What to expect when you’re expecting therapy

As the school year comes into full swing, you might find yourself eventually falling into the mental trap that students often find themselves in. The trap includes everything from obsessively stressing about your grades, to feeling uncomfortable in oversized lecture halls, and to being triggered by current events that remind you of past traumas. Whatever the case, as you embark on some of the most important years of your life, it’s important to know what options are available to you not only on campus, but off campus as well.
Whether you are a first-year or a fifth-year student, York’s Counselling and Disability Services offers a variety of counselling options including group, couples, and personal counselling services.
Personal counselling is a form of counselling that works with the client on a one-on-one basis to help the client achieve change or improvement.The CDS offers short-term personal counselling, which gives you a set amount of sessions, with a session plan to help you achieve your goals.
The first step to receiving counselling is booking an intake appointment. In an intake appointment you are required to fill out a number of forms and go through a brief interview process that will determine what type of counselling you need and whether you are eligible for counselling.  
For an intake interview, and for counselling in general, be prepared to come with an idea of what you want to get out of counselling. Be honest and open in your sessions. You can’t expect counselling to work if you are not completely open with your counsellor.
Although counselling can be a great step towards improving your health, it’s important to note that even with a set amount of counselling sessions scheduled, you can’t expect to be cured or magically changed. Such changes take time, so give yourself that time.
If you decide you need more time than the counselling service can provide, there is also the option of therapy. Although therapy and counselling differ in some ways, they essentially aim towards the same goal, to help you heal. Therapy, also called psychotherapy, offers more long-term treatment than counselling. Whereas counselling tends to focus on specific events and issues, psychotherapy focuses on overall patterns, chronic issues, and recurrent feelings.
If the thought of counselling or therapy puts you at unease, there is also the option of peer support.
Maya Ameyaw, a second-year sociology student at York and a peer support worker with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, says peer support work is a type of therapy that has been extremely effective.
“Sharing difficult life experiences with someone who has direct knowledge of the challenges you’ve faced creates an equal power balance that is key to building trust in a therapy relationship.”
Regardless of your choice of support, the most important step is to set up an appointment. It’s easy to second guess yourself and shy away from getting help, but taking care of your mental health is just as critical as taking care of your physical health. Don’t be afraid to visit the CDS office at the Bennett Centre for an appointment or a referral.

Eulalee Lumsden, Deputy Copy Editor
Featured image courtesy of Michael Zusev, Photo Editor