How Do I Get Started With Counseling?
It’s the new year! If getting started with counseling has been on your list of goals for awhile, now is the perfect time to get started. If you’re still up in the air about whether or not counseling could be beneficial for you, check out my blog post “Should I Go to Counseling?”
I get it. Starting counseling seems overwhelming at best and downright terrifying at worst. You may find yourself uncertain on where to start, how to find a counselor, and how to find the RIGHT counselor. You may be finding lots of ways to talk yourself out of it, whether you’re convincing yourself that you (or your relationship) don’t actually need counseling, that you’re “making a big deal out of it,” or that you can handle it on your own. Heck, you may have even found a counselor but hesitate to reach out for that first contact. I promise you; you aren’t alone! Every one of these barriers is normal. I’ve thought and done all of these things while trying to find a counselor myself. And when the system is confusing, counselors don’t respond, and you don’t know what to ask for, it can be easier to keep putting things off.
Although this is not an exhaustive list, here are a few questions that can help you streamline your process to getting started with counseling:
What is bringing you to counseling? (Some common answers to this are anxiety, depression, wanting to work on relationships, feeling like things are “off,” getting access to additional resources, or having someone to talk to about current life transitions)
What type of counseling do you want? Couples counseling, individual counseling, or group counseling?
Are you wanting to utilize your health insurance (meaning that your therapist is in-network with your insurance provider and can bill them. This also means you would be required to have a diagnosis on file), or are you wanting to do “private pay” or “cash pay” (meaning that you pay the counselors full fee, but you are in control of determining how often and how long you would like to do counseling and you are not required to have a diagnosis on file)?
Would you like to do virtual sessions (like a phone or a video session), in person sessions, or a combination of the two?
Once you have some clarity around these questions, it is easier to start finding counselors to connect with. I recommended setting up consultations with 3-4 counselors. I strongly suggested finding someone who offers a free consultation so you can see what it feels like to chat with them before committing to working together. Here are a few of my favorite resources to find a counselor:
Health District of Northern Larimer County (This is specific to resources in Larimer County/northern Colorado)
Checking with your insurance company for a list of providers that are in-network
Asking friends, family members, community leaders, and other social connections for recommendations
Samantha Ricard Counseling (This is my personal link if you’re interested in setting up a free consultation with me!)
Next, you can begin reaching out to counselors to set up a free consultation. Many counselors will have contact forms on their websites, or you can connect with them directly through the resources above. You can be as simple or as detailed as you want regarding what you’re looking for. Ideally you will include your answers to the questions above so the potential counselor can let you know as soon as possible if they can meet your needs, but if you don’t feel comfortable sharing that information yet you can simply ask to set up a free consultation.
Beyond this, details vary from counselor to counselor, so I will share a bit more about my process specifically. Once we set up a free consultation, we use that call to briefly discuss what is bringing you to counseling and what you are hoping to get out of your experience. If you have been to counseling before we will discuss what you gained, what worked for you, and what did not. This phone consultation is also an opportunity for you to ask questions. You may consider asking about the fee, scheduling, and insurance. I also encourage you to ask about my experience with your specific concerns and how I might approach working with your needs. Overall, the consult call is to ensure that this counseling relationship has the opportunity to be a good fit for both of us. If you feel comfortable in this conversation, that’s a pretty good indication that it would be a good fit to pursue further counseling.
If we agree to move forward with counseling, we will schedule our first session together. Prior to that session you will receive paperwork to sign. This paperwork includes office policies and practices, disclosures, and consents.
In our first counseling session (often called an “intake session”) we will focus on diving deeper into the concerns you are facing and what you would like to accomplish in your counseling sessions. My ultimate goal is to provide a comfortable and safe space for you, so I pace my questions based on your level of comfort. You may prefer that we spend the first few sessions getting to know each other, or you may want to start with discussing your concerns and begin working on tools and coping skills. Our conversation may cover a wide variety of topics – the history of what’s bringing you in to counseling, your relationships and how they play a part in your life, your current and previous coping skills, how you feel about your current state, and how you would like to feel once counseling is complete. The beautiful thing about counseling is that each conversation unique to each client. I will also ask for feedback about your experience in our first session and we will continue to discuss ways to make our counseling sessions the most comfortable and beneficial for you.
While this may feel like a lot, it is worth it to take care of you. Starting counseling can be a confusing, overwhelming, and messy process, with the opportunity to be an incredible, life changing, and a beneficial investment in yourself. If you’re ready to take that next step, I’d love to hear from you! Set up a free consultation with me here. Chat with you soon!