What should I expect in counselling?
What happens throughout the process of counselling varies from person to person, depending on your goals for counselling and your life circumstances. That being said, for most people counselling follows a similar course. There are typically no hard or fast rules with regards to process in therapy. Please see below a common pattern of what therapy can look like.
Your first appointment will focus on assessment. This is where your therapist will gain a deeper understanding of your life circumstances and experiences and you'll work together with your therapist to determine your goals for counselling, what barriers prevent you from meeting those goals, and how best to address those barriers.
In order to dive into therapy, a therapist has to first establish safety and stabilization. However, the therapists goal is for this to happen in the first few sessions. The main reason for this is to make sure that you're ready to do the hard work of therapy. This is done by assessing that you're free from danger (safety) and by developing strategies to help you deal effectively with difficult emotions (stabilization).
Another stage of counselling is the where a therapist will work through processing. This is where you'll work with your therapist to address the root causes of your difficulties. Again, there are no hard or fast ways of doing this and it is very individually based but this could range anywhere from looking at current behaviours, discussing attachment in childhood to addressing childhood trauma. Buckle in, as this tends to be the longest phase of therapy. This also tends to be my most favourite part and my clients more difficult stage of therapy as this is where you start to break down barriers and walls to serious change.
The “last” stage of counselling is reconnection and closure, where you'll work with your therapist to determine how you want your life to look now that you've dealt with what brought you to counselling. This tends to be the shortest and most joyful phase of counselling.
Last but not least, you become your own therapist and typically attend therapy for “top up” sessions where you may need reminders or if significant life events occur
When you come to 181 Groh Avenue, you can email/text/call me and I will meet you at the door, provide you with a COVID-19 screening (hopefully those will be over soon!) and take you upstairs into my ultra cozy office. Seriously, you could definitely find some peace in there, or take a very relaxing nap!
If you are meeting me virtually, all you have to do is bring your (non alcoholic) beverage of choice, your comfiest clothes and your computer or phone with you and you’re all set!