FAQ
These are some curiosities that many may have before getting into the process of therapy and coaching. If your question is not answered here, feel free to contact us via whatsapp, email or phone call and we are happy to help!
Therapy for individuals
How does the therapy process work?
Therapy is a collaborative process between you and your counsellor/psychotherapist. It provides a psychologically safe space where you can openly express yourself to someone who is nonjudgemental and trained to support you to work through the challenges you bring into the space. Through this collaboration, you can identify and change the thought and behavior patterns that may be hindering you from thriving in your daily living.
How often and how many sessions do I need to attend?
The initial session (or first few sessions) allows the counsellor/psychotherapist to better understand your needs and concerns. The therapist will then work with you to establish the goals of working together. Based on this your needs and goals, they will recommend the frequency and number of sessions. If you feel the need for more or fewer sessions, this can be discussed and adjusted accordingly. Ultimately, our aim is to help you thrive beyond the need for counselling/psychotherapy!
Details for Online Booking
Online counselling/therapy session slots are 1 hour. Please let us know if you would like any extensions. Any extensions are chargeable by 15-min blocks ($41.25/15 min). Individual session only. Please ensure that you are in a conducive i.e. quiet and private space during the session to support the quality of the session.
If you need to cancel your appointment, we respectfully request at least 24 hours notice. Our Policy: Any cancellation or reschedule made less than 24 hours will result in a cancellation fee of 50% of the session fees.
Why do online session fees differ from face-to-face session fees?
Unfortunately, overheads are higher for us and hence we have no choice but to charge higher fees for face-to-face sessions. However, do read our article on online vs face-to-face counselling to find out which mode of counselling may be more suitable for your situation and needs.
In order to ensure the quality and effectiveness of our services, our therapists will also assess whether it is suitable to continue to provide sessions online for you based on your concerns and mental wellness condition, or recommend continuing with face-to-face sessions.
Therapy for Children and Adolescents
How will therapy help my child?
Research has found that the human brain only fully matures at about 23-25 years old, and the brain matures faster in the limbic system (emotional brain) than in the prefrontal cortex (thinking brain). This is why we sometimes experience children or teenagers behave in ways that could appear to be emotional, illogical or lack consequential thinking. Because of this, experiential learning is important for children and teens to learn new ways of behaving and expressing themselves in the world.
A therapy session can look very much like play and activities, however, the trained therapist facilitates the child to learn about themselves and about different ways of problem-solving, emotion expression and social interactions through the activities and interactions with the therapist. Scientifically, these experiences will rewire and/or strengthen neuron pathways in the brain to promote self-esteem, confidence, mental wellness and more adjusted behaviours.
How is the process of therapy like?
As every child is different, there is a need for the therapist to spend some time to understand the child’s background and current struggles with the caregivers in the initial session. The next 3-4 sessions will be used to assess the child (individual child sessions) to understand and identify the child’s needs and difficulties, and at the same time get to know the child and build a therapeutic relationship with the child. After the assessment process, the therapist will come together with the child and parents again to decide the course of intervention, before focusing sessions on the intervention.
Why does the assessment take so long?
Children like adults have natural defensive mechanisms that help them to survive in this world. These defence mechanisms help to block off scary and painful emotions to allow them to continue to perform their daily tasks on the surface. In order for these scary emotions to emerge and be worked on, the child has to first build a safe relationship with the therapist to be able to trust the therapist with these scary thoughts and feelings and this relationship may take some time to build. It is also important for the therapist to get to know the child and caregivers in order to more accurately assess the areas where intervention is needed rather than provide a blanket solution.
How frequently does my child have to attend sessions?
It is recommended for the initial sessions to be weekly so that the relationship between the therapist and the child can be established, the assessment can be formed, and intervention can proceed. Frequency in sessions will help in the continuity of the work being done between the therapist and the child and provide structure and routine for the child to be ready and expectant to do the work in therapy.
How many sessions will it take to address my child’s problems?
The number of sessions needed may vary from child to child based on factors such as the child’s strengths, weaknesses and personality, the problems raised to be addressed, support in the environments that the child is in (i.e. home, school, etc.), frequency of sessions.
My child has attended counselling before, why does he need to attend again?
It is quite normal for children and teens to come in and out of therapy at different developmental time points as they may only be able to work out certain facets of their experiences based on the development of his emotional and cognitive abilities.
How is this different from the counselling received in school?
Different schools may provide different forms of counselling. You may want to check with the school on what the school counsellor is specifically working with your child on before deciding if more support is needed for your child and the family.
In general, counselling in the school context focuses on difficulties in school such as behavioural issues or peer relationship problems. Due to limited resources as there are few school counsellors serving the mass pool of students in a school, the school counsellor may not have the time to address deeper, underlying emotional difficulties that children and adolescents face which may be fueling the problematic behaviours we see such as school refusal, anger outbursts, relationship problems, low motivation, hyperactivity, etc.
Private therapy can help with these issues through working with the child and parents in a different space that is catered to the pace and needs of the child. Addressing the underlying issues help children and teens to better adapt to the challenges they face in different situations and respond in more appropriate ways in future situations.
Therapy for Couples/Families
How does the therapy process work?
The fundamental process of couple and family therapy is similar to individual therapy. However, in this context, the dialogue involves multiple voices, which can make interactions more complex and emotions more intense. Our counsellors/psychotherapists are trained to facilitate and redirect these conversations to create a safe and supportive environment during the sessions. Through this collaboration, you/your partner/family member can collectively explore and transform thoughts and behavior patterns that might be impacting the relationship or family dynamics, and to work towards in creating a more fulfilling connection.
How often and how many sessions do we need to attend?
During the initial session (or first few sessions), the counsellor/psychotherapist will assess your specific situation and goals as a couple or family. Based on this assessment, they will recommend the frequency and number of sessions. Couples and family sessions generally span longer durations compared to individual sessions due to the intensity and involvement of multiple parties. There may be times when you or your partner/family member will have individual sessions in addition to the couple/family sessions, as recommended by the counsellor/psychotherapist, to facilitate further processing and progress.
Coaching
Should I book a counselling or coaching session?
Here are some examples of issues individuals may seek counselling or coaching for:
| Counselling/Therapy | Coaching |
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Similarities:
Coaching skills – There may be overlaps in parts of a counselling and coaching session for example, a therapist may use coaching skills to support a client to explore action steps and future plans after having worked through difficulties caused by past traumatic experiences.
Holding space – Both the therapist and coach hold a safe space for the client or coachee to be able to freely share their thoughts and feelings.
Differences:
Roles – The training undertaken by a therapist and a coach differs largely and the therapist and coach play very different roles in the room for the client or coachee. The therapist is skilled in looking into the client’s past and current experiences to support the client to resolve the difficulties that continue to affect the client’s ability to cope and thrive in their present situation while the coach focuses on the strengths and hinderances the coachee has in reaching the preset goals.
Containment – While both hold a safe psychological space for the client to freely express themselves, the therapist is adept in holding deep, difficult emotions and focuses on working through these emotions with the client. The coach on the other hand works on these emotions in relation to the goals agreed upon for the coaching sessions.
Still unsure of which service is more suitable for you? Feel free to reach out to us via Whatsapp or our contact page to find out more!
Why do counselling and coaching sessions differ in fees?
Our therapists possess Master-level qualification and training as well as years of experience for counselling and therapy. Our coaching services are new and have been introduced in order to expand our ability to provide more holistic wellness services to our clients and hence, we are offering the services at a promotional rate.
Your journey to wellness begins here…
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