Therapy rates differ depending on a variety of factors. In general, the counselling fee schedule range is set by the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. An experienced therapist who has done significant training beyond their Masters-level education will often charge more than someone new to the field. Fun fact: Counsellors in private practice in BC are typically self-employed, so your session fee covers the counselling itself, administrative time, continued training and consultation, office space, professional fees, and so much more. My individual counselling rates are $170 per 50 minute session to align with my years of experience, advanced training methods, and allows me to continue to provide high-level care.

Unfortunately, no: the only mental health service covered by the BC Medical Services Plan is a visit with a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists are accessed by waitlist through your family doctor and typically conduct assessments and prescribe medication. The good news: the counselling profession is well-respected by many organizations and extended health plans as a meaningful, accessible, and more affordable option for mental health support and treatment. Registered Clinical Counsellors like myself are covered by most plans. My office works with most plans and offers direct billing for client ease.

This is a personal question and each person will have a different answer. If it’s helpful to know, you don’t need to be drowning to learn how to swim — therapy isn’t just for crises, it’s also for managing things before they become unmanageable, or for prevention and growth. If you're asking the question, it may be your mind’s way of reaching for support, insight, or growth.

We’ll begin with an intake session, where I’ll get to know you and what’s bringing you in. I’ll also walk you through what counselling involves, including your rights, confidentiality, and what informed consent means.

From there, we’ll spend time exploring your history and identifying what you hope to get out of our work together. This helps us create a treatment plan that feels tailored and purposeful.

Throughout our sessions, we’ll focus on building a strong relationship—a foundation of trust is essential for meaningful growth. We’ll also look at whether there are skills, resources, or supports you might need to feel grounded and ready before we move into deeper work.

When you're ready, we’ll begin to target the goals we’ve set together, which may include processing past experiences or trauma. This is done at your pace, and only when it feels right.

Therapy is always a collaborative process, so we’ll continue to check in, adjust our goals, and make sure our work is aligned with what you need. And if you ever want homework or tools to try between sessions, just let me know—I'll only offer it if you're interested.

Honestly, finding a therapist that offers direct billing can be challenging and it can mean emailing lots of therapists with lots of questions before you’re able to find the one. It’s one of the reasons why I love working within a full-service office with an entire admin team who knows the direct billing landscape in and out. They are at the leading edge of sourcing out new direct billing partners and setting up direct billing with our existing providers, making the process smooth and hassle-free for clients.

Yes, I offer online therapy to clients virtually throughout British Columbia and use privacy and data compliant platforms so that your confidentiality is secure. Online therapy is a great option for hectic schedules, remote locations, parents, people with physical disabilities, or simply is a practical personal preference to access therapy from the comfort of your own home or office.

No referral is necessary, clients can reach out directly to initiate care.

Counselling and therapy are two words that are used interchangeably in the profession. They essentially mean the same thing and cover the same scope of work.

The answer to this question will always depend on each client—no two clients are identical. I have cognitive, emotion-focused, somatic, existential, and trauma processing modalities in my toolkit. In the intake session, I am seeking to understand your present concerns and any relevant “past data” from your history that informs the present so that we can develop a personal treatment plan just for you. What underlies your own brand of anxiety will be different from the next person. You have a say in the counselling process. As an example, if you’ve done Cognitive Behavioural Therapy before and didn’t like the homework involved, I am flexible and we can collaborate on the best approach for you to make the most of our time together.