I booked a counselling meet and greet..now what?

With many offering a 'free meet and greet' - what should you ask? What do you not know that you may want to know?

What to ask at a counselling meet and greet!

Research shows that much of your success in counselling relies on the rapport and trust you have with your psychotherapist. That makes sense – if you don’t trust and feel comfortable with your therapist to tell them everything, they can’t really help you!

That said, the meet and greet is a great (and usually free!) opportunity to connect with a potential therapist to check out their vibe.

But how do you make the most out of that time together? And what should and shouldn’t you ask?

Regulation

If you haven’t already done the research on your potential therapist, it’s ok to ask if they are regulated by a college body. This ensures that they are required to follow professional standards and have verified degrees and certifications. Some regulatory colleges require ongoing certifications, which also ensures that your therapist values ongoing learning and awareness of best practices. You can also check and see if the college requires the member to be in good standing with no outstanding legal issues.

What's the cost of counselling?

It’s okay to verify the cost of your therapy and ask about a sliding scale or compassionate rate. While you may not think you’ll need a sliding scale, it says a lot about the therapist's level of compassion and commitment to your work together - for example, if they are willing to adjust their scale for a client who loses employment benefits. You may want to clarify up front how they provide you with receipts and/or whether they bill your service provider directly.

Remember, most clinicians place the responsibility on the client to ensure their counselling is covered – there are numerous insurance companies with copious plans per company, and clinicians cannot ensure or promise that they are covered (unless, of course, they have other clients' experiences to draw upon).

How Many Counselling Sessions Do I Need?

Asking "how many sessions will I need" should not really give you a clear answer -- most clinicians will need to conduct a proper assessment and evaluation to determine where you are in your life, what barriers you are facing, what your goals are, and what strengths you have prior to answering "how many sessions". But you can ask about the "frequency" of sessions - how often should I book? Generally speaking, it's weekly, biweekly, then every three weeks, and finally monthly as needed. You are always in control and have the right to terminate counselling sessions.

You could, however, ask how frequently you will need sessions. Generally, we work weekly, bi-weekly, every three weeks and maintenance as needed.

Scheduling Counselling Appointments

It’s ok to ask the clinician what their hours are – what days and hours they work and if they take holidays! Therapists who take holidays ensure that they are balanced and engaged in self-care, which means they will be better able to support you in yours! But too many holidays might impact your ability to book regular sessions.

This is also a great time to ask the therapist whether they prefer appointment bookings/changes via phone, text, email, or their website, and also whether they provide phone counselling.

Supervision For Counsellors

Every great clinician I’ve ever met…has a clinician! It’s very valid to ask your potential therapist if they have a therapist! It means they value counselling for themselves and are willing to invest the time, money, and effort to ensure they are regulating their own vicarious trauma and stress. Therapists who do not commit to regular self-care are at a high risk of burnout, and this can impact your sessions!

It’s also ok to ask if they take breaks between clients or if they book back to back all day and/or have another day job.

A therapist who sees 10 clients in a row is likely not going to be able to prepare properly for the next session, complete appropriate chart notes and assess and modify case formulations as you progress through therapy.

How will I know if counselling is working?

A great question to ask a clinician is – how and when do you know your client is making progress? What do they do if you don't seem to be making progress?

Do Psychotherapists go for training?

You can also ask if the clinician attends regular training – it’s great to have a therapist who stays engaged and motivated to learn in the clinical world - ask how this impacts their availability - if they’re off travelling for training 6 months in the year, it might not leave them very accessible to you!

What type of counselling do I need?

Many therapists are happy to share that they are versed in CBT, EMDR, DBT, EFT etc – all acronyms I can share with you in another post, you should ask if they're actually trained AND certified in it (not just a quick online course).

Also, while it’s good for you to have an idea of which modality you’d like, it's also important to allow the therapist to make their assessment and recommendation for what type of counselling you need.

it’s more important for your therapist to be certified in these modalities and to be able to put together a treatment plan that works for you.

If you feel good after that, book your assessment and develop a co-created treatment plan that identifies your needs, goals, and potential barriers, and you should get well on your way!

I hope this helps, and I would love to hear your feedback!

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1. American Psychologist © 2017 American Psychological Association 2017, Vol. 72, No. 4, 311–325 0003-066X/17/$12.00 http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0040435

2. www.emdria.org

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Farah Kurji, BSW, MSW, RCSW

EMDR Therapist and Consultant

Farah is a registered social worker and psychotherapist with over 25 years of experience supporting individuals navigating anxiety, trauma, grief, perfectionism, stress and emotional overwhelm.

She provides online counselling for CBT, ACT, Somatic Treatment and EMDR therapy, spiritually integrated psychotherapy, and has advanced skills to support individual and group work for high-functioning adults seeking deeper healing and authenticity.

Farah is also an EMDR Consultant and clinical supervisor, mentoring therapists in EMDR therapy. She is also in academia, researching the integration of spirituality/religion with psychotherapy.

You can book a complimentary meet-and-greet with her HERE.