Anton Nikoloff Counselling

Some people who come to see me haven’t received counselling before and are not sure what to expect. I talk to all my clients about their experience of counselling and endeavour to address any concerns or questions they might have before we start. Some clients think that they will experience an improvement in their concerns or situation after only one visit. That may be the case, but is frequently not a realistic view.

I’m very interested and concerned about what my clients want when they come to see me; some may need a longer course of counselling work, others may only need a consultation. I consider the first session as a time of getting to know my clients (and them getting to know me) and developing an understanding of their concerns and needs. During the first counselling session I will be developing an assessment of what is needed and how much counselling may be required to address their concerns. In consultation with my client, I suggest a course of counselling, with some goals and an agreement on how we are going to achieve those goals; sometimes a few consultations will be all that is required. For others a longer course of work may be needed, but I leave it is up to my clients to make the decision about the counselling they proceed with.

I try to match the needs of my clients with my skills and abilities, so I regularly review my work with clients to see if their expectations are being met. Nearly all counselling work relies on building trust and establishing a working relationship between the counsellor and the client, for progress to be made. For some people building trust can take time.

Sessions are usually 55 minutes. Longer times can be negotiated and the fee adjusted accordingly. My base fee is $60 per 55 minute session, which includes GST. I am willing to negotiate a reduced fee, depending on a client’s income, and I can help clients gain assistance from WINZ, via the Disability Allowance (if they qualify). For those clients who access the Disability Allowance, my policy is to keep their case manager informed about their attendance (but not about what is discussed in sessions).

I charge couples the same fee as for individual counselling. Generally the pace of couples work is slower thus more sessions are required to cover a similar amount of ground. In couples work I sometimes suggest individual work for a short period.

Method of Payment.
I prefer payment at the end of each session unless other arrangements have been made. An alternative to cheques, or cash, is payment via internet banking.

Cancellation policy
If a client is unable to attend, they should give me as much notice as possible. A missed session will be charged for at the full rate unless there are extenuating circumstances. If a person receiving the Disability Allowance misses two sessions in a row, I consider that they have completed their work with me and I inform their WINZ case manager accordingly.

Confidentiality
All my work is confidential unless I have a concern about safety regarding the client or others. I will discuss those concerns with the client and help them take appropriate steps to address them.

Recording sessions
Occasionally a client may be offered the opportunity to have an audio or video recording of their counselling session. The purpose is for the client to learn something about themselves, or for me to reflect on my work with them. Any recordings, or copies made, will be returned to the client.

Between sessions
Any contact with me between sessions is discouraged unless there is an emergency, or a change in time is needed.