What To Expect

When a new client has contacted me and prior to booking an initial session, a 15-minute consultation will be arranged to ensure that both myself and the eco therapeutic approach will be a good fit for you. My consultations are available by both phone and in person. I look forward to welcoming new clients and answering any questions you may have.

In our initial session we will discuss in more detail what has brought you to counselling and better understand some prominent issues. We will define some goals you wish to achieve and the importance of them. My goal in working with you is to understand the issues from many angles and perspectives so we can choose interventions that will align with your specific circumstances and needs.

At this point it is critical to access if this will be a good therapeutic fit. Do you feel comfortable? Do you feel understood and heard? Are we on the same page? At this point we can determine if you feel comfortable proceeding with session 2.

Our second session is dedicated to further defining your goals that were discussed in session one and collaborating on an action plan of how we are going to achieve these goals. We will discuss the details of your situation in more depth so that our interventions can become more specific. This will also include exploration of your thoughts and feelings at a pace you are comfortable with. By working through your thoughts and feelings will clarify where we need to go and some areas of focus, which may result in a significant release and relief.

As you are making progress in therapy, we will continue to revise your goals. At the start of each session, I will be asking you what you would like to discuss and what you need from the session. I encourage my clients to complete an outcome rating scale at the beginning of each session so we can assess the progress being made. We will also discuss and often encourage some things clients can do on their own time “homework” in the form of self-care techniques, nutrition, and exercise which usually helps clients with overall physical and mental well-being.

In some cases, a client feels as if they cannot have a conversation about ending therapy with their counsellor. Which should never be the case. The primary goal in counselling and my goal as a counselor is to help my clients build skills to help confidently navigate life's challenges which brought you to counselling and further on with any other challenges life sends your way. This does not mean u should never seek support if needed, in fact I hope you do, but that you feel confident in making decisions that benefit your life and knowing you have choices and options.

A frequent question is “how often do I need to come to therapy?” This is determined by your current situation, rate of change you wish to achieve and goals you wish to reach. This is always different from client to client, and I will offer frequency options which will best suit each client.