Your first counselling session is just a conversation.
Almost nobody feels ready for a first session. That's normal, and it's fine. Here's what to expect at counselling, start to finish, so the unknown part is off your plate before you reach the door.
Most of it is already handled.
Money is already settled
Before anything was booked, we confirmed your coverage together. With NIHB, your sessions cost $0. The counsellor bills the program directly. There's no bill waiting for you, no card machine at the desk, and nothing to work out on the day.
You'll know where you're going
Our introduction email has the address, where to park, and your counsellor's name. No mystery office, no showing up to a stranger. You'll walk in knowing exactly who you're meeting and where.
Two optional head starts
If preparing helps you feel steadier, you can answer their first questions early or pre-fill your NIHB form on your own device. Both are optional. Plenty of people just show up, and that's enough.
Mostly, it's two people talking.
No couch you have to lie on, no test you can fail. Here's the honest version of what happens.
You talk about what brings you in
First sessions are mostly conversation: what's been going on, what you'd like to be different, and whether this person feels right to keep talking to. You're checking them out as much as they're getting to know you.
You set the pace
Say as little or as much as you want. You don't owe anyone your whole story on day one. A good counsellor will follow your lead, not push past it.
Crying is normal. Silence is normal.
Counsellors sit with both every week of their working lives. Nothing you do in that room will be too much, too messy, or too quiet.
You can bring someone you trust
A friend, an auntie, an Elder: whoever helps you feel steady. You don't need permission and you don't need to explain. Just bring them.
You can ask the counsellor anything
How they work, what a usual session looks like, what happens with their notes, whether they've helped people with what you're carrying. Good counsellors welcome these questions. It's your hour.
Paperwork, plainly
There's nothing to sign except the NIHB paperwork, which you may have already pre-filled at home. You sign it together, in person, with time to read it. No contracts, no fine print sprung on you.
However it went, you're in a good spot.
You owe nothing
No bill, no commitment, no pressure to decide in the parking lot. Take a day to think about how it felt. That's part of the process, not a delay.
If it felt right
Book the next session directly with the counsellor. You don't need to go through us anymore. The relationship is yours now; we just made the introduction.
If it didn't
Tell us. Really. We search again with zero awkwardness, and you never have to have an uncomfortable conversation with the counsellor. Fit matters more than politeness, every time. More on how that works.
Questions people quietly wonder about.
Your status number if you have it (for Inuit clients, your N number or land claim enrolment card), the NIHB form if you pre-filled one, and nothing else. No payment, no referral letter, no proof of anything.
Say so. Counsellors expect it. Lots of people almost didn't come the first time, and naming the nerves is a completely normal way to start. And if you do need to move the day, rescheduling isn't failing. The session will keep.
Usually about an hour. The first one may run a little longer because of the NIHB paperwork. That's worth knowing if you're planning a ride or childcare.
Counselling is confidential within the counsellor's professional limits. Those are the narrow situations where the law requires them to act, like a risk of serious harm. Every counsellor explains exactly what those limits are, plainly, in the first session, before you've shared anything. You get the rules up front, not after.
Need support before then?
A first session can be days away. These lines are free, confidential, and open 24/7, tonight included.
Your first counselling session starts with ten quiet minutes.
Tell us what you're looking for. A real person reads every word, and nothing gets booked until you say so.
Start your intake