Whereas face-to-face or online, there is no typical counseling or coaching session. I’ll provide you a safe and tailored environment in which we’ll explore your issues and/or goals. You’ll be free to discuss your desires, questions, dilemmas, difficulties, thoughts, feelings, dreams, aspirations, regrets, concerns, hopes, past, present and future. For some of you, we’ll use a coaching approach. We’ll focus on your goals and I’ll provide you with the mental/psychological aspects of goals and performance achievement. We’ll develop your ability to be focused, determined, committed, and confident in all circumstances. For others, we’ll use a counseling approach. We’ll deal with your emotional issues first before setting and moving towards goals.
In the case where CBC (Cognitive Behavioral Counselling) applies to you, the sessions will be more structured and I’ll provide you with specific practical exercises to help you understand, challenge and manage your thoughts and actions.
A coaching session can last anywhere from 10 minutes to two or three hours. Most of my clients prefer 30 to 60 minute sessions. If the session is longer than 60 minutes, you get restless or worn out. In 60 minutes, we have enough time to discuss a topic in depth or cover a few topics more briefly. “Power sessions” are also very much appreciated. “Power sessions” are short, powerful sessions that last around 10 to 20 minutes. We get right to the heart of the matter. I also have clients hiring me for a day, a week, a month. It is for you to choose the format that best suits your needs.
Counseling sessions including CBC (Cognitive Behavioral Counseling) usually last 50 minutes and are held at a regular time slot each week in order for the counseling to be efficient.
The recommendation for both coaching and counseling is to begin with 6 sessions followed by a review session. However, your situation and your needs are unique and this makes it difficult to tell you accurately the total number of sessions you will need right from the outset. Keep in mind that once you get started, new perspectives, issues, considerations can arise which we’ll either need to further explore or deal with. Moreover, it is important to stabilize the results that you move forward at your own pace.
Although I am an integrative counselor which means that I am trained in and combine a variety of counseling approaches, I’ll refer you to other counselors or therapists if I identify that you would benefit from an approach I am not able to provide you with. Please also kindly note that as a counselor, I am not eligible to prescribe medication.
Both coaching and counseling sessions are strictly confidential. I adhere to the code of ethics of the ICF (International Coach Federation) which I intend to become a member next year. The exception would be if you were to pose a danger to yourself or others, in which case the relevant parties would be notified.
Additional information regarding appointment and time slots, missed or cancelled sessions, payment and costs will be mentioned in your contract. Have I forgotten to mention something that is important to you? Please feel free to put yourself in contact with me.
You can find my contact details in the “Contact” page of the website.