Therapy
What happens in therapy?
Counselling (or psychotherapy) is different for each individual. Your unique experience will depend on factors such as: your personality and the personality of your psychologist, the counselling topics you wish to discuss, and your personal goals for therapy. There are many different counselling approaches that I may use when I consider your unique background, concerns, strengths, and hopes.
Benefits and challenges
Before beginning therapy, it is important for you to know both its benefits and challenges. Since counselling often involves discussing painful events or memories, it is common to experience uncomfortable feelings such as sadness, guilt, shame, anger, loneliness, helplessness or hopelessness. However, counselling has been shown to be of great benefit to many people. As people work through difficult stressors, experiences, memories or feelings they often report enhanced self-esteem and improved relationships with others. They also report having solutions to specific problems, decreased feelings of distress, and overall improved wellness.
Assessment
If you choose to enter therapy with me, our first sessions will involve an assessment, that is, a gathering of information about your current issues, past experiences and counselling goals. Following the assessment, if you decide that you would like to continue to work with me, and if I feel that I can help to meet your needs, then we will continue with our counselling relationship.
Rights
It is important for you to know your rights in therapy. If you have any questions or concerns that come up during our sessions together, we can discuss them whenever they come up. As well, if at any point you would like to stop counselling, I will honor your request, and I will also help you to find another source of support if this is your wish.
Confidentiality
It is also important for you to understand your right to confidentiality in counselling. In general, all communication between client and psychologist is protected. This means that our conversations are private. I can only release information about our work together with your written permission. However, there are some exceptions to this agreement. I am required to report the following: (1) threats of violence or harm to yourself or others, (2) abuse and neglect to children and adolescents, (3) the report of abuse by another professional, and (4) I am also required to provide your file if subpoenaed by the courts. Please know that if any of these exceptions arise, we will work together to proceed in a safe and appropriate manner.