What is Counselling?
Often when people think of counselling they imagine someone lying on a sofa talking about their childhood experiences... Thankfully, therapy has come a long way since the days of the Freudian couch. Counselling is a confidential and safe place for you to be you and to explore whatever you want to - counselling is for everyone. Maybe you are having difficulties finding a place to start in the healing process. You may be wondering “What path should I take?” or “What do I want out of my life?” Working together, we can find ways to help you explore these misunderstood blind spots in our mindsets, and offer you an empathic ear and hand along your journey. This will allow you to confront the barriers that interfere with your emotional and mental well-being; the aim is to increase your positive feelings, such as compassion, self-esteem, love, courage, and peace. With a committed involvement in this therapeutic journey, you will become more self-aware - which increases momentum towards meaningful self-growth and self-actualization.
My job as the counsellor is to earn your trust so you feel safe sharing your feelings and emotions. A key component of counselling is to realize that it is about you, and you are the co-creator of this relationship. Although counselling is not a quick fix or magical cure, and if you are willing to take the driver’s seat, with encouragement from me as your co-pilot… you will have success as you move down life’s road.
What Should I Expect on the First Visit?
On your first visit, we will discuss the reasons you have sought out counselling. It is a conversation where we can explore your challenges and concerns. I encourage you to ask questions about anything you don’t understand; the more you understand about the counselling experience and how it works, the more comfortable you will be. A lot may be going through your mind in this first session and that is normal, and to be expected, but as you speak honestly and openly, listen, and learn to understand your own reactions and feelings, the healing will begin.
When you are feeling comfortable, we will proceed with an assessment. This assessment is a series of questions that will provide a beneficial tool in assisting me to provide you with the maximum benefits of the counselling process. It will help with identifying your goals, and with those goals, we can generate a plan to move forward. Once a plan is developed it helps provide hope and allows you to see a new path to recovery.