FAQ's

If you are feeling like your relationship with yourself and others needs little fine tuning or maintenance. Or if you are feeling overwhelmed and confused. You might also be feeling unlike yourself and somewhat in a dreamlike state. Getting started with therapy doesn’t always have to mean that something is majorly wrong, it could just mean that you’d like some support. Some things that people come to therapy for are, fears, more crying than usual, feeling annoyed easily, intense feelings about things that have happened in the past or worries about the future, emotional outbursts etc.

I believe that everyone can benefit from therapy. While it is helpful to have supportive family and friends to confide in, it is not the same as counselling. Counselling is more than just talking about problems. We’ll work together to find sustainable solutions that work for your lifestyle. Therapists have extensive education and experience with supporting people with a variety of issues. It is usually tough to be open with family and friends because we worry about what they think or how our words will affect them. Therapy is an opportunity to let yourself be truly and completely vulnerable. A safe and trusting environment will be created for you to openly express yourself.

Therapists, like clothes, come in many varieties, all sorts of combinations of theoretical orientations, techniques, methods, personalities etc. Picking one can feel very overwhelming. And the internet has as many opinions about what kind of therapy is “best” as there are options. The simple answer to this question is: The right therapist for you is the one that that fits you best. Your relationship with your therapist is one of the most important factor in determining whether therapy will be effective. The ease with which you open up initially, feeling seen and understood along with safe and supported is crucial. It is important that your therapist meets you where you are. You must feel comfortable showing up in whatever state you are in and know that you will be embraced and that they will get you. Don’t be shy of trying a few therapists as you may only know you have found the right fit after trying a few.

One misconception is that you will leave all your sessions feeling relieved and great. Therapy does involve feeling liberated and light, as it should, but at times it will result in some discomfort. That just means there’s good work happening. Another common misconception is the expectation that the therapist will make decisions for you or give you advice. This not a role any therapist should or will play. Because if they were to make a difficult decision for you, it would not be very helpful as you are left without the ability to make decisions and won’t actually feel that great as you would have lost responsibility for the positive outcome.

Clinical and Counselling Psychologists do not prescribe medication, however, we regularly work with clients who take medication and if it is felt that that you will benefit from medication alongside talking therapy, it will be brought up in your session. It is recommended that the client should make an appointment with a psychiatrist who we can recommend and refer to.

Full Fee will be charged for cancellation within 24hrs of the session. If cancellation occurs 24hrs before your appointment, I recommended that all attempts be made to reschedule rather than miss your appointment. Continuity of sessions is important. Additionally, once therapy has settled into a rhythm, non-scheduled gaps in attendance can also interfere with good progress.

Although everyone asks this question, there is no real answer. It depends on so many factors such as your reason for coming to therapy, the severity of what your experiencing and several others. Therapy is customized to each individual client, and therefore can’t predict how many sessions it will take for each client to reach their goals. Here is what really makes a difference: Are you implementing what you’re learning in therapy into your life outside of the session? This could be applying coping tools on a regular basis, establishing boundaries, responding to others and yourself in new ways, seeing things in a gradually changing perspective. We have worked with some clients that come in with one specific issue they want to address, and when these clients are ready and able to do the work outside, they tend to move through therapy relatively quickly. In other cases, clients may have more complex challenges and/or busy lives, and setting aside even 50 minutes a week to come to therapy is a feat for them. For these clients, therapy may take a longer time. We will work with you at your pace, and our hope is to help you reach your goals and to reap the benefits of therapy as quickly as possible.

The sessions are 50 minutes in length. Typically, weekly sessions are held, at the same time each week. For many, weekly sessions are sufficient in reducing distress and addressing your concerns. Whereas some issues may require meeting more frequently in the week. Either way, a consultation can help draft the roadmap to this journey. If you do not commit to regular weekly sessions, I might not be able to continue working with you (with the exception of clients who have moved to a maintenance program after having engaged in weekly therapy sessions).