Your first session is a chance to get to know each other and begin understanding what brings you to counselling.

You might talk about what's been happening recently, what you've been struggling with, what you'd like to be different, or what led you to reach out now.

Your counsellor may also ask about things like your background, relationships, current circumstances, previous experiences with counselling, and the supports you already have.

You'll also have an opportunity to ask questions and talk about what you'd like counselling to look like.

You don't need to tell your whole story on the first day.

We'll start with what's most useful to you.

You don't need to arrive with a list of things to discuss.

Maybe you know something is bothering you but aren't sure how to explain it.

Maybe several things are happening at once and you don't know where to start.

Or maybe you genuinely don't know what you need.

That's okay.

Part of counselling can be figuring out what's important, noticing patterns, and deciding together where it makes sense to begin.

Your counsellor can help guide the conversation when you aren't sure where to take it.

No.

Counselling should be a place where you can decide what you're ready to explore.

There may be things you want to talk about right away. There may be things that take time. And there may be things you aren't sure you ever want to discuss.

Your counsellor may sometimes notice something that seems important and invite you to explore it, but you can ask questions, slow things down, or talk about whether you're ready.

Building trust is part of the process.

That depends on you, your goals, and what you're working through.

Some sessions may involve mostly talking and making sense of what's happening.

Other sessions might involve learning or practicing a specific skill, working through a situation, exploring a pattern, trying an exercise, or making a plan for something you're facing.

Depending on your counsellor and what you're working on, counselling may draw from approaches such as CBT, DBT, Narrative Therapy, or creative and experiential approaches.

The approach is there to support the work — not to make you fit into a particular therapy model.

Sometimes your counsellor may offer information, suggestions, or a different perspective.

But counselling isn't about someone else telling you how to live your life.

Your counsellor doesn't know your life better than you do.

The goal is to help you understand your options, notice what's happening, develop useful skills, and make decisions that fit your circumstances and values.

Sometimes the most useful thing isn't advice at all. It may be having someone help you think something through.

Sometimes.

Depending on what you're working on, you might leave a session with something to try, notice, practice, or think about before you meet again.

That could be a specific skill, a conversation you'd like to approach differently, keeping track of a pattern, or simply paying attention to how something affects you.

Other times, there may be no homework at all.

Anything you take away from a session should have a reason behind it and make sense for what you're working on.

Many people begin with weekly sessions, particularly when they're starting counselling or working through something that feels immediate.

For others, every-other-week sessions or another schedule may make more sense.

The frequency can also change over time.

We'll talk together about what feels useful and realistic for you.

There isn't a standard number of sessions.

Some people come to counselling to work through a specific concern and find that a shorter period of support is enough.

Others want longer-term support to explore patterns, relationships, identity, difficult experiences, or ongoing challenges.

You may also find that what you need changes over time.

We'll check in along the way about whether counselling is still helping you move toward what matters to you.

Progress isn't always obvious.

It might mean feeling better, but it can also mean understanding yourself differently, noticing a pattern sooner, responding differently in a difficult situation, having a conversation you've been avoiding, setting a boundary, or being less hard on yourself.

Sometimes progress also means recognizing that something isn't working and trying something different.

You don't have to figure out whether counselling is “working” on your own.

We'll check in together and adjust the work when needed.

You can say so.

You might not understand why a particular approach is being used. You might want to spend more time on something else. You might disagree with your counsellor's perspective.

That's allowed.

You should be able to have an honest conversation with your counsellor about what is and isn't working.

Counselling is collaborative. Your feedback is part of that process.

You can.

You might cry. You might get angry. You might laugh at something. You might feel nothing at all.

There isn't a particular emotional response you're supposed to have in counselling.

You don't need to apologize for being emotional, and you don't need to perform being emotional either.

You can show up as you are.

That's okay too.

Different people process things differently.

Depending on your counsellor and what you're working on, sessions may include writing, exercises, creative or experiential activities, skills practice, reflection, or other ways of exploring what's happening.

Sometimes talking is exactly what you need.

Sometimes it isn't.

We'll find ways of working that make sense for you.

What you share in counselling is generally kept private within the limits of applicable law and professional standards.

Before counselling begins, your counsellor will explain confidentiality, its limits, and how your information is handled.

If you're working with a teen, couple, or family, we'll also talk about how privacy and information-sharing work when more than one person is involved.

You should understand these boundaries before you begin sharing personal information.

You can learn more on our Privacy & Confidentiality page.

Life happens.

If you need to change an appointment, your counsellor will explain their cancellation and rescheduling policy when you begin counselling.

We know that circumstances can change, and we'll do our best to make the practical side of counselling clear from the beginning.

You are allowed to decide that counselling isn't what you need right now.

You may also decide that you want to take a break, change your goals, work with a different counsellor, or explore another kind of support.

Counselling should be something you choose to participate in, not something you feel trapped into continuing.

If you decide to stop, your counsellor can talk with you about what you've accomplished, what may still need attention, and whether any other supports would be useful.