After talking with our friends about the things that are bothering us, we can often feel better for a while. However, as talking rarely results in a fundamental change, the same problems are likely to occur again unless we actively find the root cause, get help professionally and change it.

A counsellor is trained to listen, make an assessment of the situation or issue and guide you through a process to help you resolve your issues and problems. The counsellor creates a safe environment that will help you explore your concerns, problems or issues without being biased or judgemental. Your counsellor can also provide you with tools to help you change your life or even refer you in the right direction on finding the right help.

The counselling process is designed to assist clients to explore their issues, understanding them and finding ways to resolve them. Here are some benefits that counselling helps with:

In your first session, the counsellor will explain what can be expected in the session and what the session will be like including asking you to fill out a form and sign consent forms. Typically, the counsellor will ask certain questions about you, your life and your concerns to make a better assessment of the situation. After which, the counsellor will make recommendations or suggestions on what the next steps would be. The questions that the counsellor may ask include:

During the counselling sessions, be prepared to:

Yes, we provide counselling services to Adults, Couples, Families, Teenagers and Children irrespective of gender, nationality, ethnicity, culture, religion and language. Our team of counsellors come from ethnically and culturally diverse backgrounds.

A professional code of ethics guides our counsellors in matters of confidentiality and the release of information. We also follow the Personal Data Protection Act guidelines of Singapore. Any information gained in counselling sessions will not be disclosed outside our Centre with the following exceptions:

1. you give written permission to your counsellor to discuss a matter with another party,
2. your counsellor determines you are a danger to yourself or others,
3. in the unlikely event that your counsellor is ordered by the court of law to do so,

   or

4. if you are under the age of 21 and are experiencing abuse (the law requires the abuse of minors to be reported).

In situations 2-4, your counsellor will make every effort possible to inform you of the situation before making any of such disclosure. Your work with your counsellor will be managed competently and consistent with the accepted ethical standards.

The frequency and the number of sessions you will need depend on you, your counsellor's assessment and your concerns. There is no fixed number of sessions. However, it is important to keep in mind that counselling is a therapeutic process that takes time to reap full benefits. At your first meeting, you and your counsellor will discuss your goals for counselling and an initial number of sessions to which both of you will commit. The centre does not limit the number of counselling sessions that a person can have; this allows clients to work in-depth with their counsellor through a variety of issues.

An individual counselling session normally lasts 50-60 minutes while a couple or family session lasts 80-90 minutes.

Regular attendance and payment for your counselling sessions are a sign of your commitment to the counselling process. However, if you are unable to keep your reserved appointment time, you are responsible for contacting your counsellor at least 24 hours before your appointment start time. Failing which, there will be cancellation charges. These charges are given when you are booking an appointment. You may also log in and change your appointment at no extra charge. Doing this early will help others who need help have the opportunity to book their slots.

Unfortunately, if you contact your counsellor with less than 24 hours’ notice, there will be cancellation charges as specified when making the bookings.

Depending on the issues and situation that you are addressing, your counsellor can give you homework for a reason. It helps to increase the effectiveness of managing your issues and will accelerate the counselling process towards the goals you have set.

The counsellors would also do their part by writing case notes so that we can understand what is happening, and it gives us a chance to reflect on the session and identify any areas that need addressing that may not have been obvious during the session. We also plan for your next session, so we can try and help you as much as we can.

As a registered private entity, our counsellors are professionals with a Master’s Degree in the field of their expertise and independently operate on their professional skills and experience. Our professional fees is S$180.00 for 60 Mins and S$ 70.00 for additional 30 minutes. For online counselling sessions, payment is expected at the beginning of each session while for face-to-face counselling sessions, payment is expected at the end of each session, paid directly to the counsellor. Payment can be made by Cash, NETS, or PayNow. If you need a receipt, please request your counsellor.

For those who wish to seek our services but have financial difficulties, we are willing to consider them on a case-by-case basis. For more information about fees and alternative payments, we encourage you to contact us at info@olivebranch.com.sg.