Individual Counselling
In-person and Virtual Counselling
When you’re struggling with life’s challenges or feeling overwhelmed, individual counselling may help. You don't have to face your struggles alone—it's often helpful to talk through your issues with a qualified professional who will listen without judgment, provide support, and offer strategies for managing whatever obstacles come your way.
Many people feel overwhelmed when it comes to seeking out mental health services, especially when they are uncertain of the process involved. On this page, we will cover everything you need to know about individual therapy: what it is, the different types of therapy available, how to find the right therapist for you, and much more.
What Is Individual Therapy?
Individual therapy is a type of counselling that focuses on one-on-one conversations between an individual and their counsellor. During therapy, clients can explore their thoughts and feelings in a safe and confidential environment. A therapist will help guide the session by asking questions and providing feedback, ultimately leading the client toward self-discovery and personal growth.
Benefits of Individual Therapy
There are many mental health benefits to individual psychotherapy. Most importantly, therapy can help improve your mental health and overall well-being. Positive impacts of individual counselling include:
Gain insight into personal issues and behaviours
Learn how to manage stress, anxiety, depression, and mental health issues
Develop healthy coping skills for difficult situations
Improve communication and relationships with others
Increase self-awareness, self-esteem and emotional intelligence
Resolve conflicts in a constructive way
Enhance problem-solving abilities
Reduce symptoms of trauma or treat substance abuse
Create greater satisfaction in life overall
Achieve personal goals more effectively
Finding Mental Health Professionals
It’s important to remember that there is no “one size fits all” approach when it comes to finding the right therapist for you. When researching therapists, ask yourself the following questions:
Do you feel comfortable with this therapist?
Do they make you feel safe?
Are they a registered and trained professional?
Do they come across as trustworthy?
Do they have experience in dealing with related issues or mental health disorders?
Does the therapist offer in-person or virtual appointments?
Does the therapist have the availability I am looking for?
Is the therapist covered by my insurance provider?
Trained professional therapists’ online profiles will provide some information about them, but you may also want to set up a free initial virtual meet and greet. In this meeting, you can get a better understanding of who they are and how they work before committing to a longer-term relationship with them. Book a free therapy consultation with one of Upstairs Counselling Registered Social Workers to get started today.
Common Types of Therapy
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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is a form of individual counselling where you work with a therapist to identify and modify negative thought patterns that may be contributing to your mental health issues. CBT therapy focuses on identifying and challenging irrational beliefs, developing coping strategies for managing difficult emotions, and setting achievable goals. CBT also identifies activities and routines that contribute to positive or negative mood states and works to develop patterns of behaviour that activate and support positive mood. It is often used in the treatment of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse issues, low self-esteem issues, anger management problems and relationship issues.
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Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy is a type of CBT that was developed in the 1970s by American psychologist Marsha Linehan for people who have trouble regulating their emotions. DBT focuses on teaching skills such as distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness that can help you manage your emotions better in stressful situations. It also emphasizes understanding your own thoughts and feelings from an objective perspective in order to make healthier decisions. DBT therapy is used to help a number of mental health issues, including moderate depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, addictions and substance abuse problems.
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Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness-Based Therapy focuses on helping you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings in order to gain insight into how those thoughts may be impacting your behaviour or moods. Therapists use meditation practices such as mindful breathing or mindful walking to help you become more aware of and present in your in-the-moment experience, and in doing so shift your attention away from negative thoughts or emotions you may be experiencing at any given moment. Mindfulness-based therapy can be used in conjunction with other therapy such as CBT or DBT or as a stand-alone intervention for treating anxiety disorders and depression.
The registered social workers at Upstairs Counselling Services have trauma-informed training in a number of frameworks and therapy interventions, including CBT, DBT and Mindfulness. Review the background of each, and book a meet and greet to discuss more to see which therapist is the best fit for you and the issues you wish to address.
Phases of Individual Therapy
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Assessment Phase
Your therapist will assess your current situation by gathering relevant information from you about your past experiences as well as any current issues or concerns that may be impacting your well-being. During this time, they will also explore with you therapeutic approaches that may be helpful for you and develop a therapy plan l so that both parties have a clear understanding of what will happen during the course of counselling.
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Working Phase
The working phase of therapy is where much of the actual work takes place – where the issues and problems that you want to address are focused on and worked through with the agreed-upon approaches. Depending upon the issues and plan, there can be homework (applying new learnings between therapy sessions) and/or readings or other activities your therapist recommends to support you in meeting your change goals. It is common as well to address and work through challenges or obstacles to change that may be present, or arise along the way. Progress will be noted and celebrated and setbacks supported and addressed.
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Termination Phase
Lastly, the termination phase of therapy is when progress is reviewed, plans for maintenance of progress and next steps outside of therapy are identified and closure is made on any unresolved issues or goals that were not reached during treatment.
Length & Frequency of Individual Counselling
Individual counselling sessions typically last 50 minutes but this time can vary depending on what type of therapeutic approaches are used as well as specific goals set. How often therapy sessions take place depends on why you are undertaking individual therapy sessions in the first place. Some individuals benefit from multiple weekly sessions while others may be best supported with a few sessions over a period of weeks or months.
The frequency of sessions can also vary according to the stage of therapy: initially, it may be helpful to have regular sessions to address the issues and gain momentum for change but at another later stage some individuals are best supported with monthly, bimonthly or needed to follow up. Knowing you have a counsellor who you’ve worked with who you can call on for therapeutic guidance if you need support in the future is a helpful resource to have in your life.
Paying for Counselling
The fee for counselling at Upstairs Counselling services will depend upon the therapist you book with and ranges between $150 and $165; you can check the profile of services for each therapist to see their specific fee. As registered social workers, our services are covered by most extended health plans and we will issue you a receipt upon payment for you to submit to your insurer for reimbursement.
Payment can be made by e-transfer or credit card at the end of the counselling session, or by cash or cheque if the session is in person.
Upstairs Counselling Services' Registered Social Workers provide individual therapy
Individual therapy has many benefits. It provides you with a safe space where you can openly discuss your thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or criticism. It helps you develop skills you can use every day, such as problem-solving and communication skills.
Finding the right therapist for you is key – research potential options and arrange an initial consultation to find the therapist who is the best fit for you. During your first session with your counsellor expect to discuss any expectations or fears you’re having so you’re on the same page going forward. Set some achievable goals to work on together over time. Remember that there is no “one size fits all” approach when it comes to individual therapy – take some time researching potential options until finding one that works best for you!
If you are considering individual therapy, contact Upstairs Counselling Services to book a free therapy consultation to learn more and to see which of our trained registered social workers is the right fit.
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Ali Lienaux
MA, RSW | Senior Therapist
Offering Virtual & In-person
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Alexandra Dean
MSW, RSW | Senior Therapist
Offering Virtual & In-person
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Todd Elliott
MSW, RSW | Senior Therapist
Offering Virtual & In-person
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Brooke Derousseau
MSW, RSW | Senior Therapist
Offering Virtual
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Aaron Laye
MSW, RSW | Therapist
Offering Virtual