Wisdom Coach And Counselor

Your first Coaching session

At your first session, your coach/counselor will typically gather information about you and ask what concerns you'd like to work on. The coach/counselor will likely ask you about your current and past physical and emotional health to gain a deeper understanding of your situation. Your coach/counselor may discuss whether you might benefit from other treatment as well, such as medications.

The first session is also an opportunity for you to interview your coach/counselor to see if he or she will be a good match for you. Make sure you understand:

• His or her approach

• What type of coaching and counseling is appropriate for you

• The goals of your treatment

• The length of each session

• How many coach/counselor sessions you may need coaching and counseling

It might take a few sessions for your coach/counseling to fully understand your situation and concerns, and to determine the best course of action. If you don't feel comfortable with the first coach/counselor you see, try someone else. Having a good "fit" with your therapist can help you get the most benefit from CBT.

During CBT

Your coach/counselor will encourage you to talk about your thoughts and feelings and what's troubling you. Don't worry if you find it hard to open up about your feelings. Your coach/counselor can help you gain more confidence and comfort.

CBT generally focuses on specific problems, using a goal-oriented approach. As you go through the coaching and counseling process, your coach/counselor may ask you to do homework — activities, reading or practices that build on what you learn during your regular coaching and counseling sessions — and encourage you to apply what you're learning in your daily life.

Your coach/counselor's approach will depend on your particular situation and preferences. Your coach/counselor may combine CBT with another coach/counselor approach — for example, interpersonal therapy, which focuses on your relationships with other people.

Steps in CBT

CBT typically includes these steps:

• Identify troubling situations or conditions in your life. These may include such issues as a medical condition, divorce, grief, anger or symptoms of a mental health disorder. You and your coach/counselor may spend some time deciding what problems and goals you want to focus on.

• Become aware of your thoughts, emotions and beliefs about these problems. Once you've identified the problems to work on, your coach/counselor will encourage you to share your thoughts about them. This may include observing what you tell yourself about an experience (self-talk), your interpretation of the meaning of a situation, and your beliefs about yourself, other people and events. Your coach/counselor may suggest that you keep a journal of your thoughts.

• Identify negative or inaccurate thinking. To help you recognize patterns of thinking and behavior that may be contributing to your problem, your coach/counselor may ask you to pay attention to your physical, emotional and behavioral responses in different situations.

• Reshape negative or inaccurate thinking. Your coach/counselor will likely encourage you to ask yourself whether your view of a situation is based on fact or on an inaccurate perception of what's going on. This step can be difficult. You may have long-standing ways of thinking about your life and yourself. With practice, helpful thinking and behavior patterns will become a habit and won't take as much effort.

Length of coach/counselor

CBT is generally considered short-term coaching and counseling — ranging from about five to 20 sessions. You and your coach/counselor can discuss how many sessions may be right for you.

Factors to consider include:

• Type of disorder or situation

• Severity of your symptoms

• How long you've had your symptoms or have been dealing with your situation

• How quickly you make progress

• How much stress you're experiencing

• How much support you receive from family members and other people

Confidentiality

Except in very specific circumstances, conversations with your coach/counselor are confidential. However, a coach/counselor may break confidentiality if there is an immediate threat to safety or when required by state or federal law to report concerns to authorities.