How do I begin therapy/counselling?
At Dundee Counselling, we offer two ways to begin therapy, depending on your experience with counselling and how comfortable you are in defining your goals.
- First Appointment: If you have prior experience with therapy or already know what you want to focus on, you can book a First Appointment. This session allows us to dive straight into your goals with a therapist experienced in addressing your specific needs.
- Initial Consultation: If you’re new to therapy or unsure about what to expect from counselling with us, we recommend an Initial Consultation. This session provides a space to discuss your concerns, ask any questions about the process, and explore how therapy could benefit you.
For either option, you can self-refer through our contact page.
Both the First Appointment or Initial Consultation begin with a conversation about what’s been going on for you. After understanding your situation, we’ll share our initial thoughts and explain how we’ve worked with similar issues before. Together, we’ll outline a plan and set goals for moving forward.
Your first session / initial consultation is also an opportunity to see if counselling with the therapist you’re paired with feels right for you. Wether that is a fully qualified counsellor or a counsellor in training, we’re happy to help you explore the right option for you. There’s no obligation to continue after this session—it’s entirely your choice. If it feels like a good fit, you can book further sessions at your own pace or make adjustments, try other counsellor(s) or ask questions as needed.
We want to give you the best possible start in therapy, in a way that works best for 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:
(Original article content follows…)
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.