Starting Therapy at Lotus

What to Expect

We will help you through the process, each step of the way.

Our Matching Process

Getting the right match the first time

We can help decide what therapy is right for you, and we want to get it right the first time. It can be very difficult to open up and tell your story, only to find out you are not in the right place or working with the right person and have to do it all over again. That is why we have invested a lot of time and effort into our therapist-led intake service. We do our very best to make the right match from the beginning, and even if it is not offered here at Lotus, we always try to offer alternatives.

The Person

You are at the centre of your care, and your preferences matter to us. Some clients have very specific needs for scheduling, and some have strong preferences about the gender of their therapist. We do our best to meet your needs and carefully consider your preferences in our matching process.

The team of therapists at Lotus Counselling Services standing together in the Waterdown office

The Problem

Considering what is bringing you to us today informs our matching process. Some therapy models are designed around a specific diagnosis, particularly with CBT, where the therapy is tailored to a particular mental health diagnosis. Other therapies (like ACT) are more flexibly based around the problematic processes that create suffering in people's lives.
The Evidence

Therapy models are rigorously researched to determine their helpfulness in different problem areas. This research informs our practice and helps determine the most appropriate approach to a person's care. In the same way we would not give someone an Advil for an upset stomach, research evidence helps our profession optimize outcomes.
The Therapist

Our diverse team of therapists are encouraged to pursue their passion and focus on the treatments they are experienced and confident in providing. Although we are a team of unique individuals, we share in our clinic values: open communication, reliability as a professional, modelling healthy boundaries, prioritizing work-life balance, and the power of pursuing goals.

Meet Our Team Match Me to a Therapist

First Appointment

Your first appointment

Once you have decided to book your first appointment, you could feel nervous, excited, or somewhere in between. This is very normal, and we want to set expectations so that you are informed about the process of therapy.

At our first appointment, we will gain a bit more information by asking some questions based on the intake form, reviewing consent to treatment, and going over the limitations of confidentiality. We may also ask that you complete some questionnaires. This helps guide the direction of treatment and complements therapy by checking in on your progress periodically. We are excited to meet you.

There is a very important intake form that will be emailed to you after booking. Please spend some time filling it out as honestly and in as much detail as you are able to.

Session Timing

How a session works

Each appointment is 50 minutes of total time spent together, with the remaining 10 minutes spent on the preparation of materials and administrative processes.

A typical CBT session would start by checking in on how the week has been, looking at the agenda for the session, reviewing skills practiced throughout the week, learning and practicing a new skill, assigning new skills practice for the week, and wrapping up by checking in on how the session was for you and how you are feeling.

Many of the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy treatments have very specific protocols and accompanying manuals. We will provide you with these materials session by session, and ensure you have additional resources for support in the form of recommended books, readings, referrals, and self-help group schedules.

Our Space

A warm, welcoming place to do the work

Our Waterdown office was designed to feel calm and comfortable from the moment you walk in. Take a look around.

The Lotus Counselling Services office, a red-brick Victorian heritage building under a clear blue sky in Waterdown, Ontario — The Building

The entryway at Lotus Counselling Services, a bright foyer with a wooden staircase, patterned runner, and an antique cast-iron radiator — Entryway

The waiting room at Lotus Counselling Services, a calm bay-window space with a sofa, armchair, and warm wood floors — Waiting Room

The therapy dog who greets clients at Lotus Counselling Services, a friendly cream-coloured doodle resting on a patterned rug — Greeting Committee

The Chandelier Room at Lotus Counselling Services, a bright bay-window therapy room with two grey velvet armchairs, a copper crystal chandelier, and a fireplace — The Chandelier Room

The Marvel Room at Lotus Counselling Services, a cozy sitting space with a grey sofa, accent cushions, a walnut coffee table, and a floor lamp — The Marvel Room

The Zen Room

The Velvet Room at Lotus Counselling Services, a spacious therapy office with a blue velvet sofa, a desk, a whiteboard, and bay windows — The Velvet Room

Looking for a therapist?

The right match is a theme that shows up in therapy. Finding a good fit in a therapist is as important as finding the right type of therapy. Read more about our therapists and specialties, or reach out and we will help find the best match.

Book a Free Consultation

Or meet our team.