Finding a Counsellor Pt 3 The first appointment

The Process.

Often your first appointment will be considered to be an assessment (for both of you) and will not be charged for. This is the time you get to decide if this particular counsellor or form of counselling is for you. Counselling is an extremely personal experience. If you don’t feel comfortable then you do not need to book a second appointment and it will have given you an idea at least of what does and doesn’t work for you. Some counsellors, especially those who work online and so need to be paid before counselling begins, will offer discounts for block booking appointments, working with you to determine how many will be best for you at any one time. Usually counselling will be weekly for a counselling hour (50 minutes!) so there is consistency, and will be planned for blocks of between 4 – 8 weeks at which point there will be a review with you to determine either how to end or to continue.

The first appointment also gives you both the opportunity to reach an agreement for your counselling. This involves times, places, costs and confidentiality, but also many other issues which are best understood between you in the beginning to ensure you can have complete confidence in your counsellor and counselling and feels safe and secure in what may become a vulnerable process. All qualified counsellors follow a professional code of ethical conduct from their governing body to ensure your best interests at all times.

You will also have the opportunity to talk about what has led to counselling in the first place and what you would like to achieve from it. You might have goals already in your mind, it might all be too much or a bit vague and you just need to talk to work out where you are and where you are going. Your counselling will listen and work with you in the best ways possible to make sure you get there!

Endings are as vital a part of counselling as beginnings. They are often things we do not do well and are a struggle and stressor in life. Avoidance is not an ending and therefore is not something we learn from for the future. Learning to cope with endings and having the opportunity to experience this in counselling should be valued and made good use of. Therefore, it is important to be involved in reviews and plan endings carefully.

Good luck, find the way to be the best you can, and remember – every moment is an opportunity for change!