If you are reading this, you may have a counselling assessment coming up, or are thinking about reaching out to a counselling service and wondering what will come next. Either way, reaching out for support is a positive and incredibly brave step, so you should be very proud of getting to this stage. This blog describes what a counselling assessment at Westmeria will look like- assessments may vary from organisation to organisation, but generally the process will be similar.
A counselling assessment provides you with a safe and confidential space to begin to talk about the issues that are troubling you and decide whether counselling is right for you. A qualified counsellor will ask you questions about your current difficulties, the impact they are having on your life and aspects of your personal history. You will also have the opportunity to identify your goals of therapy, essentially what you would like to achieve from counselling. Assessing risk is an important part of the counselling assessment and you will be asked questions to identify risk factors which could increase the likelihood of you coming to harm. This initial session also provides the opportunity for you to ask any questions or discuss any concerns you may have about counselling.
A counselling assessment is a collaborative process and by developing an understanding of your difficulties, the counsellor is able to assess your needs
and determine whether Westmeria Counselling Service is able to provide the psychological support you need. If the counsellor thinks a referral to another service is more appropriate, they will discuss this with you.
You will also be provided with a copy of Westmeria’s counselling contract. The contract provides information about agency policies including confidentiality and limits of confidentiality, data protection, financial matters and the cancellation policy. The contract sets the foundation for your shared commitment to counselling and all aspects of the contract will be discussed with you.
Written by Cheryl, Westmeria Counsellor
