Questions to Ask When Looking for a Counsellor

  1. How much will counselling cost? Counsellors should let you know their normal hourly fee before you attend your first session. Some counsellors hold 50 minute sessions but require you to pay for the balance of the hour to cover the time they spend writing a session summary. Counsellors may charge more when more than one person attends. Your counsellor may be willing to negotiate a reduced fee if you are unable to afford their normal rate. With regards to the total cost of counselling, it is very difficult to predict how many sessions will be needed. However, research suggests that most counselling will take fewer than ten sessions.
  2. What appointment times are available? Most counsellors prefer to work regular day time hours, Monday through Friday. Some counsellors will see clients in the late afternoon or early evenings.
  3. Will my Insurance plan pay for this counselling? There are some Extended Health Plans and Employee Assistance Plans (EAPs) that will help with the cost of counselling. Such plans put limits on how much will be paid and the qualifications of the counsellors covered. Since each plan is different, you should check with your plan administrator before your first session.
  4. What concerns is the Counsellor able to address? Some counsellors are generalists and work with many concerns, whereas others specialize. A generalist should be willing to explain what experience they have with concerns similar to yours. A specialist should be able to explain what advanced training and supervised experience they have in their area(s) of specialty.
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