Skip to content
- When counselling a patient:
- Set clear therapeutic goals with the patient
- Allow adequate time
- Evaluate your own skills (e.g., Does the problem exceed the limits of your abilities? Are you the right person and is this the right time to unpack the patient’s concerns?)
- Recognize when you are approaching or exceeding boundaries (e.g., transference, counter-transference)
- Recognize when your beliefs or biases may interfere with counselling
- Remain aware of the risks of offering advice versus providing options
- Pay close attention to the quality of the therapeutic relationship and alliance
- For a patient who is considering or requesting referral for counselling/psychotherapy, clarify concerns and provide realistic information about the process and available resources (e.g., expectations, timing, frequency, costs, duration, homework, starting/ending the relationship if ineffective).