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FAQ - Counselling Steps

How do I make an appointment?

Our intake and registration process is quite simple, private and confidential. You can either email us at info@sjcshk.com or call SJCS at 2525 7207/7208 with your contact details so that we may discuss with you briefly on the telephone how to register for a counselling appointment.

What rights do I have to privacy and confidentiality?

All clients at SJCS and their personal issues, challenges and opportunities presented in counselling remain private and confidential to all third parties, including your employer, family members and friends.

Can I just walk-in and have an appointment on-the-spot?

All counselling sessions require an appointment, at this time we do not offer a walk-in counselling service.

Can I use my insurance card to pay for my counselling sessions?

Please check with your insurance provider if they cover mental health services. Clients must pay for each counselling session at SJCS with cash or a cheque. We will be glad to issue an official receipt that can be submitted to your insurance provider if they reimburse for counselling services.

How long is each counselling session?

Sessions are usually 50 - 60 minutes long, some sessions can last as long as 1.5 hours.

How often do I need to come to my counselling sessions?

Depending on what your goals and challenges are, counselling can either be brief (1-5 sessions), medium (6-10) or long-term (11 or more sessions. Sessions can be weekly, once every two weeks or as often as both you and your counsellor determine is required.

FAQ - St. John's Counselling Service

Do I have to be religious or a Christian to come to St. John's Counselling Service?

The simple answer is no, at SJCS we have been providing counselling for over 35 years to clients who are Christian and non-Christians alike, including those who are Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, Hindi, or those who are non-religious.

Is the counselling service located on St. John's Cathedral grounds?

No, SJCS office is located in Central at the On Hing Building, please see our Contact us page for an easy to follow map.

Do you have religious clergy offering counselling at your centre?

Counsellors at SJCS are professionally trained and well educated counselling or clinical psychologists and/or clinical social workers. However, spiritual or religious counselling can be found at St. John's Cathedral but not at our counselling centre.

How do I make an appointment?

Our intake and registration process is quite simple, private and confidential, you can either email us at info@sjcshk.com or call us at 2525 7207/7208 with your contact details so that we may discuss with you briefly on the telephone some basic information to assist you in registration for your first session.

What is counselling like at SJCS?

Our counselling centre comes from a positive psychology perspective whereby all our counsellors are interactive in each session and client-focused. These interactions between you and your counsellor are grounded around exploring your emotions and how you think and act about your world, with two goals in mind: personal growth and happiness.




"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, the optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

Winston Churchill

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." 

Maria Robinson

FAQ - Emergency/Urgent Matters

What do I do if there is an emergency and I need to talk to a counselor?

If the emergency is a life-threatening situation, you must call 999 for emergency medical services.

If you are experiencing distress or other emotional challenges or issues and you want to talk to someone, please call The Samaritans - a 24 hour multilingual hotline at 2896 0000.

What should I do if I feel like hurting myself such as taking drugs, cutting myself, binge drinking or thinking of suicide?

Any type of thought or feeling about wanting to hurt yourself or others is a serious situation and requires appropriate, honest and urgent attention. Keeping these thoughts and feelings to yourself is the wrong kind of secret to keep, sharing these feelings with a medical doctor and/or a mental health professional is the first step towards overcoming these challenging periods in your life.

If the emergency is a life-threatening situation, you must call 999 for emergency medical services.

If you are experiencing distress or other emotional challenges or issues and you want to talk to someone, please call The Samaritans - a 24 hour multilingual hotline at 2896 0000.

What happens if I don't seek help and I try to solve my own serious problems on my own?

Medical research and clinical experience clearly demonstrate that when we are faced with serious - life threatening situations (feelings, thoughts and behaviors), seeking proper healthcare with counselling is a safe, effective and positive way in not only understanding the causes of your demise, but also as well a realistic way in generating solutions and options for life's challenges and hurdles.

Seeking counselling is not a sign of weakness or that you are "mentally damaged," but instead going to counselling is a positive first step in knowing yourself better so that your chances of living a healthy and happy life are greatly increased.

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