given the highly individualized nature of counselling, an important part of the process will be working collaboratively with your therapist to determine what is going to work best for you. Any and all questions are encouraged.