What you can expect
- Initial discussion about your needs and circumstances with Kathy Egan, Manager of Accord Counselling.
- Kathy will match you with a counsellor or therapist.
- Kathy will discuss fees with you and any potential funding you can access through relevant government agencies.
- An appointment time will be made – Accord Counselling rooms are at Napier Family Centre, Cnr Wycliffe Street and Morris Spence Avenue, Onekawa, Napier. Weekly or fortnightly sessions are usual.
- You will be rung prior to your appointment as a friendly reminder.
- Your confidentiality is assured (subject to any issues around your safety or someone else’s safety, what this means will be discussed in your first appointment).
- You can expect to see a qualified professional who is a member of an appropriate professional body or working towards this. One example is the New Zealand Association of Counsellors but there are others and you can ask your counsellor about their affiliation and qualifications.
- You can expect your counsellor to talk through with you your expectations about the sessions.
- In the first session you may be deciding whether they are the person you want to work with. They may also be deciding whether they think they are the best person to work with you. This is natural as counselling is a very personal business. If not, you can expect them to try and help you find someone more appropriate.
- You can expect to feel a bit nervous! After all you are talking about very personal things with someone you don’t know. Counselling can be both a challenging and rewarding experience. We will do our best to make it as safe and comfortable as possible. Once you've got over any initial nerves, it can actually be easier to talk to someone you don't know, because:
- They aren't involved in your life
- They can see your life objectively and may be able to make conclusions about your relationships and behaviours- They will keep all information confidential- They will let you talk about anything and everything that is worrying you, no matter how small or unimportant you think it may seem
- As change takes time you can expect to come for a number of sessions depending on the issues. Your counsellor will discuss this with you.