Frequently Asked Questions
Sessions are 60 minutes in length for individual sessions and 75 minutes in length for some couple counselling sessions.
The response to this question is determined by a variety of factors (e.g., the severity of your mental health concern, the specific therapeutic goals you present, your desire to continue with therapy, your mental health background etc.). You and your therapist will work collaboratively to develop a tailored therapeutic plan that suits your needs and goals. This is a dynamic process. As you make progress, we will revisit your plan and make changes as needed. We have worked with timeframes that run the gamut from one session to ongoing weekly/bi-weekly appointments over an extended period of time. It is important to note that you play an important and active role in determining what your therapeutic plan looks like.
The therapeutic relationship is one of the most important factors in determining therapeutic outcomes. The first appointment is when the relationship building and laying the foundation begins. This appointment is a combination of learning more about the therapist, the therapist learning more about you, reviewing key privacy policies and establishing therapeutic goals. This is a great time to ask questions of your therapist about their approach, what you can expect, the scheduling process, frequency of appointments etc. If the more administrative elements of the appointment are more brief, you may also begin to explore the mental health concern that brought you to therapy, how long you’ve been impacted by this concern and your therapeutic goals. If time permits, you might briefly be asked about your family history, past and present mental health concerns, current lifestyle, home environment etc. These are just a few standard things that are typically discussed to begin building the rapport and paint a picture of your concern. How the first session unfolds is collaborative and largely dependent on the client’s own comfort and readiness to explore particular issues.
YOUR FIRST SESSION
Before you got here
This can be very difficult time because the prospect of change can be very scary and uncomfortable. We will do all that we can to make it less scary.
This is very normal and occurs more frequently than clients think. This is not a deal breaker and should not be a deterrent in seeking support. A part of your therapist’s role is to listen intently, gauge their client’s level of comfort, ability to process and articulate their concerns. Your therapist is trained to ask exploratory questions, be empathic, provide validation, reflect what they are hearing/sensing from you and meet you where you are along the path of self-exploration and emotional discovery. Many clients for a variety of reasons have a challenging time verbally articulating what their inner world feels like. Your therapist can use the tools they have at their disposal to help you identify, process and externalize your emotions.