Free Consultation with a Counsellor or Therapist

A counsellor or therapist may offer a free consultation. You can ask the therapist if they provide free consultations. You have the opportunity to explore whether the therapist might be a good fit for you during a free consultation before financially investing in counselling.

In addition, it’s normal to feel quite nervous when booking free consultations with a counsellor or therapist. Sometimes we don’t know what to expect. This is why we are writing this blog for you – so that you can learn what a free consultation may look like before booking.

What to Expect During a Free Consultation with a Counsellor

Booking a Free Consultation with a Therapist

Usually, you can visit the counsellor’s website or email them directly to book a consultation. If your counsellor of interest has a website, check if they have JaneApp. This is an online booking platform. So, you can visit the counsellor’s JaneApp and see if they offer any free 15 minute consultations. If so, you can look at the therapist’s schedule and book an appointment that works for you. Moreover, you may have the option of booking an in-person, virtual or over-the-phone consultation with the therapist. Ask them if they can accommodate to a format or style that works best for you.

Free Consultation Questions from a Counsellor

The therapist will most likely introduce themselves and provide you with an outline of the consultation before getting started. The counsellor may also send you an email a day before that informs you about the free consultation and what to except.

One of the questions the therapist might ask is: what brings you to therapy? They are curious about your goals. You then have an opportunity to share your goals with the therapist. Your goal may look like: I want to learn how to manage my anxiety/depression; I want to learn how to manage stress; I want to work on relationship anxiety; I want to process some trauma; I want to do better at school/work …”  Are you unsure of your goals in therapy or how counselling can benefit you?  Review our blog about “The Benefits of Counselling” to learn more.

In addition, your can share your goals during your free consultation to help the therapist understand what you need support with. They can also share with you if they are able to help you with your goal during the consultation. Sometimes, they may not be an expert in what you want help with, and they can let you know before you invest in them financially.

Free Consultation Question: Have you Visited a Therapist Before?

During your consultation, the therapist may ask you if you’ve been to therapy before. The reason the counsellor may be asking this during a consultation is because they want to learn more about what worked for you in the past and what didn’t work for you. This helps the counsellor understand what kind of support you are looking for today. The therapist may learn to stay away from techniques and styles that didn’t work for you and cater their services to something you are interested in.

Free Consultation: Counsellor’s Approach to Therapy

A counsellor may also share how they practice therapy during the consultation. You can also ask them to share their modalities so that you can make a choice of whether this counsellor may be a good fit. Learning about your counsellor’s approach helps you understand whether their style will work for you – you are unique. You can ask them about what counselling techniques they use or theories they use during the consultation.

Free Consultation: Questions or Concerns about Therapy

The therapist you are having the free consultation with may ask you if you have any questions or concerns. Here you can ask the therapist anything you may have in mind that will help you decide whether you want to move forward with this counsellor. You could ask: what are your costs, when are you available, what does the first session with you look like? Remember that you are allowed to ask questions. If you are a bit nervous or forget to ask during the consultation, you can reach out to them through email and ask them any questions you have in mind.

Take your Time after the Consultation

A gentle reminder that you do not have to book with that counsellor right after the free consultation. Take your time to think about it. Sometimes we have space to reflect after the free consultation about how we felt, whether you connected with them, or some more questions might come up for you. Remember that you have choice in who you want to go with. Take your time because you are going to be sharing private things with the counsellor. You don’t have to rush your decision after the consultation.

Book Consultations with other Counsellors

Look at different options and book free consultations with different therapists. Book a few consultations with counsellors and see how you feel after connecting with a number of them. Often, we feel like our first consultation is the best choice but we may feel more connected to a different therapist later on. Give yourself some space to experiment. Or, you may feel discouraged after a consultation. This can feel defeating. Just know that this experience does not reflect all counsellors out there. Researching and processing may help you invest in the right therapist for you, instead of having to start all over with a new therapist later.

Conclusion

So, most therapists offer free consultations. These consultations give you the opportunity to learn whether they are a good fit for you before you financially invest in them. You can book a consultation with a therapist through their website, the JaneApp, or by reaching out to them via email or phone. Once the consultation is booked, they may send you an email about what you could expect from the consultation. On the day of the consultation, the therapist may review what the consultation is going to look like. They may ask you things like: “What brings you to therapy? Have you been to therapy before? What’s worked for you in the past and what didn’t work for you?” They may share their approach to therapy with you so that you can understand whether they are the right therapist for you. They may leave room for any questions or concerns at the end. Take out the time to reflect on how you feel and explore other options before making a decision. Take your time.

We hope this information was helpful!