+ What are the benefits to counselling?
Counselling can help you work through problems you may be experiencing and to find ways of coping with life’s events. You may have had or are experiencing a troubling event, you may just need someone to talk to with an independent point of view, you may not wish to burden family and friends, or you may need more support or time than those around you can provide. Our policy is to provide a non-judgmental and empathetic atmosphere in which to explore issues that are causing you emotional distress.
+ Are the sessions confidential?
Yes, confidentiality is very important, however, there are certain exceptions where information will be shared. These instances include:
- The counsellor believes that you may harm yourself or someone else
- Child abuse
- The courts subpoena documents or testimony
- Written permission is given by the client (ex: to share with other health professionals)
- In a group setting, the counsellor cannot guarantee that other members will not discuss information shared outside of the group
+ How does it work?
The counsellor will guide you through what is troubling you and help you move towards solutions that will fit with your way of being and to investigate new alternatives. You can express your wants and needs in a safe atmosphere with someone trained to listen and to help resolve the issues that you wish to work on. The counsellor can help you to face up to these issues and to take responsibility for your part in them, as well as exploring how other people may be affecting you.
+ Myths about Counselling
Counsellors are there to give me advice. Counsellors are there to give me advice. At Adventura, your counsellor will not work in this way. We will explore the individuals goals, patterns and existing coping skills in order to build toward solutions based on what is working and how to create positive momentum. The focus is on solutions that realistically fit into the person’s life. Learning how to fix these problems is more important than being provided with a quick solution that may not work for the client’s context.
People who seek counselling are weak. Exploring one’s emotions and problems takes a great deal of courage, as does asking for help. Sometimes problems do not go away simply by ignoring them or by dealing with them on your own. Giving a space for working on issues that are troubling can ensure that they do not build up to a breaking point.
People who go to counselling have mental health problems. Many people find the need to seek help for their problems. Counselling is just one alternative for that help. Those who hire a counsellor are just everyday people who want to work towards a more positive, healthy lifestyle. Examples of problems may be anything from a relationship breakdown to feelings of depression.
+ What will I need to do in counselling?
The person(s) seeking help is in control of the format of the sessions. The counsellor will check-in to make sure that the client is feeling heard and helped. This may require certain types of participation on the client’s part such as keeping an open mind for solutions and ideas, completing agreed upon homework (or else be willing to discuss the reasons as to why it didn’t work), and a willingness to evaluate the effectiveness of the sessions.
+ Thereputic Definitions
“Solution-focused brief therapy targets what works rather than what’s wrong. It is based on a non-pathology model that emphasizes the strengths and resources of client(s) in a collaborative effort to reach goals and resolve problems rapidly.”
“Family therapy is based on family systems theory, which understands the family to be a living organism that is more than the sum of its individual members. Family therapy uses “systems” theory to evaluate family members in terms of their position or role within the system as a whole. Problems are treated by changing the way the system works rather than trying to “fix” a specific member.”
“Cognitive Behavioral therapy is a type of therapy that is based on the theory that psychological symptoms are related to the interaction of thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. In cognitive behavioral therapy, the therapist and patient will work on identifying and directly changing thoughts and behaviors that may be maintaining symptoms.”
"Dialectical Behavior therapy addresses psychosocial issues in which some people may react more intensely to certain emotional situations. DBT helps individuals to cope with these intense emotions in a healthy way. It is strength based, and incorporates CBT by challenging disruptive thoughts and beliefs.