To give you a straight answer, not necessarily. Many people think that visiting a brampton physiotherapy clinic necessarily means digging out old skeletons from the past, and especially childhood. This is a myth. What you will discuss during your visits depends entirely on the situation and the goals you have set. The focus of therapy is mainly on the present time and the future you want to create.

However, it should be known that if you really do not want and avoid talking about your childhood, the intensity of your refusal would suggest that such a conversation should actually take place. When people have strong negative emotions about their childhood or some other topic, it is usually worth it to understand what the cause is. Whatever it is, when it triggers such extreme reactions, it certainly affects your current life in some way, even without realizing it.

• How long does it take to visit a therapist?

It depends entirely on the patient. There are those for which one visit is sufficient and others which take weeks or months. Some who tackle it for the first time only need a frank, open conversation to reach a solution.

Others, once they reach their goal, identify a new one and continue to visit their psychologist. Still others come once a week or month to share their feelings, sharpen their life skills, meditate, and so on. The therapy is fully subordinated to the client’s needs.

• Is phone, video or chat therapy just as effective as this face-to-face treatment?

It depends on your personality and preferences. The online option is convenient for many situations where you are far from your therapist or do not want to waste time in traffic. Even in these cases it is nice to have a first live meeting to determine which type of visit is best for you. In no case should you ignore real contact, where communication is independent of your internet connection and reactions can be tracked directly.

• Why visit a psychologist? Can’t I just talk to a friend or close relative?

If you are blessed with close friends or family who listen and support you, share with them your feelings, hopes, and dreams. These people are a big part of your life and their insights and encouragement can be very helpful to you. However, people who know you may not always be completely objective. They perceive you in one image and refract their perceptions through it. For example: You want to change your career, quit your current job and start something completely new. You share this idea with your wife. She may want to support you 100% and visibly do so, but she also struggles with her fears about that decision – worrying how this change will affect your overall life and your income.

These emotions would prevent her from supporting you objectively. That is why working with a therapist can be so valuable. It is an opportunity to truly share everything you think and feel, without the fear that someone will impose their fears or expectations on you.

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