For some, the thought of going for counselling or psychotherapy can be quite frightening. Many question the value of sitting down with a stranger and discussing one’s personal life. Yet the process of simply connecting with another human being is in itself therapeutic. In counselling, a therapist works to build a safe and trusting relationship so that one feels at ease exploring one’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours, sometimes in an effort to make changes, but more often to gain insight and understanding into oneself or another person. This process usually brings people feelings of peace, hope and contentment.

Counselling can help those struggling with many different issues such as stress, anxiety/panic, depression, loneliness, isolation, substance use, disordered eating, self-esteem, communication, anger, violence, life transitions, grief/loss, trauma/abuse, career, relationships, family, parenting, personal growth… Counselling can be done with individuals, couples, family and groups.

The benefits of counselling are as vast as the reasons for seeking it. Many people report increased clarity, changes in behaviour, resolution of interpersonal conflict and personal issues, acquisition of coping skills, realization of one’s purpose and capabilities, improved communication, increased awareness/insight, healthier expression of feelings, increased relaxation, new possibilities, positive thinking and an increase in self-compassion as a result of their therapeutic work.

Counselling usually takes place on a weekly basis but can occur more or less often, depending on what works best for you. The first couple of sessions are more structured in attempt to gather background information on you in various areas of your life. This helps us get a sense of your strengths, challenges, stresses and joys – who you are with the problem and who you are without the problem. From this place, we can most effectively identify your goals for counselling and develop a treatment plan that guides the work we do in therapy.

The amount of sessions varies depending on one’s goals and the complexity of issues being worked through. Even after the initial assessment, it can be difficult to determine the length of therapy.  It is important to know that therapy is not a quick fix, but a process of discovery.  We frequently check in with you during the course of our work to see if therapy is helping, and what (if anything) we can do differently. We do a more thorough evaluation of the therapy process during our final closing session.