What you need to know

 Know what a Counsellor can do for you.
·         Be an understanding and supportive listener.
·         Help you develop your ability to cope with life's difficulties.
·         Help you develop some of your skills.
·         Help you look at your problems in different ways and with a different perspective.
·         Help you gain more insight into your behaviors, thoughts, and emotions.
·         Work with you to help you make changes in how you function and feel.
·         Offer advice on how to find services which they are unable to provide.

Know what Counsellor can not do.
·         Un-do hurt feelings and painful events.
·         Change other people in your life, and cannot tell you how to change them.
·         Create instantaneous change in you. Change requires hard work and dedication.

In the session. 
·        Ask lots of questions and take notes if you want to.
·        You could ask the Counsellor about their training, or anything else that feels important to you to know (for example, does s/he have experience working with people of your ethnicity/sexual orientation, etc.).
·         Pay attention to how you feel when you talk with the counsellor. If they don't feel like a good fit for you, you can choose to see another counsellor to find the right fit for you.

Remember that your Counsellor is someone you have hired.     

·       It's important to bear in mind that some problems will take longer to resolve than others, so treatment duration can vary considerably. But if you notice absolutely no change in your problem, hire a  different Counsellor.

·       If you are unsure of who to choose, please call the EFAP office at 306-975-3327 and we would be happy to assist you.