FAQ: What should I expect during an in-person counselling session?
If you have never been for counselling before, you may think that you are going to come and lay down on a couch and talk about your feelings, and then walk out. And that doesn’t sound very inviting! So I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know what you can expect when you come to an in-person session (online counselling is slightly different and will be answered in another blog).
When you come for an in-person counselling session at either our Langley or Surrey office, whether it is for anxiety, processing trauma, or couples therapy, there are certain things that you can expect. At Panorama Wellness, it is important to us that you feel comfortable, able to have choices, and feel like you’re working with someone to help you reach your goals rather than just coming to vent.
Warm and inviting waiting room
When you meet with us at our Langley office, this is where you will wait for your therapist. If you are there when our Intake Coordinator is in the office, you will be offered a beverage, or you can help yourself to coffee or tea at the beverage table.
When you join us for in person counselling in Surrey, this is where you will wait for your therapist. We don’t have an Intake Coordinator there, but you are again welcome to help yourself to coffee or tea, or ask your counsellor for a glass of water.
First session experience
Once you have been invited into the office that your therapist is using, you will be invited to share some of your goals for therapy and also a bit of your past and current life experiences.
As trauma therapists, we believe that it is important to get a picture of what your life has looked like until now, and who the “big players” are. You will have completed some of this information in our intake form, but it helps us to hear it in your words and in a bit more detail.
Each of our therapists does the initial counselling session a bit differently, but you can expect to do a lot of the talking in the first session. Some people find this to be a bit unsettling because it’s the longest they’ve spent talking about something that is difficult, and others find it freeing to finally get it off their chest and share it with someone who is a neutral party.
One of the other things that you will do in your session is to set goals for therapy. Our job as therapists is quite strange, because it’s kind of our job to work ourselves out of a job. This means that we want to help you reach your goals, find support in your community, and feel encouraged to be able to handle things without us. That doesn’t mean you don’t ever come back, but it does mean that you likely won’t be seeing us for years on end.
Ending your first session
As you finish your first session, you’ll have a chat with your therapist about whether you feel they are a good fit for you, and then decide how often to see each other. We typically recommend weekly sessions to start, and then after 4-5 sessions, to have another discussion about what kind of timing is best for you and your goals.
When you are finished your first counselling session in Langley, you will have the option of booking the next session and paying for the current one with your therapist or up at the front desk.
When you finish your first therapy session in Surrey, your therapist will set up your next session and take payment through our scheduling app – Janeapp. You also have the option to pay by Interac at both offices.
When you have finished your first session, it is normal to feel a bit tender or vulnerable for a couple of hours. It’s kind of like going to the gym, where you are using different muscles, and notice the effects of that. Being vulnerable takes work, as does telling your story to someone new.
If you are interested in trying counselling for the first time, please reach out to us through our contact page or email info@panoramawellness.ca. We will help you find a therapist who is a good fit for your needs, your schedule and your personality.