Now Accepting New Clients!

Most people seek counseling because they want something in their life to change, but often, they have misconceptions about the process, so it's important to know what to expect. In most cases, during your first counseling visit, you'll be filling out paperwork and answering basic questions, primarily about your medical and family history, your current situation, your reasons for seeking counseling and discussing confidentiality, among other topics.

• Be ready to share about yourself

• Be ready to be honest

• Prepare any questions

• Keep track of your symptoms

• Think about your goals

• Write down why you sought counseling, etc

• Take some deep breaths and know you are making the right turn towards healing and wholeness.

Ideally, you should leave your first session feeling somewhat inspired and challenged. You should want to document any new feelings or issues that may arise after the first visit. Understand that counseling is about more than your feelings. Yes, you will talk about your feelings, You’ll learn to question your negative thoughts and change your behaviors. Your counselor will encourage you to confront things you’ve been bottling up on the inside. This is challenging. And some days, you might end a session feeling sad or angry, but this is part of the process and important for your recovery. Things do get easier over time. To really get the most out of counseling, sometimes you will have “homework.” This isn’t like the type of homework you get at school. It’s practical things like “write down how you feel each day,” or “introduce yourself to someone new”, or study new scriptures that applies to your current situation. This homework can help you learn new coping skills, identify feelings, and grow in strength and spiritual maturity. If your counselor asks you to do something you don’t feel ready for, you can ask for something more manageable.

Counseling is a process, and you can't expect to have everything figured out after just one session. Stay the course!