What To Expect
Starting counselling can feel intimidating, and there are often many obstacles in the way. Perhaps you’ve never been to counselling and aren’t sure what to expect. Maybe you’ve had a negative experience in the past and feel hesitant to try again. Or perhaps you feel your challenges aren’t “serious enough,” or you’ve reached a point where it seems there’s no hope and no one can help.
Sometimes, fear comes from a deep place of pain or trauma. You may have spent years trying to manage it on your own, but no matter how hard you try, it continues to affect your life. You may desperately want relief, but feel afraid of what you’ll face—what you’ll feel, what memories might surface, or confronting it head-on.
Whatever holds you back, I encourage you to take that first step and book an appointment. Change can only begin when you try something new. In our sessions, we will focus on building a trusting relationship, developing self-awareness, expanding coping skills, and, hopefully, healing from past hurts.
Building Relationship
One of the most important aspects of counselling is having a strong, trusting relationship with your psychologist. If you don’t feel connected, it can be difficult to open up and work through the challenges you’re facing.
My goal in our first session is to see if we are a good fit for each other—and if we’re not, that’s perfectly okay. You deserve to feel comfortable, validated, understood, and supported throughout the counselling process.
Developing Self-Awareness
Once you feel comfortable, we will work together to explore how your past experiences have shaped the challenges you currently face and establish achievable goals for moving forward.
Deeper Healing
If there is sufficient time, and you feel emotionally, mentally, and physically safe, we can work on healing from past hurts, trauma, and abuse. This work is an important part of continuing your growth, moving toward the person you want to be, and experiencing continued freedom. It’s important to note that not everyone is ready for this stage, and we will decide together if and when this is the right focus for you.
Building and Expanding Regulation Skills
Regulation and coping skills are an essential part of facing challenges. Just as an athlete prepares their body with exercise, proper nutrition, and rest, you can prepare yourself by developing skills to better understand your nervous system and manage your responses. In this process, we explore the neurobiology and physiology of how emotions impact your body, which in turn influences how you respond. When practical tools are applied in daily life, the overall improvement you can notice is often remarkable.
