FAQ
(Common Questions)
How do I know if counseling is right for me?
If you have concerns that are bothering you, challenges you have not found solutions to, emotional pain that is diminishing the quality of your life, conflicts or struggles in relationships or work, or you just need to be heard - talking with a counselor can be helpful. These are just a few examples, but anyone can benefit from counseling, as our emotional health and well-being affects all aspects of our lives as well as our physical well-being.
How can can counseling help me?
Counseling helps when you strive to have an open mind and participate actively in the process, including trying out new ideas or strategies in your daily life. Some examples of things clients get support with include stress management, problem-solving strategies, techniques to manage anxiety or depression symptoms, a place to process grief and loss, interpersonal relationship concerns, family or parenting challenges, and work-stress.
What happens in a session?
At Collaborative Counseling you will be in charge of what you talk about, “work on”, explore, and address. You are the “expert” on you, and I come with training, experience and genuine care. Together we build a rapport and style to the process that fits you. I generally don’t direct or give advice, preferring to help you to uncover or find solutions that fit you and your life.. That being said, I have a toolbox of techniques and strategies that work well for managing many challenges and will offer those up as appropriate as well as provide what is called “psycho-education” on pertinent topics such as depression, anxiety, stress, parenting, relationships, etc.
What about confidentiality?
Confidentiality is a key component of any counseling session and the counseling relationship. For the best outcome you must be able to trust your counselor with often sensitive and personal information. In return your counselor listens with respect and without judgment.
Confidentiality will be discussed during your first session so that you understand the limitations that are requested by law and professional ethics for licensed counselors.
Do you give homework?
I will often make suggestions of things for clients to try outside of sessions although “homework” is not required. In general, in order for change or progress to be seen you will need to apply or try out things outside of session. I sometimes call these “experiments” since not everyone likes specific approaches and not all ideas work for everyone. The idea is that you strive to be open-minded and are willing to try some approaches and see what happens.
How often should I come to counseling session?
Typically I recommend clients start with once a week, and then assess as a solid therapeutic relationship is created and some progress is made towards your goals. Often clients will scale back to bi-weekly and then monthly sessions as their needs decrease. We will decide in your first session how often to meet and then tailor the frequency to your needs and circumstances over time.