FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

This section offers clear, straightforward answers to common questions about mental health, therapy, counselling, and psychiatry. It’s designed to guide and support anyone looking to better understand mental well-being, whether you’re simply curious or considering seeking professional support.

The responses are written in easy-to-understand language to make mental health information more accessible. While not a substitute for professional care, they offer a helpful starting point and an open invitation to connect with our team of mental health professionals if you need support.

If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please go to the nearest hospital or contact an emergency helpline listed on the right. Your safety comes first.

What is therapy?

Therapy is a safe, confidential conversation with a trained professional that helps you better understand your thoughts, emotions, and life challenges. It supports healing, personal growth, and mental well-being, whether you’re facing a specific issue or simply seeking to live with greater clarity and balance.

That said, therapy is not a quick fix. Therapists don’t have all the answers, but they offer a supportive space where you can be heard without fear of judgment, express yourself freely, reflect, heal, and grow. Rather than giving you solutions, we walk alongside you, helping you find your own answers, at your own pace.

Yes, therapists are legally and ethically bound to keep your information private. At Solid Minds Counselling Clinic we provide evidence-based, compassionate and confidential mental health care.

Yes. Therapists are required to break confidentiality if there is a risk of serious harm—such as threats of suicide, self-injury, violence toward others, or abuse. This includes cases involving child abuse, elder abuse, or harm to a dependent adult. In such situations, reporting is mandated to protect your safety and the safety of others.

While counselling and therapy are often used interchangeably, they have distinct differences in scope, approach, and depth.

A. Counselling

  • Focus: Short-term, solution-focused support for specific life challenges (e.g., stress, relationship issues, grief, work-related concerns).
  • Approach: Helps clients understand their emotions, develop coping skills, and make decisions about their present situation.
  • Techniques: Active listening, psychoeducation, and practical strategies to improve well-being.
  • Duration: Typically, short-term (a few sessions to a few months).
  • Professional: Counsellors usually work with clients experiencing mild to moderate psychological distress.

B. Therapy (Psychotherapy)

  • Focus: Deeper psychological work, often addressing underlying mental health conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety, trauma, personality disorders).
  • Approach: Uses structured techniques based on psychological theories to explore past experiences, emotions, and behavioral patterns that impact the client’s well-being.
  • Techniques: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, etc.
  • Duration: Often long-term, depending on the complexity of the condition.
  • Professional: Typically provided by clinical psychologists, psychotherapists, or psychiatrists.
  • Psychiatrists are medical doctors (MDs) who specialize in mental health. They can diagnose mental health conditions, prescribe medication, and provide medical management of psychiatric disorders.
  • Psychologists hold a doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) in psychology. They are trained to provide therapy, conduct psychological assessments, and diagnose mental health conditions, but they typically do not prescribe medication.
  • Therapists is a general term for licensed mental health professionals who provide talk therapy. This includes:
    • LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker
    • LPC:Licensed Professional Counselor
    • LMFT:Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Each plays a different role in supporting mental health, often working together to provide holistic care.

Not at all. Many people seek therapy for stress, grief, relationships, or personal growth. You don’t need a diagnosis to benefit from talking to someone.

Yes. Therapy is your space, and you can talk about anything that’s important to you, including faith, spirituality, or existential questions.

Many people face stigma, but your mental health matters. Therapy is private, and seeking help is a strength not a weakness.

That’s normal. Your therapist will help guide the conversation. Just showing up is an important step.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer; it depends on your individual needs, goals, and progress. Some people attend a few sessions to address a specific challenge, while others continue longer for ongoing support or deeper healing.

Therapy is not an obligation. You are in control of your journey. You and your therapist can regularly discuss your progress and goals to help determine what’s working and when it might be time to pause or conclude therapy. If you feel you’ve gained the insight and tools you need, you’re encouraged to talk with your therapist about ending or adjusting your sessions.

And remember: you’re always welcome to return, whether new challenges arise or you simply feel the need for continued growth and connection.

You’ll talk about your thoughts, feelings, and challenges. The therapist may offer insights, ask questions, and guide you through techniques to cope or grow.

Yes. Therapy works best when you feel safe, heard, and understood. If, for any reason, you don’t feel that connection with your therapist, it’s completely okay to consider a switch; this is more common than you might think.

We encourage you to first share your concerns with your therapist if you feel comfortable. In many cases, an open conversation can lead to adjustments that improve your experience. However, if you’d prefer to change therapists, simply let us know. Our team will support you through the process and help match you with another qualified professional who may be a better fit for your needs and preferences.

Your comfort in therapy is key, and you have every right to find the support that feels right for you.

For many people, yes therapy works. “Working” can mean feeling heard, gaining clarity, building coping skills, or simply having a safe, non-judgemental space for reflection and growth. But it’s also true that therapy doesn’t work the same way for everyone, and that’s okay.

You may not know if it’s right for you until you try. And if it turns out that a different kind of support is more helpful, your therapist can guide you toward other resources that better meet your needs. The goal is to find what helps you move forward—and therapy is one of many paths that can support that journey.

People come to therapy for many different reasons, sometimes with a clear challenge, other times with a vague sense that something doesn’t feel right. The therapeutic space is not only for crisis, but also for reflection, healing, and growth. Below are some of the common topics that individuals bring into therapy. While this is not an exhaustive list, it offers a glimpse into the kinds of emotional, relational, and identity-related concerns that can be explored together—at your own pace and in a way that honors your unique story.

  • Self-Esteem and Identity Challenges

Concerns related to self-worth, self-image, or identity confusion, often rooted in past experiences or societal pressures. Support focuses on reconnecting with personal values, building inner confidence, and developing a stable sense of self.

  • Emotional Regulation and Overwhelm

Persistent difficulty managing intense emotions such as anger, fear, sadness, or jealousy. This can result in reactive behaviors or internal shutdown. Intervention helps with recognizing patterns, developing self-soothing strategies, and responding rather than reacting.

  • Loneliness and Disconnection

A deep sense of isolation even when not physically alone. Clients may feel misunderstood or lacking authentic connections. Therapy offers a space to explore the roots of disconnection and gradually rebuild relational trust and belonging.

  • Relationship Endings

The end of a meaningful relationship can trigger grief, confusion, and loss of self. Support focuses on processing the emotional fallout, rediscovering autonomy, and creating a future vision without the former partner.

  • Life Transitions and Decision-Making

Moments of change such as relocation, career shifts, parenthood, or aging can generate fear, doubt, and a sense of instability. Psychological support helps clarify priorities, manage ambivalence, and find orientation through uncertainty.

  • Perfectionism and Performance Pressure

Unrelenting standards and fear of failure may lead to burnout, procrastination, or anxiety. The focus is on cultivating self-compassion, rethinking expectations, and finding sustainable motivation.

  • People-Pleasing and Boundary Difficulties

A tendency to prioritize others’ needs at the expense of one’s own, often rooted in fear of rejection or conflict. Sessions explore healthy boundary-setting, assertiveness, and self-respect.

  • Cultural Adjustment and Belonging

Struggles related to migration, bicultural identity, or living between cultures. Clients may experience a loss of identity, shame, or difficulty integrating experiences. Intervention honors complexity and seeks to rebuild coherence.

  • Shame and Inner Criticism

Clients may carry a silent burden of “not being good enough,” rooted in early experiences or repeated invalidation. Therapy focuses on softening harsh self-talk, developing a compassionate inner voice, and embracing imperfection.

  • Emotional Struggles and Inner Conflict

Many grow up with the message that emotions should be suppressed or that vulnerability is weakness. Over time, this can lead to internal tension, emotional numbness, irritability, or difficulty forming intimate relationships. Psychological support helps to explore and name emotions safely, build emotional literacy, and redefine strength through authenticity and self-awareness.

  • Social  Expectations, and Role Pressure

Social and familial expectations can create significant stress. Whether it’s providing for others, appearing invulnerable, or meeting ideals of success, one may feel trapped between external demands and internal desires. Therapy offers a space to question rigid roles, navigate identity with nuance, and align personal values with daily life.

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Responses (PTSD)

After experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening or deeply distressing event, some individuals may struggle with recurring memories, nightmares, emotional numbness, or a constant sense of danger. These reactions are the mind and body’s way of trying to protect against future harm, but they can interfere with daily life and relationships. Psychological support helps individuals regain a sense of safety, understand their triggers, and gently process the impact of trauma at their own pace.




If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or noticing the same unhelpful patterns repeating in your life, therapy might help. You don’t need to wait for a crisis; seeking support early can prevent things from getting worse.

Mental well-being exists on a continuum. At different times, we may find ourselves thriving, managing, struggling, or in crisis. The people who maintain good mental health aren’t aiming for perfection, they simply recognize when they’re slipping and take steps to adjust. Choosing to speak to a therapist isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of self-awareness and strength, a proactive step toward restoring balance and living well.

Maybe not fully, but therapists are professionally trained to listen deeply, empathize, and support without judgment. Part of the therapeutic process is the therapist getting to know you, your story, values, and goals so they can better understand your perspective and offer professional guidance that aligns with what matters most to you. You don’t need to explain everything perfectly from the start; therapy is a space where that understanding is built together, over time.

Fear, shame, money, or the belief that “I should be strong enough.” These are human barriers. But remember: seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

A big one. Some cultures value privacy or resilience, but that doesn’t mean support is weakness.