Counseling Fundamentals

Having a good rapport with your therapist is of vital importance. Your therapist should create a space where you feel safe, comfortable, and judgement free. If you are able to build that strong level of comfort with your therapist, you will feel safe to ask for what you need. It is also important to... more

Finding the right therapist for you is very important and can sometimes be tricky. It can sometimes take a number of sessions to get a good sense of whether you and your therapist are the "right fit." The first couple of sessions are generally spent on gathering information, formulating a plan of... more

This is a great question! When you look forward to sessions because you feel calm, comforted, supported, and growth -- that's how you know you found the right therapist. Therapy can be uncomfortable simply because you start looking at parts of your life and yourself that you've been avoiding or... more

Finding the right therapist isn't as easy as looking in the phone book and choosing someone who is close-by or is inexpensive. The therapist who feels like the best fit is someone who you feel comfortable being vulnerable with, provides a environment (physical or virtual) that feels safe to try and... more

A therapist should be willing to have an initial conversation to determine - both of you - if there is a good fit. Fit will be determined in ways such as do I feel a connection with this therapist, do they have skills in an area that I am struggling with, do I feel heard and listened to when we talk... more

There are lots of very good therapists out there–doing all types of therapy. However, studies show that more important than the type of therapy, the biggest indicator of client success is the therapeutic relationship that develops between the therapist and client. In other words…there needs to be a... more

I am so impressed to hear that despite all that you have endured, you're open to and asking about therapy! That. Is. Incredible.I don't believe there is a person who has "too many" struggles or is "too far gone" for therapy. Often, our numerous struggles are like the roots that grow from a plant... more

YES. Absolutely it is appropriate to cry during a therapy session (or all of them). Crying is a physical representation of acknowledging, expressing, and releasing emotion. Our bodies are very smart and often know what we need to heal. The urge to cry is our body telling us it may be time to let... more

Your therapy sessions and goals are for you and about you. They are not meant to be compared to anyone else's sessions and goals. Crying can occur in many different scenarios, such as when you're happy, relieved, have just heard the funniest joke, and of course, when you're sad. All of these... more

it is quite normal as conversations we have may touch on emotions, thoughts and feelings that have been covered up for a long time. Just as laughter (which may also be present in therapy), joy, sadness, reflections, these are all emotions and insights that can occur. Allowing yourself to feel and... more