Jonathan Watters MA, RCC
Individual and Couples Counselling - Serving the Saanich Pennisula and Greater Victoria Area
Individual Counselling
Work together to build a better you
Whether you are struggling mental health issues like anxiety or depression, trying to sort out a hectic life, or working out which direction to take for a major decision, through individual counselling, Jonathan will work with you to explore solutions and make sense of what is going on for you.
Individual counselling is really about what you want to work on. Here are a few example activities of what you and Jonathan could do in a session together:
- gather details about key issues or problems
- assess strengths and weaknesses
- goal setting and goal achieving exercises
- explore possible solutions or options
- review family background
- assess family traditions, roles, behaviours, ways of thinking, and habits
- assess associations between events, emotions, thoughts, and behaviours
- analyze the value or truth behind thoughts and beliefs; assess how thoughts and beliefs affect your feelings, behaviours, and relationships
Therapies and techniques to expect:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Goal Setting and Emotion evaluation
- Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats Analysis (SWOT)
- Family Systems Theory (Bowen)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
What to expect at your first individual session
The first session... lots might be going through the mind... expectations may be everywhere.... thoughts of "is this really going to help"....
Here is what a first session may look like:
- greet each other in-person, online, or on the telephone
- review and resolve any questions or concerns about intake forms, agreements, and payment options
- briefly talk about counselling and how we can work together
- discuss main issues and goals for therapy (What brought you to counselling? What do you want to work on?)
- discuss any questions about counselling (fears, concerns, etc.)
- collect background information about issues, personality, family, relationships, etc.
- discuss avenues to explore to work towards solutions or goals
There is no harm in asking questions. When in doubt, just ask. I am here for you.