In counseling, counselors support clients toward obtaining co-created goals for growth and healing through deep listening, engaging conversation, and strategic activities. Rather than give advice, counselors guide clients to discover their own solutions and to develop and implement their own skills to handle life’s situations. Counseling sessions tend to be completed individually, unless couple or family goals are established. Sessions are a clinical hour (~50 min).

How often and for how long clients are in counseling depends on the goals established with the counselor. Often, for complex trauma, clients can plan to be seen weekly or biweekly over 2 or more months, again, based on the goals established and the skills of the client. Both how often and how long you’ll be in counseling should be discussed during your first counseling session.

“Better” often feels like more control, power, and calm. Clients often report feeling more “grounded”, more able to stay “calm when everyone else is freaking out”, and “more aware”. Clients often report increased confidence in themselves and their decision-making, assurance in their self-worth, and skills in navigating difficult people and situations.

Counseling only works if the client is ready to work hard. Clients must be willing to be vulnerable enough to talk about the hard stuff in sessions and to learn new ways of managing their lives. Counseling. though, does not end when the session does! Clients are often given homework assignments that range from noticing body reactions or triggers, to setting a boundary with a family member, to practicing a new skill multiple times between sessions.

In your first session, we will:

• Hear your story

• Identify barriers, triggers, hopes

• Co-create goals and a pathway to reach those goals

• Schedule future counseling sessions and answer any questions you have

When you log into the telehealth platform, you may wait for a bit in the virtual waiting room. You will be welcomed into the telehealth video call on the hour or a few minutes after. We will talk about what’s bringing you in for counseling, why now, and what are you hoping counseling can do for you.

For minors and adults needing assistance, our first session may be completed with your guardians/parents. Sessions after that, guardians/parents will be invited to check-in with the counselor for 5-10 minutes then the client and counselor will work together for the rest of the clinical hour. There may be times that guardians/family members are invited into full sessions to work on systemic issues and goals.

Information shared between clients and counselors is considered confidential or private. Often, counselors tell clients “anything you SAY in here, STAYS in here”. The only time a counselor will break confidentiality or talk about something that was said in a session is because of the following:

1. You are talking about harming yourself.

2. You are talking about harming someone else.

3. You are talking about or have harmed an animal.

4. You know someone who is under 18 or is an older adult who needs assistance is being neglected or abused.

Counselors should discuss limits of confidentiality with you when you meet for the first time and during regular sessions, and should explain what will happen anytime confidentiality is broken for one of the above-listed reasons.

Yes! Working with multiple members of a family can be healing- some sessions may be individual, some may be strategic parts of the family (e.g., couple, siblings, parent/child), and some may include all family members. Families can benefit from addressing unhealthy patterns together. Family work requires very clear communication, and setting of boundaries, expectations, and goals.