How do I begin therapy/counselling?
At Dundee Counselling, we typically begin with an initial consultation. You can self refer through our contact page. This session is an opportunity to discuss your concerns in more detail and ask any questions you might have about the counselling process.
After hearing more about your situation, we’ll share our initial thoughts and explain how we’ve worked with similar issues in the past. Together, we’ll set goals and outline a plan for working towards them.
The consultation is also a chance for you to see if counselling feels beneficial to you and to determine whether we’re a good fit for working together. There’s no obligation to continue after this session—it’s entirely up to you.
What will happen during a session?
Therapy sessions are client led. You set the goals and pace for therapy. Especially in the beginning of therapy, the therapist’s goal is to listen fully and help you conceptualize what you seem to be experiencing. Our goal is to give you insight as well as encouragement throughout the journey.
We found an article which we think is quite helpful in explaining some of the common misconceptions about therapy. We’ve copied the article in below:
Being a therapist can be an amazing profession full of challenges, heartaches, and celebration. We see you at your worst and see you at your best, but there is no better reward to see you succeed. Here are 10 aspects of the therapeutic relationship that are either unknowns or common misconceptions. I hope this clarifies what you can expect from working with a therapist.
1. I don’t think you’re crazy.
I think you are amazingly unique trying to find your way in the world. None of us is perfect and I surely don’t expect you to be anywhere close to mastery when you’re learning new skills to change your life. Effective change usually requires trial and lots of errors. It means you’re trying! Plus, if I think you’re being irrational, I’ll tell you.
2. Trust is everything.
Your ability to connect with me will be the number one factor determining how well we work together. If you don’t feel like you click with me after a few sessions, it’s OK to let me know and seek out a different therapist. We all need different things and my main priority is for you to achieve your goals.
3. My job is not to psychoanalyze you.
My job is to be curious and to help you gain more understanding. A good therapist doesn’t claim to have all the answers for why you are the way you are although we may have some ideas that we will willingly share with you. When it comes to getting answers and more understanding, we will form hypotheses together and you will come to your own conclusions. A therapist facilitates that process. They don’t tell you how to think/believe/act.
4. I’m not here to give you advice.
I’m here to share my knowledge with you and help you make your own decisions that are balanced, rational, and well-explored. Strengthening your own reasoning and decision-making skills will increase your independence and self-esteem. Win-win!
5. Work through your emotions with me instead of quitting, anger included.
Therapy is the perfect place to learn how to express your feelings. That’s what I’m here for, to give you a space to try out new ways of being, thinking, and feeling. Take advantage of this. When we learn how to work through our negative emotions with others, it increases our relationship skills and makes us more comfortable with voicing our hurts. This is a necessary component to maintaining relationships and managing your emotions in a healthy way.
6. I expect you to slide backward to old behavior patterns and I’m not here to judge you.
Most people judge themselves enough for at least two people. I encourage my clients to come clean. It’s only through acknowledging our steps backward that we can figure out what’s standing in the way so that you can catapult forward. Relapse is VERY common and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
7. You deserve to be happy.
Happiness is not reserved for special people. Everyone has regrets, things we wish we never would have done, people we’ve hurt along the way, people who have hurt us either intentionally or unintentionally. I’m a firm believer that we can heal our wounds and step into happiness. You deserve it just as much as the next person.
8. I can’t “fix” your life or your problems. Only you can.
I can help you gain more clarity, more understanding, and form a plan of action, but therapy is not a magic pill that erases all issues. It takes work, but if you’re up for the challenge, I’ll be there every step of the way!
9. The quickest way from point A to point B is action.
If you continue to come to therapy without putting any new behaviors or thoughts into action, progress will be a slow process for you. The path to action is different for everyone, but if you never do anything different, you’ll never get a different result. You’re the only one who can decide to take action. You hold all the power.
10. I want you to have the life you want.
I know your struggles, your dreams, your insecurities. There is nothing I want more for you than for you to bring your dreams into reality, push through your fears, and have the life you want. Your success is the ultimate gift to a therapist!
People come to therapy for all kinds of reasons. Usually people are experiencing a moderate level of discomfort in their lives and have noticed a toll on their work/school performance and in their relationships. Beginning therapy can be scary for some as they are showing a willingness to face tough topics, but for others, it’s a huge relief to finally be taking action to move in a different direction.
Therapy isn’t always easy (in fact most of the time it’s not), but I think it’s the most worthwhile gift you can give yourself. Find someone you trust and who puts you at ease. The relationship you build with your therapist is the most important aspect of all.
How long are the sessions?
Sessions last for 50 minutes typically one session a week. We try to keep the same day and time each week for consistency and convenience.
How long will counselling take?
The number of sessions needed depends on your unique situation, the complexity of your concerns, and the goals you want to achieve. Counselling is a process, and since many of our clients’ issues are multifaceted, it takes time to see meaningful progress.
We ask clients to initially commit to 4 sessions before realistically evaluating the effectiveness of counselling. However, you are free to end the therapeutic relationship at any time. Many clients notice significant improvements within 6–8 sessions, and we conduct a review at every 8th session or sooner, if desired.
Some concerns, such as bereavement, addictions, affairs and other relational problems, trauma, past abuse, personality/mood disorders or eating disorders, may require longer-term therapy to reach the desired outcomes. During your initial consultation, we’ll discuss your needs and create a tailored plan, which we’ll adjust as you progress.
Can I pause or stop therapy anytime?
Yes, you can pause or stop therapy at any time. Counselling is your process, and it’s important that it works for you. If you feel you need a break, we can discuss how to pause in a way that feels comfortable for you. I encourage an open conversation about your thoughts and reasons for pausing, as this can help us understand where you’re at in your journey and ensure you feel supported. When you’re ready to return, we can pick up where we left off or adapt our focus based on what’s most relevant for you at that time.
If you decide to stop therapy altogether, it’s helpful to have a final session to reflect on the progress you’ve made and bring closure to our work. However, that decision is entirely yours, and I’m here to support you in whatever feels right for you.
How frequently should we have sessions?
Initially, it’s generally advantageous to meet weekly. This helps build momentum and continuity, allowing us to maintain focus on the areas you want to work on without losing track of insights or progress. As therapy progresses and you feel more confident in applying what we’ve discussed, we can space sessions out to fortnightly or monthly intervals.
This approach ensures that we still have enough continuity to build on our work while giving you time to reflect and implement changes between sessions. The goal is to strike a balance—meeting often enough to stay connected and support your journey, but with enough time between sessions to allow for meaningful growth and exploration.
What times are available?
Our counselling service is available Monday through Friday by appointment only. Please check out our schedule for available times here.
I don’t know whether it’s me, my partner, or both of us who needs therapy!
We advise that both partners come to the initial session. From the goals that emerge, it will become more clear whether your therapeutic needs are for either of you individually or you both as a couple. Giving the therapist at least the initial session to meet with you both ensures that each partner is able to voice the concerns in the relationship.
Throughout the course of therapy either joint sessions or a combination of individual sessions and joint sessions is most effective. Your therapist and you work this out collaboratively and due to confidentiality, the therapist will not share what was spoken about in individual sessions in joint sessions.
Do you provide phone or online counselling?
Yes, See our page on Online Counselling for all the details.
Do your counselling offices have disabled access?
We regret that there is no disabled access to our counselling offices.