Studies show that collaboration between the client and therapist is critical for success in psychotherapy/counselling. At Sullivan + Associates, we place great importance on establishing the correct “match” between the client and therapist, as we believe the therapeutic alliance forms the foundation of a positive working relationship that will help clients to achieve their goals.   

With psychotherapy/counselling, the first stage of collaboration always begins with establishing rapport.  It is critical that clients feel relaxed and comfortable with their therapist, as this will make it easier to talk about their issues and fully engage in the therapeutic process.

When psychotherapy/counseling is based on collaboration and a solid foundation of trust, clients are:

• More willing to discuss issues that are uncomfortable
• Provide more detailed responses to questions
• More likely to clarify responses when the therapist is unclear
• More likely to complete assigned homework to promote learning of new skills
• Have increased confidence that they will achieve their therapeutic goals 
• More likely to persist with psychotherapy/counselling until their goals have been reached. 

Our Client Care Specialists make every effort to place new clients with a therapist they believe will be an excellent fit for them. Given our commitment to ensuring goodness of fit between client and therapist, our Office Manager, Roberta, regularly contacts clients after their first session to obtain feedback about their experience. On occasion, the right match isn’t achieved between the client and therapist, and in these cases we will transfer the client to another therapist with the first session with the new therapist being free of charge.