Myths & Misconceptions
Psychotherapy is only for people with serious mental health issues.
Simply Not True.
People get therapeutic support for a variety of everyday reasons including anxiety, relationship and family issues, parenting problems, work stress as well trauma or abuse. Being human means we will face struggles and experience suffering. It’s becoming more acceptable to go for psychotherapy, but there’s still too much societal stigma connected to mental health issues. Seeking help for our mental health should be seen as a sign of strength, not a weakness.
Paying for therapy is a waste of money; I could just as easily tell my problems to friends or family.
While it’s important to have a support network of friends and family who we can rely on, talking to a psychotherapist is very different. Being totally separate from your everyday life, we are able to support you objectively and focus on your needs, without offering unwanted advice or holding an agenda. I have been specially trained to help you gain new perspectives and challenge negative beliefs or behaviour patterns.
My counsellor will think that my problems aren’t as important as other clients, they’ll think that I’m wasting their time.
A common misconception and reason why people don’t seek counselling is that they believe their problems are not important enough. People worry that their issues are not as ‘big’ as other people’s and that the therapist will think they are wasting her time. For me, this is absolutely not the case. I believe that everybody deserves to have their voice heard, there is no barometer for worthiness when it comes to seeking help for our mental health.
My Psychotherapist will be able to fix all of my problems.
There is no magic wand when it comes to psychotherapy. As psychotherapists we do not have all of the answers. In fact most often, the solutions you need will come from within yourself, yet you often can’t get there alone. What psychotherapy will give you is support in unraveling the muddle of your internal emotional world. The focus of therapy will be different for every person but I believe that it can help you to gain new perspectives and build resilience for dealing with life’s struggles.
My Counsellor will just listen to me talk, and will stay mostly silent.
As was made famous with traditional forms of psychotherapy, the therapist would often have stayed silent while the patient lay on a couch. However, this is not how many modern therapists, such as myself, work. Silence can be a very important part of the therapeutic process, but I also have engaging and dynamic conversations with clients when it feels appropriate. Psychotherapy requires the development of trust between therapist and client and I am an active participant in this relationship.
My psychotherapist will blame all of my problems on my parents or upbringing.
Psychotherapy is not about blaming everything on your childhood or your parents, this would not be constructive or helpful, and fixes nothing. At times and when appropriate, it can be useful to look at your family of origin and your past to get a better sense of yourself and your story. Each client has a unique set of life experiences that has brought them to where they are, but I will not use blame or shame in any capacity.
I will feel instantly better after every counselling session.
This can happen sometimes, but isn’t always the case. While the aim of counselling is to ultimately bring you to a place where you feel better, sometimes deep emotions can be stirred up during a session which may leave you feeling vulnerable for a time. We will discuss ways in which you can take care of yourself in this instance, and over time the benefits of counselling will develop and become clear.
My therapist will be able to give me a medical diagnosis and write me a prescription.
This is not the case. Psychotherapists or counsellors are not qualified to give a mental health diagnosis, and they cannot prescribe any medications. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who will be licensed to prescribe medication and who may offer a mental health diagnosis after a psychological evaluation.
FAQs
What happens during a therapy session?
The initial sessions will be a process of getting to know each other, and we’ll talk about your goals and expectations for the therapy. After this, we will work on what feels important to you in each session, allowing for freedom and exploration into what is meaningful, significant or relevant.
What are the frequency and length of sessions?
A counselling session will last 50 minutes. I believe that therapy has the best chance of a positive outcome when sessions are weekly, especially in the beginning. Committing to weekly session allows for consistency and for the therapeutic relationship to develop.
How many sessions will I need?
This is different for everyone, and so it’s difficult to determine how long therapy will take. Most often the length of the therapy will be decided by the client. Generally it is when the client feels better resourced and equipped to manage their lives in a way that feels acceptable to them, that we will look at ending the therapy.
What do I do if I need to cancel a session?
I would ask that you give a minimum of 24 hours notice if you need to cancel a session. If a session is not cancelled within 24 hours, a percentage of the fee for that session will be charged.
Is everything we talk about confidential?
Your confidentiality matters and protecting your confidentiality is part of my ethical code as a mental health professional. It assures your privacy, trust, and your ability to share freely and openly in your sessions. Everything you tell me is confidential with a few exceptions: If I feel that you are an immediate danger to yourself or others, I can break confidentiality to keep you/others safe. If I hear about the abuse (or suspected abuse) of anyone under the age of 18, an elderly person, or someone with a disability, I am mandated to report it. It's important to know that I will never break confidentiality without discussing this with you first.
Who are the types of clients that you work with?
I work only with clients over 18 years of age. I do not currently work with couples, families, children or teenagers. I treat all of my clients equally, and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, or sexual orientation.
What’s the difference between counselling and psychotherapy?
This question can cause a lot of confusion. Counselling will often focus on the problems and parts of ourselves that we are already aware of and can tend to take a shorter amount of time. Psychotherapy will go deeper, uncovering things that may be hidden to us or that we are not consciously aware of, and can take a longer period of time. I am trained to work with both approaches, I will only work with which feels most suited to the client and what they’re comfortable with.