Why Is the Initial Consultation so Important? What Factors Will an Ethical Therapist Cover at This Time?
Word count: 2021
Why is the initial consultation so important? What factors will an ethical therapist cover at this time?
In this essay I am going to look at why the initial consultation is so important for both the client and the therapist and how much you can get from just the first meeting. I will also look at all the factors that will contribute to being an ethical therapist from confidentiality, to knowing whether it is a case that you can look at or need to refer on.
The initial consultation will probably be one of the most important sessions of all. This session will form the basis of the whole therapy and help it to be a success for the client. There are certain steps the therapist needs to take to make sure that the client is going to benefit from the whole therapy and this can be looked at in the initial consultation.
The initial consultation should not last any more than an hour and in this time you can do all the fact finding you need to do about the client and then towards the end of the session do a PMR with them just so they get a feel of what will happen in future sessions. Some therapists choose to do a free consultation lasting around half an hour where they can get them to fill in the consultation form, get information about what they have come to see you for etc. The only issue with this is it is taking up your time, which you could be using for another patient who is paying and people may only come because they see the word ‘free’ and not come back again.
If you are going to work with the client, whether you do a free consultation or not, you are going to have to build up a rapport with them quite quickly so they feel safe and uncomfortable to talk about issues, which they may have never spoken about before. There must be a mutual respect. When they first arrive they are likely to be feeling anxious and have many mixed emotions, so as a therapist you need to make them feel at ease. The client may have fears,
Why is the initial consultation so important? What factors will an ethical therapist cover at this time?
In this essay I am going to look at why the initial consultation is so important for both the client and the therapist and how much you can get from just the first meeting. I will also look at all the factors that will contribute to being an ethical therapist from confidentiality, to knowing whether it is a case that you can look at or need to refer on.
The initial consultation will probably be one of the most important sessions of all. This session will form the basis of the whole therapy and help it to be a success for the client. There are certain steps the therapist needs to take to make sure that the client is going to benefit from the whole therapy and this can be looked at in the initial consultation.
The initial consultation should not last any more than an hour and in this time you can do all the fact finding you need to do about the client and then towards the end of the session do a PMR with them just so they get a feel of what will happen in future sessions. Some therapists choose to do a free consultation lasting around half an hour where they can get them to fill in the consultation form, get information about what they have come to see you for etc. The only issue with this is it is taking up your time, which you could be using for another patient who is paying and people may only come because they see the word ‘free’ and not come back again.
If you are going to work with the client, whether you do a free consultation or not, you are going to have to build up a rapport with them quite quickly so they feel safe and uncomfortable to talk about issues, which they may have never spoken about before. There must be a mutual respect. When they first arrive they are likely to be feeling anxious and have many mixed emotions, so as a therapist you need to make them feel at ease. The client may have fears,