Consultation
The main aim of a consultation is to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of what's happening (especially in the problem area(s) you identify), and what you can do about it. A consultation usually involves individual meetings; in some instances, it can also include gathering information from other sources (e.g., previous therapists; medical test results) or other activities (e.g., psychological testing ).
The length of a consultation can vary although it typically involves two meetings. Consultation meetings usually take between 60-75 minutes.
In consultation meetings, you will be asked to discuss different aspects of your current life as well as past experiences. Discussion of some of the areas in your life may be straightforward and relatively easy; other areas may be complex, difficult, and personally sensitive. Despite what can be some initial uneasiness in speaking openly about sensitive topics, most people find it enormously useful to take a close look at what's happening in their life with an objective, professional therapist.
Another goal of a consultation is for you to develop an initial sense of what it might be like to work with the consulting therapist.
There can be different outcomes of a consultation. In some instances, having a consultation can help you clarify problems in such a way that you'll want to try out solutions on your own. In other instances, you may decide to continue in therapy with the consulting therapist. In still other instances, you may pursue alternative therapies or seek additional opinions. In all these situations, you and your consulting therapist should work together to arrive at a sensible plan of action.
