What Should I Ask During a Free Consultation?
Most therapists offer a free consultation before you book in your first session, typically ranging from 10 - 30 minutes. Personally, I offer a free 20 minute online consultation, which I’ve found to be a sweet spot. It’s enough time for me getting an idea of what’s going on for you in a contained way, and for you to get a sense of what I’m like as a therapist.
Below are some questions that you might want to ask me or other therapists that you’re considering depending on your situation. But know that therapists don’t expect you to show up with questions, and it’s okay not to ask anything. It’s also okay to ask these questions in the first session or even later into the therapeutic relationship.
Potential Questions for Your Free Consultation
What are your qualifications?
As of September 2025, the term “counsellor” and “therapist” are not regulated in British Columbia. What this means is that we do have some un-qualified people working in the field who might be well intentioned, but might actually cause harm. Typically I recommend folks work with:
A Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC)
A Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC)
A Registered Social Worker (RSW)
a Psychologist (RPSYCH)
A “Pre-Registered Professional”, who is typically someone who has graduated with their master’s degree and completed their practicum, and has applied to one of the professional bodies above.
Or a counselling intern who is supervised by an RCC, CCC, RSW, or a psychologist.
These certifications require the counsellor to be registered with either the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors, the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, the British Columbia College of Social Workers, or the British Columbia Psychological Association who have specific eligibility criteria for the designations. Typically these are the only types of counsellors/therapists covered under extended health benefits in British Columbia.
What approach or modality do you use in therapy?
There are many different approaches to therapy, and not every client will jive with every approach. You also don’t need to know the specifics of the therapy modalities. As the therapist describes how they work, you’ll likely get an idea of whether or not it fits with your worldview and understanding of what might be supportive for you. Research tells us that that the actual modality or intervention is not a great predictor of successful therapy, but how the client feels about the approach and how the client feels about the therapist is [1,2].
Do you offer in-person/online/phone/walk & talk sessions?
If having access to a particular mode of sessions is important to you, now is the time to ask if you haven’t noticed in on their website. My personal preference when I am the client is for in-person sessions, so that would be a requirement on my list.
Is the office accessible?
If you’re wanting to see a counsellor in person and have accessibility requirements, it’s important to know if the building/office will meet your needs. Unfortunately not all buildings/offices have ramps, elevators, or even enough space in the room for certain mobility devices like a wheelchair or scooter.
Do you have experience working with the particular concern that I’m wanting to focus on in therapy?
Sometimes it can feel reassuring that our therapist has worked with similar concerns before. Not all therapists work with or specialize in every issue. For example, while I work with folks with sexual concerns, frequently it’s something that is coming up as a layer or a secondary issue to trauma, relationship issues, or attachment styles. When someone’s primary concern is a sexual issue, it might be more appropriate for me to refer that to a therapist that specializes in sex therapy.
Do you have experience with working with clients from my culture or my background?
This can be an important and valid question to ask to see if your counsellor will understand (or is at least open to understanding and learning) the nuances of your cultural background and how it impacts your life and worldview.
Do you give homework?
Every therapist’s approach towards “homework” is different. Some might have very structured homework and expect you to be doing specific exercises outside of therapy, where as some might not been keen on asking clients to do anything outside of session. If you have a preference either way, it might be helpful to ask.
Is it okay to see you if my friend/partner/sibling/parent sees you?
If you already know that the counsellor you’ve booked a consultation in with sees someone you know, I would recommend bringing that up in the consultation. Every counsellor is different with what their comfort level is, or the ethical code they follow might dictate how they proceed. Either way, a therapist should be able to have a conversation with you about it without breaching confidentiality (e.g. won’t confirm or deny if they see a particular client). For instance - I have a hard boundary with romantic partners and with parent/child relationships. If I am seeing a couple for couples therapy, I’m not seeing either of those clients for individual therapy. If I’m seeing one partner for individual therapy, I won’t provide couples therapy or individual therapy to the other partner. I operate the same way for parent/child relationships.
Have you done therapy yourself?
I personally believe that many of us counsellors are wounded healers, and that we can only take clients as far as we’ve gone ourselves. This might be in contradiction with what you believe or what you want in a therapist. Thankfully there are plenty of therapists and plenty of approaches.
Looking for Support?
If you live in British Columbia and are looking for a counsellor, I welcome you to book in for a free 20-minute consultation by clicking here. And if I’m not the right fit? I’m always more than happy to make a referral to my trusted network of clinicians.
*I do my best to ensure my posts are accurate and to cite reputable sources, however if you notice something that needs a correction please reach out to me at monica@beginagaintoday.ca.
