Season 4, Episode 10: Everything you wanted to ask about counselling
For many people, starting counselling can feel unfamiliar, intimidating, or even a little overwhelming. You might wonder what to say, whether your problems are “serious enough,” or how your information stays private and confidential.
In this episode, we talk with psychologist Jelena Radan and social worker Laura McNeil about the realities of counselling, from first sessions and confidentiality to the counsellor-client relationship, communication, and boundaries.
The conversation also explores couples counselling, counselling for children and teens, what happens if a counsellor doesn’t feel like the right fit, and why reaching out for support doesn’t have to wait until things feel overwhelming.
-
Katherine Hurtig
Welcome to Living Fully. Each episode is a chance to talk about mental health in a way that's simple, honest, and helpful. We'll share stories, tips, and tools to help you feel supported and feel your best. I'm your host, Katherine Hurtig.
Starting counselling can feel intimidating, especially if you're not sure what to expect. Today, we're answering some of the most common questions people have about counselling. I'm joined by Jelena Radan, a psychologist, and Laura McNeil, a social worker with Calgary Counselling Centre and Counselling Alberta. And they break down some of the myths and misconceptions around counselling.
...
Yes, today we've got a couple of new guests on the podcast. We've got Jelena Radan, a psychologist, and Laura McNeil, a social worker with Calgary Counselling Centre. Thank you so much for chatting with me today, guys.
Jelena Radan
Of course.
Laura McNeil
Thanks for having us.
Katherine Hurtig
So yeah, brand new to the podcast. Jelena, tell our listeners a little bit about yourself.
Jelena Radan
So, I actually did my residency at Calgary Counselling Centre back in 2019. So that was quite a while ago. But then I came back in 2023 and it's been fantastic. Diverse clients and diverse client concerns. It's amazing to work with all the clients that we offer services to.
Katherine Hurtig
Awesome.
Jelena Radan
Yeah.
Laura McNeil
I'm a recent grad, got my Master of Social Work, graduated in 2025, and completed my internship here at the centre and then have moved into a staff position. So, I really enjoy working in this space and the opportunity that the centre provides. And being able to reach a very diverse population and getting to meet, and interact, and work alongside all walks of life has been just a lovely experience. Yeah.
Katherine Hurtig
Perfect, yeah. So today we are breaking down what happens in counselling, answering some common questions, maybe dispelling some myths, that kind of thing. So, I think we've all kind of seen counselling and therapy depicted on TV and movies, and people might have, you know, an idea of what it is like. For someone who's never been to counselling before, what have you heard? What do people think it's going to be like versus, you know, what it is in reality?
Jelena Radan
So, a common misconception about therapy is that the client will come in, and they will lay down on the couch, and talk to the therapist about their childhood and their feelings. And that the therapist will actually be the one that fixes their problems for them.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Jelena Radan
But in reality, at Calgary Counselling Centre, we don't have couches. We have chairs. And although they're a little bit on the uncomfortable side compared to couches, they actually may be more conducive to continuing conversations, which is really what therapy is all about.
Katherine Hurtig
Those conversations?
Jelena Radan
Yes, exactly. Yeah, so the therapist, you know, strives to create this relationship of trust, safety, where the client will hopefully be able to open up about their experiences. Also, you know, sometimes clients may be concerned about being judged in counselling, but then that also goes back to that relationship. So hopefully they won't hold back in order to get the support that they want if the counsellor offers that empathy, that space of understanding.
Katherine Hurtig
What does a first counselling session actually look like?
Jelena Radan
So, the initial counselling session is quite structured. So, the therapist first reviews the consent form with the client, and the client is able to ask any questions that they may have. Specifically, the counsellor talks about feedback-informed treatment that we use at Calgary Counselling Centre, about the limits to confidentiality, as well as the fact that the client can withdraw from services at any point in time. So subsequently, the therapist will talk about the outcome questionnaire, which is a 45-item questionnaire that they complete prior to the initial session.
Katherine Hurtig
The client completes that?
Jelena Radan
Yeah, that they complete prior to that session. So, it allows the therapist to get an understanding of their level of stress when they're coming to counselling and to gauge how counselling is going between sessions, as well as throughout the course of counselling. It's also important to note that, in regards to consent, it doesn't just start and end when that consent form is signed by the therapist and the client.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah, that term of consent, what is a client consenting to?
Jelena Radan
The client is consenting to the process of counselling, like what it looks like.
Katherine Hurtig
OK.
Jelena Radan
So, how we work at Calgary Counselling Centre, the fact that, you know, we do consult with experts within the field. So, they are aware of that.
Katherine Hurtig
OK, yeah.
Jelena Radan
We do have, you know, group supervision where we get feedback, and that is considered best practice within the field of psychology. Also, if the client has had previous counselling experience, within that first session the therapist will likely ask, you know, what worked in previous counselling, what didn't work so well, in order to tailor their approach to the client.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Jelena Radan
Yeah. And lastly, at Calgary Counselling Centre, we have the session rating scale, which is part of the feedback-informed treatment at the end of each session. So, the client gets this 10-item scale, giving them the opportunity to provide their feedback on how the session went, as well as what their experiences of the relationship between themselves and the counsellor.
Katherine Hurtig
OK.
Jelena Radan
Yeah.
Katherine Hurtig
OK. So that first session, there's a lot of logistics and kind of just setting the stage for what it's going to be like.
Jelena Radan
Yeah.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. And does someone have to be kind of in crisis to go to counselling? Is that kind of the best thing to do? Or can you go if things are just feeling off and you're not really sure what's going on?
Laura McNeil
Yeah, I think that's another common misconception when it comes to counselling is that maybe you do have to be in crisis, but you really don't need to be. I know that at the centre, I've heard counsellors and people kind of use the car maintenance metaphor, right?
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Laura McNeil
Where you typically don't wait until like your engine completely fails and you're on the side of the road, right? You want to, if you notice like a sound, or an engine light goes off, or just the regular maintenance, right? Of coming and making sure things are OK. So, the same goes with counselling. So, if things are feeling off or there's like alarm bells ringing for you, it can be really helpful to get curious about what feeling off means like for you, right? So that could be like, is it showing up in irritability, or feeling a lack of connection, or just kind of lots of extra thoughts happening. And so that exploration can actually create a lot of clarity before things get bigger or heavier. And yeah, it can also just be helpful to come into counselling and potentially build some like coping strategies or tools when times are feeling a little bit more calm.
Katherine Hurtig
For sure.
Laura McNeil
Opposed to when things get really kind of, yeah, in that crisis mode of feeling really big and heavy.
Katherine Hurtig
That's what I found the most helpful when I've done counselling is building up those tools.
Laura McNeil
Yes. Yeah. And at a place where it kind of feels manageable to actually practice them as well. Yeah. Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. And like you said that kind of, Jelena, that misconception, like it's not just a counsellor fixing things. It's, I mean, in my experience, it's been someone who helps kind of reveal the tools you have to deal with these things on your own.
Laura McNeil
Yeah.
Jelena Radan
Exactly. And we also know that, you know, when clients are the ones who are able to make that decision, there will be greater follow-through because they have that agency themselves. So, yeah.
Katherine Hurtig
Now is counselling, is it mostly talking about, I mean, you touched on this a little bit. Is it talking about your past and your childhood and what all that meant, or do you focus on the present and what's happening?
Laura McNeil
Yeah, I think counselling isn't just about talking about the past. Again, I think that kind of goes in line with what Jelena was saying of that idea we have that you're sitting on a couch with this professional person, right? But it can be helpful to explore someone's history and understand maybe patterns, or relationships, or where some certain beliefs were developed. But specifically at Calgary Counselling, we do take a change-oriented approach as well. So that wants to focus on your work now, what's happening for you right now, and where do you want to go, and how can we kind of work together to get you to that place.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Laura McNeil
Yeah.
Katherine Hurtig
And I guess it's so unique. Like, I mean, it's normal for people to make, you know, kind of blanket stereotypes of something to better understand it, but it's just so dependent on the individual and what they're going through, right?
Laura McNeil
Absolutely, yeah. And I've had clients say that that's, you know, not maybe something that they want to explore, and others that are really interested in maybe pinpointing some of those patterns.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Laura McNeil
And again, it goes back to what does the client want? What's going to be most helpful and meaningful for them through this process?
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. And so, how does the process and the conversation work? Like, are you guys as counsellors' kind of drawing out conversation topics? Does the client lead? Like I know for myself, sometimes I've gone into counselling sessions and I'm like, ‘Oh, I don't know what to talk about today.’
Laura McNeil
Totally. Yeah. And I think that's super common. I think sometimes people come in and they know exactly what they want. And other times they're a bit like, I don't know where to start. It's overwhelming. So, I like to think it's a little bit of both, right? Where like Jelena was talking about, the first session is quite structured. There's a lot to kind of get through in that way, right? But after that process, as a counsellor, we're coming in with a bit of an idea or like a plan, right?
Katherine Hurtig
OK.
Laura McNeil
Based on previous conversations that we've had and where the client wants to go. And then we also get to use that outcome questionnaire, again that Jelena had mentioned, it really provides us with a great kind of snapshot of maybe where somebody's stress is in the past week or since the last session. And so, we can use that to maybe highlight what might need to be talked about or bring attention to.
Katherine Hurtig
Can you maybe give us an example of that, like something on the outcome questionnaire that might not maybe raise a red flag, but could be something that might spur a conversation?
Laura McNeil
Yeah, I think a common one—and it goes just to basic needs that I kind of look for—is there's a question that asks about your sleep and how you've been sleeping, right?
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Laura McNeil
So, even looking at how is a person sleeping right now, right? And if they are really struggling with that, well, OK, how is that impacting how you're showing up every day in your life, right?
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Laura McNeil
So that can be just like a little pinpoint we can pull from that can generate a bit more of a conversation, as well as maybe helping the client find some strategies around what could help with that as well.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Laura McNeil
Yeah.
Katherine Hurtig
Awesome. So, I think a concern that, you know, is really common for people around counselling is the cost. You know, in private practice, I think it can be pretty expensive, and that might not be sustainable for someone. So how does counselling usually work financially? I guess we can, you know, we'll speak to how it is at Calgary Counselling Centre and Counselling Alberta. But yeah, and then what kind of options are there for people if money is tight?
Jelena Radan
Yeah. So, at Calgary Counselling, we offer a sliding fee scale, which allows clients to pay, you know, what they can afford. And then we also have a broader reach in terms of offering our services to individuals that live outside of Calgary, but within Alberta as well. So, it's amazing.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. And so, we're saying counselling's not exactly telling a client what to do. How would you kind of describe that? Because I mean, I think more often than not, people are coming in because they want to make a change. So how do you kind of guide that process?
Laura McNeil
Yeah. So again, I think there's a misconception around that we will give advice or kind of tell you what to do. But yeah, counselling isn't really about that. And I think it would actually probably be pretty inappropriate if I was telling somebody how to live their life. But it's more about, again, yeah, like working together to understand what's going on for this person. What are the patterns at play, and what values matter to them most, and how we can kind of allow them to get to a place where they can maybe make change that aligns with those values. So, yeah, our role isn't to kind of hand out questions. We really strive to just ask thoughtful questions, maybe provide different perspectives, and really help clients to try to uncover what feels important to them.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Laura McNeil
And Jelena mentioned before that really if people are able to get to decisions that they've made themselves, that align, again, with what matters to them and their values, that they're more likely to kind of stick to those. Opposed to if somebody's just kind of offering some outsourced information that they should do.
Jelena Radan
Yeah. We're not a client's friend. We are there to... we're kind of like that supporting character.
Katherine Hurtig
OK.
Jelena Radan
Yeah, to kind of help them, to support them throughout their struggles, and even support them in their wins, and be there along the way.
Katherine Hurtig
OK. And how do you guys go about laying out those boundaries or reinforcing them when you need to?
Laura McNeil
I think a part of that is in that first session. When you're going through the consent for counselling form, a bit of describing exactly what Jelena just did there around like, what is my role and what is your role as a person entering counselling, right? So, one of the easiest boundaries that are coming to mind is not doing any sort of counselling through email at all, right? And when those boundaries get like, pushed slightly, it's kind of just providing that gentle reminder.
Katherine Hurtig
OK.
Laura McNeil
Of like, hey, this is a protection for, first of all, your privacy, but also emails, texts, everything like that can get so misconstrued. And I want to make sure that, you know, our messages are getting across in a kind way. But that's just one boundary that's coming to mind. But yeah, what are your thoughts?
Jelena Radan
Another boundary that came to mind was about seeing our clients in public and what that's like. So, we don't acknowledge the client unless they choose to acknowledge us. And that is sometimes discussed within therapy to see, you know, this might happen, how would you like to proceed with this?
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Jelena Radan
And even then, if they do acknowledge us and we talk, and they have somebody with them or even if they're alone, we would not enter into a conversation about anything related to the therapy itself.
Katherine Hurtig
Right, yeah.
Laura McNeil
And I really liked how you described that we're not their friend, right? We are that kind of supportive...
Jelena Radan
Like an objective party.
Laura McNeil
Yes, yeah.
Katherine Hurtig
And we've talked about this in the podcast a bit before, but it's always good to get another perspective and kind of, yeah, frame around it. How do you know if counselling is actually helping? Because it's, you know, I would think it would be like... subjective is not the word. But it's not like a physical ailment where it's like, I have a headache, I take this pill, my headache is gone. It's more conceptual, I guess, is the term. Anyway, yeah. How do you guys know that the counselling is working?
Jelena Radan
Well, I mean, it is natural for things to feel uncomfortable at first, especially for those people that have not done counselling in the past. So, they don't have those previous experiences to fall back on. But, you know, from the first session, as I talked about earlier, the therapist really tries to do what they can to make the client comfortable, to make them recognize that it is a judgment free environment in order to help them to open up. Also, in terms of like if counselling is helping, you know, change, it's a process. It's not like you come to one or two sessions, and things are completely great again.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Jelena Radan
Right? So, it does take time. So, it's not an immediate gratification situation, I guess. And just going back to that feedback-informed treatment. So, the outcome questionnaire, the O.Q., does allow us to see whether counselling is making a difference, whether there is change that is happening. So, it's like a check on the client's mental health vital signs.
Katherine Hurtig
OK.
Jelena Radan
And then also the rating scale. Like I mentioned earlier, it lets the client let us know what is working, what isn't working, do we need to pivot? Do we need to integrate something different? Is there another modality that we can use? Would they be a good fit for a group at this point? So, there's different options that we can draw on as well.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. So, for individual counselling, like just one person coming in, what are some common reasons? Like, for you two specifically, why do people come in for counselling?
Laura McNeil
Yeah, there's all kinds of reasons that we kind of see. The research that we have here at the centre shows us that the top reasons that people seek support include relationship challenges, child behaviour problems, separation or divorce, and anxiety and depression. And yeah, thinking about it, even from what I see, it really does fit the people that I kind of see in the counselling room. And when you think about it, relationships are really central to how we experience life. So, when that's really strained, it shows up in all aspects.
Katherine Hurtig
For sure.
Laura McNeil
And even like anxiety and depression, they can show up in many different ways where, you know, sometimes it's just like overwhelming thoughts. Maybe it's like low mood or again, just kind of feeling like things just aren't really right anymore for them. But yeah, it's really important to know that there is no right or wrong reason to come to counselling either.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Laura McNeil
Yeah. If there's something that's affecting your well-being or how you're showing up, and you're really noticing that, then that's a good enough reason to just reach out as well.
Katherine Hurtig
For couples that come into counselling, for the most part, is it when things are going pretty bad and, you know, they're nearing the end of the relationship? Is it kind of a range? Like, what do you see?
Jelena Radan
Well, typically with couples, most couples do come to counselling as a last-ditch effort to save the relationship.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Jelena Radan
Not sure how to say that a bit more pleasantly, but it's kind of like, you know, we'll try this. And if it doesn't stick, then it's done. However, you know, you don't need to be at the brink of breaking up to come to counselling. It's actually advised that couples come much earlier when the issues in the relationship, you know, aren't as pronounced.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Jelena Radan
As therapists, we can open channels of communication and even, you know, support the couple to identify issues that may be simmering underneath the surface.
Katherine Hurtig
I've actually, I came to counselling a couple of times with my now husband. And things were really good, but there was just like, we needed tweaks and kind of enhancements to the way we communicate. And so, I found that really helpful. And have you encountered times, where with a couple that you're working with, where kind of one person is more invested in the process than the other?
Jelena Radan
Oh, of course.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah?
Jelena Radan
Yeah, that is something that...
Katherine Hurtig
Is it pretty common?
Jelena Radan
Common, yes. As we can hear, Laura... Yeah, I mean, it kind of goes back to what the therapist is trying to do. They try to create space for each partner's voice so that they can have that opportunity to talk about their experience in the relationship and what issues they believe are important to address. You know, at times we'll interject as therapists to make sure that each person is heard. But yeah, it can be pretty challenging when one person is, you know, hesitant or unsure about the process. In my own work with couples, sometimes I may transition to at least one individual session with each of them just to get more context and understanding of how they see their relationship and, you know, what they think needs to change. And then potentially resume the couple's counselling afterwards. Yeah.
Katherine Hurtig
OK. How about you, Laura?
Laura McNeil
Yeah, I think that was really well described, but I think that there's a way as well to, you know... that the space created in a couple session is to offer the space and time for each person to explore what's happening for them as well. But then also being able to pair that with, yeah, like there is the option for individual counselling if that's maybe what is needed at that time, right? And you can kind of bounce a little bit between that and couples work, depending on what kind of feels best for the couple at that time.
Katherine Hurtig
And how about for kids? I'm sure that looks really different. I don't imagine a five-year-old is just going to sit in a chair and talk to you for an hour.
Jelena Radan
If only. So, with children we work, of course, to establish a relationship of trust.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Jelena Radan
When we see kids and we do this through play therapy.
Katherine Hurtig
OK.
Jelena Radan
So, we know that when children, you know, may struggle to express how they're feeling, they may be more likely to open up when they are doing an activity that is of interest to them. Like maybe drawing, colouring, or, you know, playing Lego. And through this shared activity, the therapist can, you know, start to develop that relationship and just get to know the child a little bit more, and you know what may be going on for them. So, it just requires time to build that relationship though.
Katherine Hurtig
Is that a bit more challenging than working with an adult because they can tell you right out, you know, what's going on? Like, are you interpreting what's going on with the kid through the play? Is it a bit more challenging?
Laura McNeil
Yeah, I think it at times can be because that kind of maybe language or being able to identify what emotion they're feeling, right? That's all skills that we kind of have to learn as we grow. So yeah, it can be more challenging, but it can be also kind of fun to be able to play around. But yeah, there is that like... through play, you can kind of interpret a little bit of what they're saying or meaning, but it also gives a great opportunity to even act out things in real life. Like, ‘Hey, I saw you got really frustrated there. What was happening?’ Or maybe frustrated is the wrong word, right? But it's what was happening and how can we kind of identify that and maybe let's just like practice the skill, but in a really fun way. Opposed to more structured, like we'd see in adult counselling. Yeah.
Katherine Hurtig
And are parents in on all these sessions or?
Laura McNeil
Yeah, it can be a little bit of both. And again, we work with the family and the parents, and what they would kind of prefer, what they'd like to see. But then also recognizing that the child needs to feel comfortable as well. So sometimes that can look like, you know, mom or dad, or the parents being in the session with us. And other times it might be that they're not there, right? It can also be a progression. It can be like a conversation that's ongoing where the first, maybe a couple of sessions, parents are in the room and then the child feels a little bit more comfortable and safe. And then you can kind of have more of a solo session. But yeah, the other idea too is that we try to kind of work with the whole family, right? So sometimes that might mean counselling for the child, for the parents, a combination of then family counselling as well. Because I think there's, you know, a bit of... I never, I guess, want it to seem like there's one person that's kind of a problem or that, right? And I often think when it comes to primarily children too, is that behaviour changes are really a form of communication as well, right?
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Laura McNeil
They're trying to communicate something. So, we have to kind of work to unearth that a little bit, try to figure out what's happening. And often that does involve kind of the whole family unit, right? So, it's kind of looking at that family system as a whole, opposed to just more of that real individual work when it comes to kids.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
Laura McNeil
Yeah.
Katherine Hurtig
Let's talk about confidentiality and privacy in counselling. Kind of overall, but I'm thinking of a couple scenarios in particular. Like if you're working with a teen, obviously they're technically still a minor and, you know, like their parents are responsible for them. But I would assume these counselling conversations, they want them to remain private. And yeah, are there any situations when you're working with someone where you need to tell someone what's going on? Does that make sense?
Jelena Radan
Yeah. So, in terms of confidentiality, even through the consent process for every client that we work with, not just with teens, we do talk about the limits to confidentiality. So, the therapist, they may need to breach confidentiality when safety concerns arise. So, if there's like reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect to a dependent, if the client were to communicate a threat of bodily injury to themselves or to others, or if the client is suicidal. More specifically, though, to answer your question with teens, there is usually a conversation that is had around confidentiality with the parents. So, of course, the safety concerns are non-negotiable.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Jelena Radan
But then also like, what do the parents want to know? You know, things like drinking, drugs, you know, self-harm.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Jelena Radan
So, we try to create that space where we can come to a mutual agreement between the parents and the teen about, you know, what other things might be disclosed and why. So that there is understanding and everybody is on the same page.
Katherine Hurtig
And how do you kind of build that relationship with a teen so they feel they can open up to you and know you're not going to divulge everything to their parents?
Jelena Radan
So, that also is a conversation that is had at the beginning of counselling and also discussed with the parents that there needs to be a level of confidentiality there where the teen is able to open up, and that everything is not just going to be disclosed to the parents. So typically, there could be an agreement that maybe themes of the sessions are disclosed if that is OK with the teen and with the parent.
Katherine Hurtig
OK, not specifics?
Jelena Radan
Yeah, not specifics. You know, unless there is safety concerns, for example. Yeah.
Katherine Hurtig
We touched on this a bit, but what do you guys see as some misconceptions about counselling that might stop people from reaching out for help?
Laura McNeil
When I think about this question, I feel like I'm a little bit biased when I think about it. So, I kind of reached out to some friends as well that was like, what are the reasons, you know, that you have stopped?
Jelena Radan
Collecting data, I like it.
Laura McNeil
Yeah, research-oriented. And yeah, the biggest thing, like theme I guess, that came up was fear of being judged, fear of being told what they should do, that advice almost kind of thing again. Or that thought of like, ‘If I have to go to therapy, does that mean I'm not actually capable of handling these things on my own?’
Katherine Hurtig
Right, yeah.
Laura McNeil
Which is like a very scary thought to have. And the other one was like a vulnerability piece of sitting down with a stranger.
Katherine Hurtig
Oh, totally.
Laura McNeil
Right? Sharing really personal, difficult experiences. Like, that's a big step for anybody. And so, yeah, I found that to be a good reminder for me as well as being the counsellor in the room is that this is a huge step for anybody, reaching out, and coming in, and meeting us, and sitting down with us.
Katherine Hurtig
Totally.
Laura McNeil
I think there's also an idea that their struggles aren't bad enough, like quote unquote there, or that counselling maybe won't make a difference. I know Jelena and I kind of talked about how different communities, whether it's like cultural, generational, or like gender related, there can be an idea that sharing or feeling your emotions is like a sign of weakness and that you just need to push through. So, yeah, I think—
Katherine Hurtig
And those are, yeah, those are kind of really hard to break through and...
Jelena Radan
It’s that stigma.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Laura McNeil
Yeah.
Jelena Radan
Attached to therapy, I guess. Yeah.
Laura McNeil
Yeah. So those are really, I think, common, but they're really big, right? So, it's like a reminder, I guess...
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah, really valid.
Laura McNeil
Valid, yes. Thank you. Yeah, valid. But yeah, just like a reminder too is that counselling is really collaborative, and you get to move at your own pace. If you don't want to talk about anything you're not ready to, we are not going to force you to go down any road that's going to, you know, be more harmful in any way. So, yeah, it's really just about like willing to understand yourself and maybe trying to create change if that is something that you're wanting to do.
Katherine Hurtig
And that kind of reminds me of another question I have, I guess, around time commitment or limitations. Like I think, I mean, one concern that I've heard around our organization in particular that isn't true is that we have a limited number of sessions. Like, you can only have two or three. So, can you talk about that? And then also like how long would someone typically come for? How many sessions to see a benefit? Are we talking years, weeks, months, kind of thing? Like, what's typical?
Jelena Radan
So typically, with using the feedback informed treatment and the outcome questionnaire specifically, clients usually see change between, I think it's like between five and eight sessions or so. But then again, we also have to keep it in context about what is the presenting concern, the level of severity, that sort of thing. So, it could be less than five, could be more than eight. There is no set number of sessions. And because we are change-oriented, as Laura has talked about, very goal-oriented as well, we are looking at that progress each session and across the sessions, too.
Laura McNeil
I have also—to just add on that—heard that idea of like through all of these measures that we have, if counselling is showing that it is helpful and working, that counselling can continue, right? And it's not like this needs to end kind of thing either. But it's, yeah, like if it isn't working, then also maybe there's another resource or something else that's kind of needed as well, too.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. And that definitely leads me to my next question. Like if, yeah, if someone tries counselling and they don't feel like it's working or that the fit with the counsellor isn't right, what options do they have there?
Jelena Radan
So, if they feel that the counselling isn't making much of a difference in regards to that, the therapist can, you know, open up a conversation about that with the client, can consult with a colleague or with their own supervisor, can explore suitability for a group at that point, or a referral—
Katherine Hurtig
So, there's adjustments you can make.
Jelena Radan
Yes, exactly.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Jelena Radan
Yeah, there is adjustments. If the client finds that the fit with the counsellor isn't right for them for whatever reason, then they can bring this up to their current therapist if they choose to. Again, it's OK if the fit doesn't feel right. Sometimes that is the case. It's not always going to be the right fit.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. I think that's important to talk about because like you guys have said, it's a relationship and you're not going to be best friends with everybody. So, it's not unusual for you to not quite click with a counsellor. And I think some people, they give counselling a try, that fit isn't there the first time, so they kind of dismiss the whole process. When if that fit was there with someone else, it might have led to a better result.
Jelena Radan
Yeah. And then they can... So, as I mentioned, bring that up to their counsellor just to get an understanding of like... for the counsellor to understand what are their preferences. Can we accommodate those preferences for what they're looking for within a counsellor? And if, you know, some clients may not be comfortable having that conversation with their current therapist. So, in that case at Calgary Counselling, we are totally fine if the client wants to contact our intake team to discuss being reassigned or transferred to a different counsellor, and they will get that support there.
Katherine Hurtig
For sure. Because that conversation with your...
Jelena Radan
It can be awkward.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah, totally.
Jelena Radan
Sometimes. Yeah.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. Last question, guys. So, for someone who's listening, thinking about counselling, is still a little bit unsure. What would you want them to know?
Laura McNeil
Yeah. If someone's listening and is still unsure, I think I'd want them to know that, yeah, you're not walking into a room with somebody who has it all figured out and is analyzing you. You're sitting down with just another human. And yes, we do have training, but we're still human at the end of the day.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Laura McNeil
And you don't have to perform. There's no right words that you can kind of say. It's just, yeah, you don't even really have to know maybe what's wrong. Like, you can just start with that. And that's something that we can kind of collaboratively work together to figure out what that means for you and where you want to go. Yeah so, counselling is kind of like you said, more of a relationship and a conversation as well. And even like logistically and practically speaking, we've talked a lot about how finances are difficult. A lot of things are expensive right now in this world. And it's really lovely that at Calgary Counselling, we do offer that sliding scale. So hopefully that takes away one of those barriers for accessing services here. And that is available across Alberta through our Counselling Alberta program as well. So, yeah, and our intakes are very user friendly, too. Like you can just hop online and do that, or make a phone call and you'll talk to some lovely people. But yeah, do you have anything you'd like to add, or what people should know?
Jelena Radan
I think you said it well. You don't have to include that last part.
Katherine Hurtig
Amazing.
Jelena Radan
Yeah.
Katherine Hurtig
Jelena and Laura, thank you so much for chatting with me today. I think that you've definitely eased a lot of people's minds about this process.
Jelena Radan
Yeah.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Jelena Radan
Hope so.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Jelena Radan
Thanks for having us.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
...
You've been listening to Living Fully, a Calgary Counselling Centre podcast. Thank you for tuning in. This episode was produced by Luiza Campos, Jenna Forbes, and by me, Katherine Hurtig. A special thanks to Jelena Radan and Laura McNeil.
Tune in to our next episode on June 2nd. We'll be talking about how to cope when the world feels overwhelming. From constant bad news and political division to economic uncertainty and climate concerns.
Krystal Blacklock
Yeah, I think the exposure to bad news all of the time and that sense of powerlessness means that people don’t feel like they’re able to make a meaningful difference. And we know that having a purpose, having a sense of agency, having a sense of being able to move forward, is really, really beneficial to people in general.
Katherine Hurtig
To stay up to date on our latest episodes, be sure to subscribe. We're available in your favourite podcast app. Living Fully is a production of Calgary Counselling Centre and recorded in Calgary on Treaty 7 territory. Living Fully podcast is not a substitute or alternative for professional care or treatment. Calgary Counselling Centre and Counselling Alberta provide effective counselling to anyone in Alberta with no wait list and no financial barriers. Find us online at calgarycounselling.com and counsellingalberta.com. For help across Canada and the United States, call 211. If you are outside of Canada and the U.S., seek help from your general medical practitioner.