COUNSELLING

You may see our Registered Clinical Counsellor as a part of your legal matter on referral from your lawyer for a specific reason.

The principal reason counselling is available in this law office is to assist your lawyer in preparing you for your case. Such assistance might include organizing your evidence, clarifying in your own mind the experiences that have happened to you so that you will be able to explain them clearly and cogently to a court if necessary, and helping you to strengthen yourself emotionally and mentally to deal with the effects of your experience as your case progresses.

You can also call our Registered Clinical Counsellor directly for assistance that is not connected with a legal matter.

Some of the benefits of counselling are that you have an opportunity to:

• receive emotional support
• understand your own feelings and reactions
• learn new information
• articulate desires
• clarify problems
• identify some solutions
• clarify goals
• improve your ability to relate well to others
• redefine interpersonal communication skills
• learn to cope more effectively with everyday stress
• learn to regulate your own emotions in a way that enhances living
• identify appropriate community resources
• revisit past experiences with a safe witness

Is Counselling For Me?

Counselling can be useful to an individual, couple, or family who is challenged with issues such as relationship difficulties, high levels of stress, bereavement, separation, divorce, depression, abuse, serious illness, major life transitions, etc.

As you work with the clinical counsellor, you will establish a therapeutic relationship which involves trust, respect, openness and caring. This is a special relationship designed to help you in your healing, growth work, or decision-making.

Consider Counselling If…

• You want to look at life and make decisions in a different way
• You want to find more ways of changing your life to feel more satisfied
• You or others notice changes in your mood or behaviour, or a decrease in your ability to carry out the activities of your life
• You sometimes feel helpless and problems do not seem to get better despite your efforts
• You feel sad or blue, nervous or tense for a prolonged period of time
• You are concerned about emotional health

Sorry, Complimentary Counselling is not available to our Legal Aid clients, but private arrangements may be negotiated with Betty Andersen.