The first step to improved mental well-being is to contact E-Chat by phone or email. From there, a counselling therapist will contact you for a complimentary 20 minute phone call to see what you are looking for and how E-Chat can be helpful to you. In that time, the counsellor will inquire about your reasons for counselling, find out a bit about you and your background and determine whether working together would be beneficial to you. This also gives you, the client, the opportunity to ask questions and see if the counsellor is a good fit. Studies show that the relationship between therapist and client (also known as the therapeutic relationship or therapeutic alliance) is “ a reliable predictor of positive clinical outcome independent of the variety of psychotherapy approaches and outcome measures” (Ardito & Rabellino, 2011, p.1), therefore it is imperative that the client feels comfortable with the counsellor and vice versa.
Following the complimentary consultation, if the client wants to proceed, he or she can book an initial appointment with the counsellor.