Individual Counselling

1. Information Gathering

During the first appointment, our professional counsellor gathers information about the patient’s individual situation and behavior to create a treatment recommendation. Some of the information discussed might include:

• The patient’s perception of the problem
• Their motivation for seeking help
• How long they’ve lived with the substance abuse problem
• Ways in which they have tried coping with the problem
• Their history
• Their expectations and personal goals

2. Evaluation

There are 5 major elements involved in evaluating the information the participant provides:

• The nature and severity of presenting symptoms
• The root cause of the symptoms
• Relief of symptoms – are there possible solutions to the problem?
• The individual’s readiness for counselling
• The compatibility of the counsellor and the participant, and how they can foster a productive therapeutic relationship.

3. Feedback

The counsellor provides information to the individual so that the former can they can determine together how effectively the individual’s goals are being targeted.

• The information will be provided in simple, concrete terms
• The counsellor will identify strengths that will help resolve problems and weaknesses that cause problems or become a future concern for the individual
• Therapists and psychologists will be open to questions both during and after the feedback is given in order to create an open working dialogue
• The therapist will make recommendations for supplementary treatments, such as anger management, family counselling, marital counselling, or life skills coaching

4. Addiction Counselling Agreement

The agreement between the counsellor and the participant will be imperative to the therapeutic relationship and to the participant’s future quality of life. Many areas are covered in the counselling session agreement, including:

• Practical issues such as length of sessions, number of sessions, and what will be addressed in sessions
• What the counsellor and individual expect of one another during the counselling process
• Therapy goals that allow for a concrete process rather than a vague idea of “the helping process
• The breaking down of large problems and possible solutions into small pieces so that the client can meet them one step at a time
• Agreement andownership of therapy goals by the individual

5. Changing Behaviour

The participant and the counsellor will work together toward resolving problems and meeting outlined goals. The counsellor will assess on an ongoing basis the most effective method of individual counselling to ensure that they are supporting the individual’s needs in the best way possible. This can include career counselling, cessation of smoking and other vices, and work on self-esteem issues

6. Termination

Termination is not the last counselling session, but rather a phase in which the counsellor will work with the individual on preparing a discharge and aftercare plan. When treatment comes to an end, the individual will be able to stay sober and continue working toward their goals on their own.
This is a timely and carefully planned process that involves the collaboration of not only the counsellor but the entire clinical team to ensure every that resource possible is at the individual’s disposal when they complete treatment. However, if the counsellor sees a need for an intensive inpatient program, then that will also be recommended as it has many benefits.