"“When you’re in counseling, the one thing is to be willing to be vulnerable,” McDonald said. “You don’t have to give me your whole life story right away but keep coming in that door saying that ‘I’ll come, see Amy and tell her a little bit more.’”
Not all sessions will deal with tough topics. McDonald will offer snacks and water in case a person is hungry or hasn’t had time to grab something to eat. Other talking points might be day-to-day activities, people in their lives who demonstrated resiliency or personal interests like TV shows. All the while, McDonald will track a person's progress, looking at a certain goal every 90 days and undergoing assessments like the PHQ-9 depression scale or the more fun Myers-Briggs personality test."