Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How can counselling help?
People experience struggles of many different kinds and often benefit from being able to talk about their concerns with a trained professional. And because we have a diverse team of therapists, we are able to make sure to find the right fit for you.
Q. Is counselling right for me?
One way to discern if seeing a counsellor might be a wise choice is to ask yourself whether you are coping as effectively as you could be or want to be with whatever struggles you are experiencing. If the answer is “no”, then making an appointment would be worthwhile.
Q. What is counselling like?
Every counselling session is unique and is tailored directly to your goals that you want to work on. However, it is common to schedule weekly sessions lasting 50 minutes each. To continue processing what has been discussed in a session, you may be asked to take certain actions during the week, such as reading a relevant book, practicing a new behaviour, or keeping records to track certain thoughts and emotions.
The length of your counselling depends primarily on the issues you are facing and whether you feel you have resolved those concerns.
Q. Is medication a substitution for counselling?
In some cases, a combination of medication and therapy is the right course of action. We will gladly work with you and your prescribing physician to determine whether medication is most ideal for your situation.
It is also important to note that while medication can and often does provide short-term benefits, the long-term solution to mental and emotional struggles and the difficulties they create cannot usually be resolved solely with medication. Rather, it is often essential to include counselling as a way to get beneath the symptoms to the core of your difficulty. Counselling empowers you to change distressing thoughts, feelings and behaviours in a way that you can feel proud of.
Q. Do you accept insurance?
To determine if you have extended health benefits, the first thing you need to do is to check with your insurance provider. Check your coverage carefully to find the answers to the following questions:
- What are my counselling benefits?
- What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
- How many therapy sessions does my plan cover?
- What therapist qualifications are required for reimbursement?
We are not able to bill your insurance company directly. Rather, we will provide you with an emailed receipt that you can send to your carrier for reimbursement.
Q. Is counselling confidential?
Yes. What you share with one of our therapists will be held in the strictest confidence. However, it is important that you know there are three exceptions to confidentiality required by law:
- If there is suspected child abuse or neglect than we area required to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.
- If you are at a serious threat of harm to yourself or another person, we will make every effort to work with you to ensure your and others safety. However, if that is unsuccessful, we are required to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.
- To comply with a legal order such as a subpoena, or if the disclosure is otherwise required or authorized by the law.
Q. Do you work with clients who are sponsored by CVAP?
Yes. Not all of our therapists are registered with CVAP so please let us know during the intake process if you have a CVAP number, so we can pair you with a therapist accordingly. We will need your CVAP number to submit your sessions.
Q. Do you work with ICBC Clients?
Yes, we do. In order to submit your sessions, we need your ICBC Claim number, your date of birth, and personal health number. Please note that your ICBC sessions will only be covered if the session is pertaining to the accident.
Q. Do you work with Clients using FNHA?
Yes. Please let us know if you would like to be paired with an FNHA registered therapist, as not all our therapist’s are registered with them. We will need your Policy number and ID number or your Status number to submit your sessions.