An Overview of our sessions
Your first appointment
Never been to counselling/therapy? Here's what to expect at Peace of Mind. The first appointment is typically designated as an assessment. This means that I will attempt to learn as much as possible about you and about the difficulty for which you are seeking help. Usually asking questions, and generally you won't get too many recommendations about what to do about the problem. Sometimes the assessment extends over two sessions.
The goal of the assessment is to determine:
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The nature of your issue.
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The strategies that might be helpful.
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Whether we are a good match
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To refer if additional supports would benefit you.
As well, typically you will be able to ask questions of me. From your own perspective, the assessment can tell you a number of things, including:
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Whether you feel we can develop a good working relationship.
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The type of approaches that I typically use.
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Whether you feel hopeful that my style and approaches are likely to be helpful for your concerns.
Session length
Your first session is often an hour and thirty minutes, as it is a time of getting to know each other while gathering information and completing a few forms. Sessions are generally an hour. Some forms of therapy like EMDR might call for a longer session. You can decide the length of a session that is best for you.
The length of therapy
The number of sessions involved in therapy varies a great deal, depending on the type of therapy, the nature of your concern, the type of therapy, limitations imposed by your insurer, and sometimes your own preferences about the pace of the work. Therapy typically lasts from 5 to 10 sessions, though this is enormously variable depending on the concern being dealt with.
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