Psychotherapy - What to Expect

Psychotherapy and Counselling

Individuals/Couples

The initial consultation lasts approximately one hour and during this time we discuss your reasons for making the appointment, gather background information about your concerns and evaluate your needs. This first session is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions you might have. At the end of this session we will be able to offer you an evaluation of how we can best work together and the type of therapy most suited to your situation.

Children and Adolescents

If you are a parent and referring a child, then we recommend you prepare the child prior to the visit, making the purpose of the visit clear and confirming that they'll not be asked to do or say anything they do not wish to. We generally conduct the first session with the child and parent(s) together, as we find that children are often most comfortable having their parent present. Having you and your child together allows us to see how everyone views the problem, and helps us get background information that will help us make a decision on how to follow up. For adolescents, we offer the possibilty of meeting with them and the parent(s) separately, if that is what they prefer. Further evaluation will include an individual meeting with your child, a parent meeting and possibly a family meeting. As with adult therapy, treatment recommendations will be based a variety of factors related to the nature of the problem and its context.