FAQ Counselling & Psychotherapy



What happen during the first session?



What is Psychotherapy/Counselling?



Psychotherapy/Counselling is often referred to as ‘talk-therapy’ where a client consults a mental health professional, such as a psychotherapist or counsellor, on various issues involving emotional, thoughts and/or behavioural difficulties. It can be one-to-one, group or couple meetings. The aim of psychotherapy/counselling is to provide a safe and comfortable space for the client to express their thoughts and emotions, to facilitate clients to gain new insights into their difficulties, develop better coping skills and to improve the client’s overall functioning. In this segment, the term counselling is used to refer to both psychotherapy/counselling.





Who can receive counselling?



Counselling is for anyone who is going through a period of sadness, worry or stress. People can also seek counselling to work on changing harmful behaviours and thoughts or to gain better awareness of themselves. Common problems where people seek counselling are (but not limited to) mood and emotional problems, anxiety and worries, grief, romance relationship issues, family, social, parent-child, work related stress, addiction and other behavioural problems, decision making or adjustment issues, etc.


Anyone below 18 years old is required to obtain consent from their primary caregivers before the initiation of counselling.





How long does counselling usually lasts?



Each counselling session takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour. On average, the counselling process would take about 6 to 12 sessions; however, it could be longer depending on the nature of the client’s problem, their need and resources.





What happen during the first session?



In the first session, the counsellor would work to establish an initial impression of the client and his/her problems. The client would be asked to share about their difficulties and personal background information.


In cases of clients below 18 years old, caregivers would usually be approached to share relevant information related to the client’s problem. The client or caregivers may also be asked to discuss their goals in counselling as well as the tentative treatment plan. Counselling goals and treatment plan may be modified or refined as the therapeutic process develops.





Will I feel better after my first appointment?



In most cases, client may feel sense of relief after talking to the counsellor during the first session but in some, they may feel a sense of discomfort as they have to relive their problems while speaking to the counsellor. Clients are advised to speak to their counsellor if they have this concern.





What about privacy and confidentiality?



The counsellor take responsibilities in ensuring all clients’ information are held as private and confidential. Information related to the client will only be released to any third party with the client’s consent. However, confidential may be breached if the counsellor in-charge of the case has reason to suspect that the client may be at risk of harming themselves or others (i.e. suicidal/homicidal disclosure, child or elderly abuse) or if ordered/subpoenaed by the court to do so.