Assessments for LGBT Individual Counselling

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As a gay male, I wanted to talk about my civil partnership in private. It helped to put some matters from the past to rest.

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This article covers counselling assessments for LGBT Individuals.
For LGBT Couple Counselling see Assessments for LGBT Couple Counselling.

What is an Assessment for LGBT Individual’s Counselling?

Every ethical and professional counsellor should perform an assessment with their client before individual therapy commences (read about LGBT Individual’s Counselling). The assessment is a mutual process: whilst the therapist is assessing whether counselling is indicated, the client is also assessing the therapist to judge if they would like to work with him.

Considered during an assessment:

The Assessment Process.

As a BACP Accredited counsellor in private practice, I do my own assessments (as opposed to a client meeting with a third-party assessor as in some agencies).

You and I will meet either in my Southsea office or we will meet via Skype depending on where you want to begin counselling.

As to the assessment process itself, mostly I am interested in hearing what you have to say about why you think you would like to work with me as a counsellor. I will also check to see if my methods of counselling work for you (eg my style of questions or my therapeutic model).

Counselling Assessment Questions.

Some questions often arise in the assessment:

Keeping you Informed.

I will discuss with you about my counselling models, qualifications and ethics, about confidentiality and how it effects you, about where the law requires I disclose information (such as serious criminal activity, intended harm to yourself and/or others, or the Children’s Act) and that I will discuss with you before I make such disclosures, also about my supervision arrangements.

By the end of the assessment.

At the end of the assessment we should both have a better understanding of if we think we can work together, if counselling might be a helpful process (for you) to go through (together), and what will be the focus of our counselling work.

We will discuss fees, appointment times and vacation/absences, and what we can expect from each other (we call this “contracting”).

The location of the counselling will be in the same “place” as the assessment (ie either in Southsea, Hampshire – or via Skype video).

What to do next.

If you believe that you would like to meet with Dean to discuss your needs for LGBT Individual’s Counselling, make contact to arrange an initial appointment.

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