You can expect in counselling to build a vision—a clear vision of what you want to have in your life and ways that you can get it. We’ll build on what you’re already doing that’s working and figure out the things that you need to do differently. Counselling will be collaborative. We’ll talk about things that you can do to move past obstacles so that you truly can live the life that you want.
The structure of counselling I use is very respectful and empowering. I will help you to develop a clear vision of what you want and will help you decide upon actions you can take to realize your dreams. We will regularly measure your progress towards your goals and reassess and tweak steps along the way.
During each meeting we assess where you’re at in terms of reaching your goals. We’ll also talk about your commitment in reaching these goals, your confidence, and the importance that they play in your life. One of the main ways we do this is through scaling questions. For example, I might ask, “on a scale of 0 to 10 if zero is you have no confidence whatsoever and 10 is you are completely confident, how confident are you currently that you can reach your goals?”
Often I find when people ask me this question, they are really wanting to know if counselling will be helpful, if it will make a difference in their lives, and whether or not I think I can help them. Although no one can claim counselling or a specific therapist will absolutely be helpful, I can tell you I have over 20 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults. My goal has always been to support a person or people to develop a vision of what s/he wants to have happen in his/her life and to help her/him develop tangible steps to get there. My goal is also to support a person in taking action and monitoring her/his progress towards success. I know from working with many people that things can be different in a very rich and meaningful way.
Building a safe and trusting relationship is of utmost importance in working with children and teens. I work very hard at developing a good rapport with the child or teen so that she or he feels comfortable meeting with me. I might do this through talking, playing games, or doing some other fun activity.
Children learn through playing. They also communicate what they’ve experienced or witnessed through play. Using play therapeutically helps children express what may be troubling them using a natural and comfortable medium. It can help children learn to move beyond troubles and live normal, happy lives. More and more researchers are recognizing how important play is to a child’s cognitive and emotional development.
I have over 20 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults. I use a respectful and empowering approach to help you make tangible changes. I’ll support you in realizing your dreams. I work well with a variety of concerns and a variety of people. I offer prompt appointments during the day, evening, and on weekends on a face-to-face, on-line, or phone basis. If you live in the mountains in the Bow Valley, it’s helpful to have someone to speak with that understands what life is like here.
Suppose you are able to live the life you’ve always wanted to live. Would it be worth the cost? I will do my best to help you develop a vision of what you want to have different in your life, will help you figure out what you need to do to get there, and support you in moving past obstacles along the way. It is possible to live a very rich and meaningful life period.
There are lots of similarities between counselling and coaching. Counselling and coaching are both a commitment to yourself, a way to be proactive — to feel like you can handle whatever comes your way, and to feel like you have the energy and motivation to make a difference in your life. Both counselling and coaching give you a snapshot of what success may look like. Counselling and coaching help you develop a rich experience of success by enabling you to see, feel, and hear what it may look like. In coaching you often feel a real sense of excitement and motivation to get going right away to reach your goals. In counselling there is often an affirmation of your competence and a growing confidence that you can deal with whatever may come your way. Counselling is often about growing your feelings of confidence and competence in living the life you want.
Counselling would be recommended over coaching if you are a risk to yourself, someone else, or have an ongoing mental health concern—i.e. depression.
I would be happy to discuss with you whether you think counselling or coaching would be more beneficial.
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