Sometimes when people seek counseling, what they really want is advice, a prescription for problem-solving, alliances for their ideas about and/or actions towards a third party or buy-in for their feelings of victimization and powerlessness. At KTLO, your Counselor will always apply sensitivity and empathy regarding whatever brings you into counseling. However, it is important to remember that at KTLO, you will never always be at the receiving end of the interaction. You can, of course, expect your Counselor to provide a safe environment to allow you to communicate your private thoughts and feelings and to listen empathetically and reflectively. You can expect your Counselor to help you to enhance coping and relaxation skills and to help you make sense of your situation. But you can also expect help to become aware of your internal monologue and to notice any inhibiting effects, to call attention to your strengths as well as your unhelpful patterns of behaviors and, in general, to actively engage in discussions to explore and resolve your situation.
Here are some other things you can expect at KTLO:
- A tobacco-free and litter-free courtyard and office area.
- Unconditional, Non-judgmental Positive Regard: I provide empathetic, helping responses irrespective of who you are, your life choices, what you have done or what you say or do.
- Strength-based Counseling: Encouragement to use your strengths in ways that are helpful to you and invitation to consider your actions on those around you.
- Holistic Approach: With you as the center of all choices, I offer invitations to explore how your current situation might affect or might be impacted by other dimensions of your life and helps you to make constructive choices.
- Confidentiality: The service I offer complies with the requirements of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) or the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA)
- Client Referrals: I will not offer support for situations for which I am by training unqualified. I provide referral services to other more competent services and will support you as you transition to those care alternatives.
- Client Response/feedback: You are free to request information, explanations and clarifications and to ask for additional supports (such as to be accompanied by a support person). You are also free to modify or reject any suggestion or any process during your interaction with your Counselor. Also, your feedback is important to my commitment to keep growing in my caring and counseling skills. I welcome both your complimentary and suggestive feedback and wish to assure you indeed such honest evaluation is a necessary element of our therapeutic relationship.
- Diverse Methodologies: You have the option of in-office face-to-face, telephone or video-based telehealth services. Also, I use varied therapeutic approaches such as solution-focused, CBT and Motivational Interviewing to address Client concerns.
