[0:04]This video is a short simulated counseling session demonstrating the basic communication skills of opening a counseling session, explaining the limits to confidentiality and initial relationship contract.
[0:30]My name is Tommy. Welcome in. Did you find our office okay? Uh, yeah, it was a little bit confused at first, but eventually I found my way in. Well, I'm glad you found us. Is it still warm and sunny out there? Yeah, it's beautiful. Oh great. Um, Sarah, before we get started, can I offer you some water or tea? No, that's okay. Okay. So as I said, my name is Tommy and I'm a social worker here at campus counseling service. We offer individual counseling, so like we'll be doing today, and we also offer couples counseling, family counseling and some psycho education groups around stress management and assertiveness training. If at any time you'd like more information about those groups, you can feel welcome to let me know. Thanks. Great. And before we begin, I need to let you know a little bit about our agency's policy surrounding confidentiality. Okay. So my hopes for our work together is that we can build a trusting relationship and we can start developing a safe space where you feel comfortable sharing personal information. And as such, my intentions are to keep what you share in this space confidential. There are, however, several times where I would be um required to share information and I do just want to provide details to you about those circumstances now. Sure. So if you shared information that led me to believe a child was at risk of harm, I would be required to share those details with the Ministry of Children and Family Development. If I believe that you or another identifiable adult were at uh serious and imminent risk of harm or danger and was unable to seek support for themselves.
[2:54]I may report those details to the appropriate authorities on ethical grounds, too. Okay. As well, a court of law could subpoena either my testimony or the records kept as part of our work together, and I would be required to provide that information or my testimony to them. And then finally, Sarah, as I uh receive clinical supervision for the work I do with this agency, I may share some general themes of our work with my clinical supervisor, but my intentions would be to um keep all of your personal details confidential during that process. Do you have any questions about any of those circumstances? Yeah, could you clarify what you mean by a court subpoena? Sure, that's a really good question. So, if you were for some reason to become involved in a legal matter that went in front of the courts, a lawyer could request that either the records we keep or my testimony be presented in that court proceeding, and I would be required to follow through with that. This isn't a circumstance that comes up very often, but it's important that I share this information with you now so you know about all of the limits to confidentiality and the circumstances where I would need to share information. Okay. If at any time you have more questions about limits surrounding confidentiality, you're welcome to let me know and I'd be really happy to revisit this conversation with you. Great. Thanks. Sarah, I'm wondering, have you ever been into counseling before? No, I haven't. Okay. So, I'm wondering if I can share some details with you about what's involved in counseling and then maybe we can also talk a little bit about our expectations of one another in this work. Does that sound okay? Yeah, that sounds great. Great. So counseling is an opportunity to begin exploring some of the challenges that have brought you here today. And in a safe and collaborative way, look at ways that we might be able to manage those problems. As our time together is limited, we'll set some goals and as we come to a close of one goal, I'll check in and see what you might like to work on next. Um, it's also important that I let you know that, um, I won't be telling you what to do as part of our work together, but I'm going to do my best to provide support and encouragement so that you can find the best way to, um, work towards your own goals. Does that make sense to you? Yeah, I think it does. Okay, great. I'd like to talk a little bit about what expectations you might have for me as a counselor. I haven't really given too much thought to be honest, just kind of somebody to, um, talk freely with, um, share emotions that come up, that kind of thing. So you're looking for a trusted confidant and also someone that can provide a little bit of support as you kind of navigate through your future goals. Yeah, that sort of thing. Sometimes in counseling, difficult things can come up. Um, and that might be surrounding our work, or we might feel that we need to give feedback to one another during the process of counseling. Do you have suggestions as to the best way we might have these difficult conversations? Generally, difficult conversations, I really struggle with, I tend to shy away from them, but I'm open to maybe starting starting having them at some point. Yeah, so although you feel like it might be challenging to have those conversations, you actually feel like it might be beneficial to start doing that work together. Yeah. Great. Well, my hope is that while we work on our relationship and build trust together, that, uh, those types of conversations might actually become easier to have. Thanks. I hope so too. Great. I'm wanting to let you know a little bit about the logistics of counseling too. So I work in this office Monday to Friday, um, mostly 9 to 5. However, I do offer, um, appointments on two evenings each week. Is there a day that might work best for you? I'm a student, so my schedule is pretty free. Um, that being said, Mondays seem to work best. Okay, great. So we should be able to find a time that would work for both of us on Mondays for the future. Great. And regarding payment and fees, um, at the end of each session, you're welcome to pay at our front desk that you likely saw when you came in. And we also offer a sliding scale fee program for students. So if you'd like more details about that, the front desk staff could provide that information to you. For right now, do you have more information about payment or fees? No, I don't have any questions. Okay. Thanks. And Sarah, do you have any last thoughts or questions about counseling in general or about our working relationship? No, I think I'm good right now. Okay. Thanks. So if at any time, um, you'd like to revisit or have conversation surrounding that information again, I'd be really happy to do that with you.
