What is Clinical Counselling and Psychotherapy?
A Clinical Counsellor/Psychotherapist is a skilled professional who is there to facilitate positive changes in your life by helping you to set and implement goals, emotional acceptance, gaining insight and personal growth.
The term clinical counselling and psychotherapy are often used interchangeably, however there is a slight difference between them. Most often counselling might focus on specific problems or issues and it can help you learn the tools you need to mange or solve them. It can be short-term.
Psychotherapy can be more in-depth and looks at underlying issues, life long patterns and recurrent emotional struggles. It can encourage you to look at your past and discover how it is affecting you in your present life.
Both counselling and psychotherapy can help you to gain personal insight. Gaining personal insight can be a positive step towards changing unhelpful behaviours and replacing it with more productive ones. Therapy can help you heal and it also promotes personal growth and development. Therapists/Counsellors do not offer advice but they can support you to find your own answers and encourage you to learn and implement new skills. The overall goal of counselling and psychotherapy is to help you discover your personal strengths and resources.
How can it help?
Counselling/Psychotherapy can help in many areas of a person's life such as: healing from trauma (racial, gender, or childhood/adult traumas), management/treatment of depression, anxiety, and many other mental health disorders. It can also help in addressing resolving specific issues, making decisions, coping with crisis, relationship issues, learning new skills, regulating emotions, or developing personal insights and knowledge.
Is it confidential?
Confidentiality is crucial for the therapy process. Everything we discuss in therapy is confidential however, there are three exceptions to confidentiality by law.
1. If a child is or maybe at risk of abuse or neglect, by law The Ministry of Children and Families need to be notified.
2. If there is immediate risk to yourself or someone else, appropriate safety measures will be taken for everyone's wellbeing.
3.If the courts have subpoenaed information in certain legal situations.
What are your fees?
Our fees vary according to the services being provided. Please visit our fees page for more information.
What should I expect from the first session?
Your first session is an opportunity for you to discuss your reasons for seeking therapy. It is also the time to ask any questions you may have and most importantly to see if you and I would be a good match to work together.
My job will be to listen and provide a safe environment. I will also explain the therapy process and ask some assessment questions that can help me to better understand you and your circumstances. Together we would try to identify some therapeutic goals that you would like to work towards and discuss a treatment plan that wold be best tailored to your individual needs. It is important to keep in mind that plans to be flexible and sometimes need to be adjusted as therapy progresses.
What will the therapist expect from me?
It is unto you to determine what you get out of the therapeutic experience. The more you are willing to be engaged, be present and take risks, the more beneficial therapy can be for you. Therapy is collaborative work between the therapist and client. The client needs to be prepared to be actively involved in the process. Sometimes clients will have to deal with emotions or memories that can be difficult. The therapist is there along the way to help you cope with some of the challenging emotions and support you to move through these barriers.
What is your cancellation policy?
I require 48 hour notice for appointment changes or cancellation. Otherwise, the full session fee will be charged. If you are late for your appointment, the full session fee will be charged.
How long are the sessions?
Individual session: 50 mins
Couples Session: 50 mins
Extended Couples session: 80 mins
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on the situation or issue that you are seeking therapy for. Issues that are deeply rooted may require long-term therapy. Short-term therapy is more appropriate for specific issues.
As each individual and their circumstances are unique, many different factors need to be taken into account. In your first session, we can discuss your situation and crate a treatment plan that would best meet your needs.
What will I/we get better?
"Change is a process not an event". ( Barbara Johnson).
Seeking therapy does not guarantee 100% results. The more actively involved you are in the process, the more benefits you will attain from it. Your willingness to participate, be open and implement skills that you learn in the session int your everyday life will determine how you heal, recover and grow. Small changes in daily life and attitude can have long lasting effects. Therefore, it is important to notice even your smallest successes.