Ultimate Guide to Individual Therapy and Individual Counselling Service
Individual counselling or Individual therapy is a type of one-on-one psychotherapy where a counsellor can work in-person with a client in a confidential environment, in order to help them through any difficult times or issues they may be experiencing in their life. There are different types of individual counselling (emotion-focused therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, etc.) that can help address specific issues that a client may be experiencing. Some examples of mental health issues that a client may be experiencing and needing some help from can range from anxiety and depression to things like insomnia, anger issues or problems in their family life.
Seeking counselling therapy… work one-on-one with a trained mental health clinician
Particularly now, many people are feeling hopeless, stressed, and overwhelmed. One on one counselling can help.
Seeking individual counselling can be a great way to process difficult emotions, thoughts, and behaviours with the comfort of a one-on-one with a trained mental health expert in a counselling centre. Many people not only improve issues in their lives through individual counselling but can even gain improvements in areas such as a better sense of self-esteem and confidence through the process. When clients are given the tools to better deal with tough situations in their life, they can feel more confident in their abilities to solve problems and deal with stressful situations on their own, and eventually function in a healthier way in general.
First session- What Are We Going To Talk About during a single session?
Variety of different issues are dealt with specifically during individual counselling will obviously differ for every client, but essentially the individual can bring any concerns they have to the psychotherapist. Usually, a common goal will be set by the individual and the psychotherapist and they will work together on a plan to ultimately reach that goal through consultation.
Since individual counselling is counselling therapy or talk therapy, this usually involves talking to a psychotherapist regularly, learning new ways of forming healthier thinking, and behavior patterns, and reaching any set personal goals set by the client and psychotherapist. A therapist may even provide a client with “homework” to do between sessions, which can range from real actions and tasks to just practicing different thinking and emotional responses.
Since individual counselling is highly personalized, it is impossible to give a concrete example of a typical session, however, the hope is that everyone finds their own way to engage in individual counselling that best suits them and can be most effective.
How Do I Know If It’s A Good Fit or Not with my Psychotherapist?
Since individual counselling is so personal, it’s important to find a psychotherapist who is a good match for you, the client. There are several ways to tell if an individual and their psychotherapist are a good fit for working together, from whether or not the client feels comfortable talking and sharing personal information to achieving the goals set together in therapy. As this can be a very vulnerable position to be in, individuals should understand that their psychotherapist is not there to pass judgment or criticize them.
A client’s main goal in the therapeutic relationship is to be as open and truthful as possible in order to help relieve from distress. It’s also important for an individual to feel validated and heard, which goes beyond passive listening and involves things like follow-up questions or offering signs they are engaged non-verbally by facial expressions or nodding.
A psychotherapist will generally also make sure a client understands things by helping them summarize what was discussed in the session and making sure the psychotherapist and individual are united or “on the same page” regarding what the issues are and how to go about dealing with them in an effective way. A psychotherapist may ask how the individual feels the therapy is going or if they are feeling unsatisfied with their progress in any way, as checking in with a client can be helpful to both parties and ensure therapy is progressing in a beneficial way.
Trust and resilience is obviously incredibly important in an individual counselling session, since a client needs to feel comfortable telling their psychotherapist anything and must be ready to be completely honest with their feelings so they can address the issues they’re trying to tackle. It can take a few sessions for an individual to discover whether or not they fully trust their psychotherapist, but if they feel validated, supported and generally get comfort from the experience, it’s a good sign.
A psychotherapist is sometimes called an ally of their client, so trust is an incredibly important part of the dynamic if therapy is to be successful. If an individual feels that their progress is stalled or that their treatment is being rushed, or just generally not going the way it should, they should also feel free to bring it up to their mental health support, so that they may address it. Trusting a psychotherapist means both the ability to share freely as an individual client in confidentiality, but also the ability to discuss things that are not working, so both parties can be actively engaged in making it the best experience possible and getting the maximum benefit from therapy.
Individual Counselling Can Touch Difficult Subjects
Since individual counselling can deal with a wide array of topics and looks at getting to the root of the issues, there may be times when difficult subjects are discussed. This can be triggering for a lot of people, as discussing or even remembering past traumatic experiences can cause someone to have flashbacks to those traumatic times, or just experience anxiety, extreme sadness or perhaps even experience a panic attack.
This is another reason why trust is necessary for the dynamic between individual clients and psychotherapists because it is only by working through the trauma of these events that an individual is able to find relief from the pain this is still causing them in their life. A psychotherapist may suggest things like journaling or writing exercises in between sessions to help deal with the stress or anxiety of traumas which are being triggered, or even suggest breathing or visualization exercises to help in the moment, so they can talk about their experiences more comfortably without feeling as triggered.
When an individual is talking to their psychotherapist about these experiences, it is normal for individuals to feel emotional and express these emotions while discussing these past traumatic events. All issues cannot be addressed in the first session. It can take a few sessions to discuss a single event and most individuals tend to have more confidence in themselves and talking to their psychotherapist over time.
Isn’t Individual Counselling For Crazy or Really Depressed People?
Many people can be hesitant of individual counselling, they may be concerned by the stigma of seeking help or worry about talking to someone they perceive as a stranger. However, most of these fears are outweighed by the benefits and improvements felt in client’s lives after beginning treatment.
Relationships between individuals and psychotherapists are built together as therapy progresses, and just like any relationship trust and comfort are earned over time, and generally it doesn’t take long for a rapport to be created. The amount of time spent in individual counselling depends on many factors including what conditions are being treated and the severity, how negatively they are impacting the client’s daily life, how the individual responds to therapy, the rate of progress and many other factors which will be discussed between individual and psychotherapist.
Several examples include variety of concerns including couples counselling, family therapy, indigenous issues and symptoms of depression have also been helped using focused therapy.
When exactly therapy is “over” is another question many clients have, and this can differ from person to person and also depends heavily on what the issues are that are being tackled. Many times individuals will begin therapy by laying out specific goals for themselves and discussing those with their psychotherapist, so if both parties agree that these goals have been met, that can be a good time to move on, remembering of course to use all the things learned during therapy to continue to help with those specific issues, and also with a better sense of self-confidence to be able to deal with similar issues in the future.
Once an individual feels empowered to deal with potentially difficult situations on their own, using the tools they’ve gained in therapy and from their psychotherapist, it can be a sign that they are ready to try moving on. Sometimes a psychotherapist might suggest a final closing session where they’re able to look back with their client and identify what has been helpful, why, and how they plan to move forward after therapy. They will also make sure an individual has tools and exercises to help them once they have completed their process together and make clear that they are free to return to counselling should they require it at a later date.
Some individuals enter counselling to deal with one specific issue and others for a whole host of reasons, or a general feeling they’re trying to overcome so the amount of time spent actively working through these issues is very different for everyone. For some, a few weeks may be enough to work through their issue or get some of the tools they need to make the necessary changes in their lives, and for others, it could be weeks, months or an ongoing process where individual and psychotherapist evaluate their progress periodically and reassess the needs and issues discussed.
Individual counselling can be incredibly beneficial to almost anyone, as long as they are willing to put in the work as well and be open and honest with their psychotherapist. Even if it cannot “cure” certain conditions, it can give individuals the tools and confidence to better handle mental health conditions, past traumas, chronic issues, or just live their general life in a way that is more healthy and beneficial.
Meet Lifepathways- the Best Psychotherapist in Toronto
Life Pathways has been at delivering individual counselling for a number of years now. Their team is led by the highly experienced Nancy Tavares-Jones, the best psychotherapist in Toronto, and her interns. When it comes to individual counselling, her each session helps. She has helped clients far and wide using a trusted process through which clients have experienced wellness. If you are looking for individual counselling Book an Appointment today. The help you need is not far away.