Y’know, I was thinking the other day – when I struggled with anxiety in my university years, there’s no way I would have had the confidence to reach out to a therapist for help. Seems a little bit hypocritical, doesn’t it? Totally! Think about it, when you suffer with anxiety or depression (or numerous different things, really) going to the doctors, dentist, or even shopping can be a monstrous task!! So, why would reaching out to set up a therapy appointment be any different?
That said, my mission as a therapist and as a practice owner is to address the difficulties that clients face in reaching out when they are considering starting therapy. My goal is to make starting therapy, easy. Making the decision to start therapy is tough enough, I don’t want clients to have to face the same fears and hurdles I did when they try to take the step to reach out.
For this reason, I’m talking all these consultation call to help clients understand what to expect when they reach out for a free consultation. My hope is that knowledge of what’s to come can help clients feel more confident and put their nerves at ease when they go to take this first step . I’ve broken this down into 5 important things you need to know!
1. What is a Consultation Call?
Finding a therapist is a personal thing -you’re going to be sharing intimate details about you and your life, and we want to make sure you feel comfortable doing so! The consultation call is an opportunity for us to get to know you, what you’re looking for and what you’re hoping to address in therapy! In the consultation call, we also answer any questions you have and ensure you’re comfortable before moving forward. This is also an opportunity for you to feel out if Rebound is the best fit for you! At Rebound, we have a team of therapists with different specialties, qualifications and personalities. Based on what issues you’d like to work on, your availability, finances and of course personality, we take all that information and play ‘therapist match maker’ where we match you with a therapist that’s best suited for you ???? This way, you have confidence in knowing that you’ve been matched with someone properly suited for your needs and you don’t have to stress about finding the right therapist.
2. No obligations
When new clients consider starting therapy, they often get fixated on the idea that finding a therapist is permanent and is a big decision and for some reason, requires commitment right away. Not true! I am sure to let all clients know that there is never any pressure, obligation or need for commitment when you sign up for a free consultation. Like I’ve mentioned, when finding a therapist we want you to feel comfortable! If you don’t feel like our team or Rebound in general is the best option for you, we understand! In fact, for clients that are looking for something that we don’t offer, we are here to help you with referrals or recommendations for alternative options!
3. Confidentiality
One of the first things I tell clients in a consultation is their rights to confidentiality. Just like any other health practitioner, what clients say to me in a consultation call is kept confidential! For full disclosure, I always let clients know that there’s a couple exceptions to this – if a client tells me they are a harm to themselves or a harm to someone else, I do have to report that. By telling clients this upfront, my hope is that you’re confident in knowing your information is safe with me! Many clients are often shy or worried about sharing sensitive or personal information with me when just meeting me or chatting with me for the first time. There’s two things I have to say to that … First, as a therapist – we’ve heard it all . You never have to worry about scaring us off, or freaking us out – we’re here to listen, not to judge. Secondly, the consultation call is an opportunity for you to share what you’re comfortable with. There’s no pressure to overshare if you don’t feel comfortable doing so – you and your matched therapist can dive into the more ‘sensitive stuff’ later on, whenever you’re ready. Simply share what you feel is necessary for us to know when matching you with a therapist – this process moves at your pace, not ours!
4. What you can expect
If you’re anything like me, you like to be prepared for new things – not be thrown off guard in the moment Here’s a list of some of the questions you can expect me to ask you when we meet for a consultation call 🙂
a) What’s going on in your life right now – what’s brought you here and what are you hoping to address in counselling (It’s okay if you don’t have a clear answer here! Sometimes we don’t know what’s wrong but know we need to talk about it!)
b) Have you been to counselling before? If so, Tell me about your experience in counselling! Was there anything you liked? Didn’t like?
c) Tell me briefly about your life right now – living situation, job/school, home life.
d) Is there anything you can think of that you would like in a counsellor? Style, personality, gender? It’s okay if you don’t have a preference or aren’t sure!
e) What’s your availability for sessions – what are the best times/days to attend counselling sessions?
f) How do you hope to cover the cost of counselling? Are you using benefits or do you plan to pay out of pocket? What is your financial comfortability? If you plan to use benefits – do you know what designation you are covered for (you might need to check into your insurance plan ????)
g) Do you have any questions for me?
5. Next steps
At the end of your consultation call, I’ll recap with you what I’ve heard to make sure we’re on the same page! Then I’ll walk you through next steps. After our consultation call, I take all the information you’ve provided me and hit the drawing board to determine which of our therapists’ would be the best fit for you. Within 24 hours of our consultation together, I’ll email you with a therapist match and a link to their profile! This way you can learn more about them and read a bit about them before they get in touch. Then, your therapist will be in touch with you via email within 24-48 hours of that! There’s really nothing you have to do after our consultation call – we reach out to you. Depending how you feel, you can dive right into your first session with your matched therapist, or you can opt to do a free 15 minute consultation with them first – your choice. There’s no rush to get started – when you’re ready, you can book online with your therapist for either a telephone or a virtual session. Your therapist will email you with all the housekeeping details you need to know like how to access your session, how to pay, and how to complete consent forms. There’s no waiting or guessing – we’re here to help! Just like I mentioned before, there’s no obligation to continue or commit – so , if clients are no longer interested, that’s no problem! Likewise, I always encourage clients to circle back if they feel their therapist isn’t the best fit for them. With a team of therapists, we’re happy to rematch you with someone else that might be a good fit!
Now just like anything new, we may have a few nerves when it comes to starting therapy, but my hope is that with this information, you’ll feel more confident in reaching out for help. At Rebound, I am the first point of contact for all new clients. I always tell people this – my job is literally to make sure you’re comfortable! What you can expect from me personally… well I’m super laid back, easy going and bubbly. I typically match my clients where they’re at. If you’re making jokes, laughing – I will be too! One of the biggest pieces of feedback I get is that I’m super approachable and down-to-earth – that’s my goal! I’m human too.
So what’s next for you? If you’ve been thinking about starting therapy, still have questions or are debating taking that next step – reach out. You can book a consultation for a time that works for you using the booking link below. OR you can reach out to me directly – I’m happy to email back and forth to answer any questions you have.
When you’re ready to conquer the consultation call – take the next step, we’re here!
Give it a shot: BOOK A CONSULTATION