It is completely normal to feel a whole host of things when considering coming to counselling for the first time. You may feel worried, anxious, nervous. You may feel excited, hopeful, ready. You may feel confused, questioning if this will work for you, and discouraged. Wherever you find yourself, know that we here at SCC want to make your experience with us a safe and comfortable one. 

 

Coming to counselling is an incredibly courageous (but scary) step, and we understand that. We have been in your shoes before - we know how it feels! So we want to give you some assurance and understanding of what you can expect in your first few sessions at Stonewall Counselling Center.

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

You can expect a warm and empathetic atmosphere.  We are here to help + hear you,  not to judge you. We recognize how hard it is to step through our doors, and we want to honour your bravery in how we treat you.

​

You can expect the first session to be a 'get to know you'. We will discuss with you at your own pace why you decided to come to counselling, and ask you some questions regarding family and medical history, and your life currently. This is also a time for you to get to know your counsellor as well - to figure out if you are a good fit with one another. It is ok to talk to your counsellor about these things if you are feeling like you might need to talk to someone else or move on from your current counsellor. We want what is best for you! And it is important that you find the right fit. We will always try to help you navigate and/or find someone that you may connect with therapeutically.

​

You can expect the first few sessions to be all about building trust. We will never push or rush you to talk about embarrassing, painful or triggering things until you are ready. The first few sessions are all about building rapport and getting to know one another. From there, we will collaboratively set some goals together and then move into those goals in the following sessions.

​

You can expect complete confidentiality. Your counsellor is bound by an ethical code, which requires us to abide by strict practices and guidelines when it comes to your confidentiality. In your session, your counsellor will discuss with you more in-depth about confidentiality at SCC.