Counselling is a general term used to describe a form of treatment that is based on “talking work” done with a counsellor or therapist. The aim is to relieve distress by discussing and expressing feelings; to help change attitudes, behaviour and habits that may be unhelpful; and to promote more constructive and adaptive ways of coping. Successful psychotherapy depends on a supportive, comfortable relationship with a trusted therapist whom you feel comfortable with.

Don’t be afraid to ask therapists questions to find out if you are comfortable with their style and approach. Some sample questions: Comfort: Do you feel safe, comfortable, and at ease with the therapist? Trust: Do you feel like you can build a trusting relationship with them? Rapport: Do you have good rapport with the therapist? Communication: Does the therapist listen well and explain things in a way you can understand? Experience: Does the therapist have experience with your concerns or the type of therapy you're looking for? Credentials: What are the therapist's credentials and training? Fees: What are the fees, and what happens if you miss a session? Type of therapy: What type of therapy does the therapist offer, and does it fit your needs? Another important consideration when looking for a therapist is - therapeutic fit, or the relationship between a client and their therapist. Therapeutic fit is important because it can significantly impact the effectiveness of therapy. Client satisfaction: When clients feel understood and respected, they are more likely to be satisfied with their therapy and reach their goals. Drop-out rates: Clients who have a strong therapeutic fit are less likely to drop out of therapy early. Counseling success: Research suggests that therapeutic fit is 5-7 times more effective than therapeutic technique in determining success. Personal fit: Whether you and your therapist like, respect, and get along with each other. You may want to consider whether you want a therapist of the same gender, sexual orientation or background as you. There may also be other characteristics that you want your therapist to have in common with you, or to at least be sensitive to (e.g., issues of race, culture, age), or other factors that you see as important to your identity and way of viewing the world.

All Social Workers in Canada respect the privacy of clients by holding in strict confidence all information about clients. Social workers disclose such information only when required or authorized by law to do so or when clients have consented to disclosure. For more information about the Social Work Standards of Practice please visit https://bccsw.ca Information shared with your therapist is confidential and cannot be disclosed without your consent, except under certain specific conditions. Known as “limits of confidentiality”, these involve situations where the therapist suspects that harm might come to someone. Harm could include if you indicated that you were going to harm yourself or someone else, you shared that a child was being abused or neglected, or that another health care practitioner had sexually abused a patient in some way. In these instances, the therapist has an obligation to report this information to the appropriate authorities. The courts also have the power to subpoena a therapist’s files. A therapist will explain confidentiality and privacy issues with you at the beginning of the therapy.

To create the future, we must understand the past. Early on in treatment, many therapists try to get a sense of your early history—how you grew up, the family members who cared for you and much, much more. Did you have a parent who was often sad or withdrawn? Did your parents fight a lot? Did they not fight at all? Did you sometimes feel like you had to take care of your siblings like a parent? Were you always compared to your brother or sister? Therapy is in many ways about learning to identify and better understand our patterns of behaviour and emotional responses to our environment. In many cases a memory or experience can help you create a map of these patterns and responses. Sometimes those memories are big and difficult while others might initially seem small and insignificant. Exploring the past in therapy can help you understand yourself and your current circumstances, and can lead to healing and change. Once we connect with past issues, uncover patterns, and unpack how strong emotions elicited by passing thoughts are learned responses to old hurts, we can finally heal those hurts. We can also: Gain clarity Talking about your past can help you understand why you feel and act the way you do. You can identify which beliefs and attitudes are yours and which you may have picked up from others. Reduce negative reactions Discussing past events can help you process them and reduce the intensity of negative emotions like anxiety, sadness, anger, and guilt. Build a foundation for change Understanding your past can help you break unhealthy patterns and move towards a more fulfilling future. Develop self-compassion When we face difficult times, it's easy to fall into negative self-talk and be overly critical of ourselves. In those moments, try to resist the urge to be harsh. Instead, offer yourself the same kindness and encouragement you would give to a friend. Remember, all emotions—whether joy, sadness, anger, or fear—are part of the human experience. Rather than suppressing or ignoring them, allow yourself to feel whatever arises, without judgment or shame

That really depends on your goals. It also depends on how difficult your life has been, what you need, want, and what personal development you have already done and want to do. Recent research indicates that on average 15 to 20 sessions are required for 50 percent of patients to recover as indicated by self-reported symptom measures. In practice, patients and therapists sometimes prefer to continue treatment over longer periods (e.g., 20 to 30 sessions over six months), to achieve more complete symptom remission and to feel confident in the skills needed to maintain treatment gains.