How to get the most out of counselling

It is normal to feel nervous and unsure when you are thinking about attending for counselling. There is a lot of information about counsellors and counselling portrayed on the internet and in the media from Dr. Phil and in movies to people’s opinions about counselling (whether they've ever attended therapy or not!).

- When considering attending for counselling one of the most important aspects is that feel comfortable with the therapist. Most counsellors have a website which can give you a sense of who they are, if they have any specialties, and how they can help you. Feel free to call the counsellor and ask how they would see helping you with your issue. Even if you attend a couple of sessions with the counsellor and don’t feel they are a fit, say so, and ask if they know of someone they could refer you to. It may seem awkward, but remember you are the consumer. Counsellors understand they can’t help everyone, so the counsellor should be willing to help you locate another counsellor who may be a better fit for you.

- Prior to attending your first meeting with the counsellor, it can be helpful to have thought about exactly what the issue or issues are that you want to discuss with the counsellor. Being as specific as possible will help you use the time with the counsellor most effectively. Being clear about what is being impacted in your life, for how long, others involved in the problem and any other specifics you can think of will help focus the counselling meeting and provide greater clarity. For example, if you tell the counsellor you are experiencing anxiety, the counsellor will need to ask a whole bunch of questions to determine where the anxiety is affecting your life. If instead, you are able to tell the counsellor that you feel highly anxious when you give talks at work, this will start with a much smaller focus and allow you to be closer to getting onto solving the issue. 

- Having a goal assists both you and the counsellor. It can provide a clear path of where the counselling meetings will go. Continuing with the example of anxiety about public speaking…the goal may be to gain feelings of confidence when talking in front of a group. By having a specific picture of what life will look like when the current problem is solved helps to know whether the counselling is helping you get closer to that goal and when counselling has succeeded.

Questions for you to consider prior to entering counselling:

1)      How would I describe what is going on in my life right now?

2)      What is the impact of the problem on my life?

3)      How long has it been going on for?

4)      Are there others involved in the issue?

5)      How have you previously tried to solve this problem?

6)      What would your life look like if this problem was solved?

7)      What is a specific goal you have for counselling?

The more precise you can be about what you are attending counselling for and having a goal may help you:

       - Make the most use of your time with the counsellor.

       - Make counselling more effective.

       - May help shorten the time attending for counselling.

Feel free to call Heather at 604-375-3010 or email me at heather@discoverycounselling.ca to see if we might be a good fit to work together.