What to Expect from Counseling in Great Falls, MT

Counseling is a tricky service, as confidentiality is the most important characteristic to building trust with clients and, ultimately, developing a solid therapeutic relationship. And due to the private nature of counseling and therapy, as a society we avoid openly discussing our own experience (or that of our friends and loved ones), which further clouds our understanding of what it looks like. The unknown is intimidating, and it’s fair to say that counseling in Great Falls, MT falls into that category.

If you are new to the idea of counseling or therapy, and are curious about what you can expect, please read on!

So, you found a few counselors in Great Falls, MT that seemed nice enough. You probably have a ton of questions- that is completely normal.

If you believe you could benefit from counseling in Great Falls, and you are ready to give it a try, you may have tried to Google search some counselors in the area. You may have even visited some websites and read about each counselor’s individual practice and therapy style. This is a great start! But you may still have questions about what you can expect. And you should. Next step? Reach out for an initial consultation!

What to expect from your first consultation with a counselor in Great Falls, MT.

The therapeutic relationship between a client and counselor in Great Falls, MT is so crucial, and ultimately, that relationship has a huge impact on counseling outcomes. For this reason, it is vitally important to find the “right fit” and keep searching until you do.

The initial consultation is your first opportunity to visit with a potential counselor, seek answers to any questions you may have, and determine if it feels like a good match. Most counselors offer a free 15 minute consultation to visit with you over the phone, get a better understanding of what is leading you to seek counseling in Great Falls, MT, and provide more information about them and their practice.

As a prospective client, be ready to provide a brief overview of what you are struggling with and when you would like to begin therapy (and your availability). Counselors may have additional questions for you, such as “What are your goals for therapy?” or “What are you looking for in a therapist?”. The only response you need to worry about providing is the honest one. Just like you - the therapist or counselor in Great Falls wants to find the right fit for them, as well.

One of my favorite questions to ask prospective clients is: “If therapy was successful, what about your life would look or feel different in 6 months?” Hope, on behalf of the client and the counselor, is another critical characteristic of successful therapy outcomes, and I love to begin that conversation of hope right away with our initial consultation!

What to expect in the first session with a counselor in Great Falls, MT.

You’ve had a great consultation with a counselor in Great Falls, MT, and now you arrive for your first session. Yikes. Now what? What is the first session all about?

In general, your first counseling session is focused on gathering information about you, the client, your history, what has led you to seek therapy, and your overall goals for therapy. In other words, your first session is like an extended consultation.

At Nourish, I like to provide my clients with a Client History document they can complete and submit electronically prior to our first session. This allows me to review before we ever meet in-person, identify areas I’d like to know more about, and prepare for our first meeting while maximizing our session time (and not spending it filling out paperwork). The Client History document provides me, the counselor, information about the client, the client’s struggles, background, and goals for therapy.

Once we are in-session at our first meeting, I offer another opportunity for my client to ask any questions they may have about the therapy process, the paperwork they completed, or me, their therapist. When my client is ready, we dive into my follow-up questions so I can get a clear understanding of my client and their needs. This initial exploration typically takes the whole session.

How long does someone work with a counselor in Great Falls, MT?

Following the initial session, I get to work creating a treatment plan draft that we will discuss in our second session. The treatment plan will also help determine length of work, but it is important to remember that a lot of factors influence how quickly a client moves through therapy. For example, a client attending sessions weekly will likely meet their goals much faster than a client who attends biweekly. Clients who have experienced significant trauma may need more sessions to process that trauma.

On average, however, most of my clients reach initial treatments goals between 4 - 6 months.