Expectations to Have for A Psychotherapist or Counsellor
Psychotherapists and counsellors are often master’s level clinicians with anywhere between 400 to 2000 hours necessary to complete their graduate program in counselling. While many jurisdictions worldwide have different titles for these practitioners, it is most common for there to be at least a 4-year bachelor’s program followed by a specific 2-year Master’s program in either social work or counseling psychology.
Often-times I have heard people contemplating psychotherapy who are afraid that the clinician will judge them or that they might not have enough “reasons” to go through a therapeutic process. Most, if not all counsellors, do not believe this to be the case. Instead, most counsellors believe in an approach where the client learns coping skills and engages in counseling to understand their behaviour and emotions. Counsellors work with the clients wherever they are in their life journey and use evidence-based approaches to provide psychoeducation and therapy.
You should expect that a good counselor will have an approach that you would like to engage with. For example, looking up different modalities and interventions before attending sessions is a helpful way to be sure that your counselor is providing the type of therapy you’re looking for. Some counsellors provide talk therapy, some provide exposure therapy, or cognitive behavioural therapy. Approaches to counseling are numerous and varied, and it is imperative that both the counselor and client agree on the intervention used.
In some areas, Licensed Professional Counsellors can diagnose, but in others they cannot. For example, in Canada, only Psychologists, Social Workers, and Psychiatrists provide mental health diagnosis. In some States, however, diagnosis is possible from a Counsellor. Some counsellors perform master’s level assessments and provide letters of support for clients, but others do not offer this service. The following are questions you can ask your counsellor in your intake session:
- What modality/intervention style do you use most often with clients?
- What is your usual approach to cases like mine (describe your symptoms or reason for intake).
- Do you have any special experience or training in these particular areas?
- Do you direct bill insurance, and if so, can we check if you can direct bill mine?
It is important that both the counsellor (or psychotherapist) are on the same page going forward with counselling therapy services. The right fit for you may not be the right fit for somebody else, and that’s completely okay. Finding a counsellor should be more complicated than simply going with the first one you find. It’s okay to shop around and do 15 minute calls to see if you are a good fit with a therapist.
