During the first session, I will go over some housekeeping information like confidentiality and informed consent, to make sure that everything is clear and that you have no questions.

This is also the opportunity for me to get to know you, your life, your struggles, and your hopes for the future.

I will collect some of your history and together we will figure out what your focus will be going forward.

Everyone is different and the answer will depend on your intentions for therapy.

Some people only need a handful of sessions to gain the strategies and insights that they need to move forward.

Others want to dig deeper and work through long-standing patterns or traumas which might require a longer timeframe.

Finally, some people want to maintain a ongoing relationship, checking in periodically over years.

This also depends on the individual. Each client can choose a frequency that feels best for them whether that is weekly, biweekly, monthly, or even less frequently. As we progress, we can continue to evaluate your needs and adjust the frequency as needed.

If you are unsure, I usually recommend weekly or biweekly depending on your reasons for seeking out therapy and other constraints you might have.

There are many potential benefits to therapy. These include new perspectives, a deeper understanding of self, improved relationships, solutions to specific problems, a reduction of distressing symptoms, and an increased sense of well-being.

There can be some risks involved in therapy which are good to know about before beginning.

These might include emotional ups and downs, uncomfortable feelings, remembering troubling or traumatic events, and the potential of feeling worse before feeling better. Additionally, relationships can sometimes be disrupted or altered due to the personal growth process.

All of these potential situations are normal and don't mean anything about you. If you do experience any of the above, this can be talked about in session to figure out how they can be addressed.

In Canada, mental health therapy is regulated provincially. In Nova Scotia, we are regulated by the Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists (NSCCT) and hold the protected title of Registered Counselling Therapist (RCT). For the first 2-5 years of practice, therapists are considered candidates (RCT-C). All RCTs in Nova Scotia are required to have a master's level degree in counselling psychology or a related discipline.

Psychotherapy/psychotherapist is an equivalent protected title used in other jurisdictions, such as Ontario.

Psychologists are required to have graduate-level education in clinical psychology and can provide assessments and diagnoses.

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who focus on mental health. Like psychologists, they can administer assessments and provide diagnoses with the added ability to prescribe medications.