15 Minute Consultations with a Registered Clinical Counsellor

15-Minute Consultations

If you're new to therapy or it's been a while, you might notice a "free 15-minute consultation" on a therapist's (a Registered Clinical Counsellor here in BC) booking site. What is it for? What should you discuss? This ambiguity can feel stressful, especially when you're already seeking help but unsure about what a counselling consultation entails.

I remember booking a 15-minute consult at the beginning of my own counselling journey. I felt extremely nervous and cried my way through talking about myself. It felt like the 15-minutes were over before I knew it. A couple years later I had another consultation with a different therapist, and I felt like I had to be so reserved. I was determined not to cry or share too much which also made for an uncomfortable consultation experience.

If I could go back and talk to my past self, I would reassure her that both of these experiences are normal. Not knowing the purpose of a consultation likely made me more nervous and unsure about the whole process. I wish that I could let her know about what to expect within the consultation, the kinds of questions she could ask, and perhaps ways to reflect and see if the therapist was in fact a good fit for me and where I was at.

So here are some things that I wish clients knew about the 15-minute consultations. 

It is normal to feel…before or during the consultation.

You may have multiple strong or conflicting feelings about heading into the consultation. Below are some common experiences before consultations.

  • You may feel nervous before meeting. As your therapist, I am already amazed by your courage in seeking help and booking the consult!

  • Some clients enjoy the feeling of a fresh start and the hope that comes with making change. We as therapists are there with you in this excitement too.

  • You might be skeptical, having tried various tools and strategies before. Why should counseling work now? My hope is that the consultation sparks curiosity about the process.

  • Perhaps you have multiple feelings when thinking about the consultation, maybe feelings or sensations I haven’t even listed yet! My hope is that in the consultation you would be able to show up with as many of the parts of you.

  • You can participate in any way that suits you—online, in-person, with a notebook, or fidgets. My goal is to ensure you're comfortable sharing in this vulnerable and potentially new situation.

What is the purpose of a 15-minute consult?

To begin, the consultation is a chance for you and the potential therapist to connect. My hope is that the 15-minute consultation is time for you and your potential therapist to see if their style, training, and abilities will be a good fit for you, your personality, and your availability.

Initially, I thought I had to tell my potential therapist everything about me in just 15 minutes. Now, I like to encourage clients to think of the conversation as “skipping stones”: providing an overview of who you are and your hopes for counselling without delving deeply, "sinking", into any one topic. We can save those in-depth discussions for future sessions. If you feel stuck or unsure where to begin, therapists will have some “get to know you” questions and will be ready to help guide the conversation.

What happens during the consultation?

I begin my consults by introducing myself, pronouns, and my style of therapy at the very beginning of the consult, but every therapist is different. After introducing myself, I will turn it over to you. I keep the questions open-ended so you can share what’s important for you.

This process can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes. If you like to prepare, here are some questions to consider.

  • Have you received counselling or mental health supports in the past? If so, what helped? What did you not find helpful?

  • Why are you wanting counselling now?

  • What are some of the topics or goals you are hoping to work on?

  • What are you nervous, hopeful, or excited about in receiving counselling?

Finally, there is the nitty gritty admin details of therapy. I usually save the last couple of minutes of the consultation to go over my availability, fees for services, insurance, and cancellations policies. During this time, you can also ask to clarify the therapist’s training and specializations. If the therapist does not bring these questions up, here are things you can bring up.

  • Did you receive information about fees or the cancellation policy?

  • What is the therapist’s availability?  Will it be relatively easy for you to find session times to book? How frequently would you be able to book sessions?

  • What kinds of trainings do they have? Do they have experiences working with the issues you’ve brought up?

After the consultation, I encourage my clients take a couple of days to sit with how the consultation felt before booking a follow-up session. For some clients, they know right away and will book a first session after the consultation, and for others, it takes a couple of full sessions before deciding if a therapist is a good fit for you or not. I believe that a good therapist takes the time and space to continue discussing how you experience therapy, what’s working well or not whether you have been through a couple of sessions or a couple of years.

Here are some questions to consider asking yourself after the consultation.

  • Did you feel safe enough to share in an authentic and vulnerable way?

  • Were there moments where you felt, seen, heard, and/or understood?

  • Did you feel comfortable enough with their body language and communication style?       

TLDR;

  • Consultations are about you finding out if a therapist is a good fit for you right now (i.e. personality, communication, lifestyle, issues you want to discuss).

  • Consultations can bring up a variety of emotions like nervousness, excitement, cynicism, and many more.

  • Meeting a counsellor for the first time and booking a consultation is a huge first step! Your therapist is already amazed at the courage you have displayed in booking the consultation.

If you have been thinking about counselling, I encourage you to book a consultation with me! I would be delighted to connect with you or to answer any questions you may have about consultations or the counselling process.