Frequently Asked Questions
Friends and family can be excellent people to talk with; however, because they are involved in your life, they may have strong reactions to what you talk about or be personally invested in the outcome of some of your decisions. My primary concern, as a therapist, is to help you clarify what you are thinking and feeling so that you can make informed choices about your life. Because we do not have a relationship outside of the therapy room, you may find it easier to talk with me about issues that feel “off-limits” or too hard to discuss in other contexts.
The “fit” between client and therapist is the most important and therapeutic part of the relationship. It is vital that your therapist “get” you and that you feel comfortable sharing what you think and feel. It takes time to build a therapy relationship and the trust level between client and clinician should deepen over time.
In our first session, you will have the opportunity to talk about the issues you are struggling with and what your goals are for treatment. If you are unclear on both or either of these, that is fine—part of our work would be to learn what you would like to change. I will ask you questions to clarify my understanding of your problems, strengths, and current life circumstances. At the end of the meeting, we will come to a consensus on the next steps for our work together.
What you talk about in therapy will not be disclosed to anyone, unless you request that I do so. There are, however, a few additional exceptions to this rule, including:
-You are at imminent risk for harming yourself or someone else
– You are unable to care for yourself
-Report child or elder abuse or neglect
-A court orders the release of records
-You are told that you are not able to drive safely and you continue to do so
-You reveal that a member of a registered healthcare profession is doing
something dangerous to harm a member of the public
Other than these relatively rare exceptions, even if someone close to you contacts me to discuss our work, I will refuse to do so without your permission.
It depends. Every person and situation is unique and change usually takes time. As a general rule, the more complex the issues are, the longer it will take to “feel better”. At our initial meeting, I will tell you the frequency of meetings that will be optimal to reach your goals.
I will provide you with a receipt for our sessions for you to submit for reimbursement.
- How much money do I have allocated to seeing mental health professionals?
- What percentage of their fee is reimbursed to me? Do they reimburse a percentage of the British Columbia Psychological Association (BCPA) recommended rate or do they use a different rate?
- How do I get reimbursed for sessions?
