Chances are, if you are looking at my website, you are considering counselling and therefore may have a number of questions. You will find below a number of very common questions that people often ask while making a decision about whether counselling would be right for them at this time in their life. If there are any questions you have that have not been answered here, I invite you to call or email me at 647-988-7950 or brooke@brookefawcett.com. I would be happy to speak with you.
Social Workers have university degrees in social work such as a Bachelor of Social Work, Master of Social Work or Doctorate of Social Work. A Registered Social Worker (RSW) belongs to the College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers and must belong in order to call themselves a social worker. The majority of counselling and psychotherapy services in Ontario are provided by social workers.
People come into therapy for many reasons. Life is unpredictable and people are often faced with difficult periods in their personal, family or work life. When someone is unable to cope in a way that is beneficial to resolving these issues, therapy can help. Therapy can provide support and help identify and understand the source of stress or difficulty. Therapy can assist in helping people develop coping skills and finding solutions to their problems as well as finding and linking clients to community resources. For examples of issues that I support clients with please see the Services section.
The first couple of sessions are an opportunity for you and the therapist to develop your relationship and rapport. It is often known as an "Assessment Phase" as the therapist uses the time to gain a clearer understanding of the primary issues. Information will be obtained about the concern, problem solving attempts, historical information, medical information, and other relevant details. After the first session, clinical suggestions are made and counselling options discussed. Weekly sessions an hour in length are most common but they can occur more or less often depending on need and the therapists availability. Taking the time in between sessions to process and think about what was discussed is an important part of the whole process.
It is ok if you aren't sure what your goal is in coming. What this means is that we need to work together to determine what has brought you to counselling at this time and then work toward clarifying a direction. Goals can also change during the therapy process. What is important is that the therapist and client are both aware of the focus of the sessions and there is a direction established. Ultimately, you take from the counselling experience what you put into it.
Social Workers in private practice charge an hourly fee for their services. These fees are not covered by OHIP, but they may be covered under a private health plan or employee group benefits plan. It is important for you to check with your insurance provider as many providers cover the cost of services provided by Registered Social Workers. If your insurance does not cover this service, it is important for you to call them and ask that social work be added.
The content of all therapy sessions are considered to be confidential. Both verbal and written information cannot be shared with another party without the client's or guardian's written permission. There are limits to confidentiality and they are: