What is counselling?
Counselling is a process where in a safe environment you can explore a number of issues that you feel are having a negative effect on your life. Through this process you may gain a more positive approach to dealing with your concerns. Some of the aims of counselling are to identify your strengths and resources, find positive solutions and to increase your self-awareness.
Counselling means talking with an impartial listener, someone who will help you deal with your feelings in a healthy way. In a safe and supportive setting you can rest assured that your issues will be kept confidential. Your counsellor is someone whom you can expect to treat you with respect and without judgement. You can expect them to be there to encourage you to draw on your own resources and to support you in developing self-acceptance and to make any changes that you want in your life.
In a bankruptcy, the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act requires that you attend two counselling sessions in order to be eligible for a discharge from bankruptcy. These counselling sessions are usually one-on-one between you and your Trustee. In general, counselling sessions deal with budgeting, financial planning, the cause(s) of your bankruptcy, and any other issues that are relevant to your situation. The first counselling session must be held between 10 and 60 days following the date of bankruptcy; the second counselling session must be held no later than 210 days following the date of bankruptcy. The cost for each individual counselling session is $85 plus GST.
Counselling involves the development of a relationship between a client and a trained professional (e.g., Psychologist or counsellor) that focuses on the client’s concerns and difficulties. It is a process in which individuals have the opportunity to improve upon their understanding of themselves. This includes understanding people’s patterns of thoughts, behaviours, feelings, and the ways in which these may be problematic in their lives. Counselling also provides individuals with opportunities to examine how to use their existing resources and skills or develop new ones to enhance their lives and relationships. Counselling is a collaborative effort as it involves the client and Psychologist working together to identify goals. At Amherst Psychology & Counselling, counselling is generally short term and focuses on a client’s current difficulties with the aim of identifying solutions and practical strategies which clients can implement.
Counselling is a process in which the counsellor listens in an active and non-judgemental way to the concerns of the person requesting counselling – the ‘client’. The client is helped to express feelings about personal difficulties – both recent and long-standing – and to look at ways of working through these. The counsellor does not give directive advice but instead tries to help the client arrive at choices which are right for them. No issue is considered ‘not important enough’ if it is causing concern. It may be just a matter of talking through a difficult choice or dilemma with somebody neutral or it may be something extremely distressing. Issues which are commonly brought to counselling include self-esteem, anxiety, depression, motivation, family and relationship, identity, sexuality, loss, stress in illness and the aftermath of abuse or other trauma. Counselling may take only one or two sessions or it may continue over a longer period of time. A counselling session is usually 45
