Counselling Fees & Frequently Asked Questions

Individual counselling/art therapy sessions are $160 per 50 minutes. Couples sessions are $277.50 per 75 minutes. Longer sessions are prorated accordingly.

A limited number of sliding scales spots are available for clients in financial need who do not have extended health coverage. Fee-reduced sessions are limited to 10 sessions. Please don't hesitate to inquire.

Counselling coverage is often determined by the extended health plan your organization has purchased. Please check with your insurance provider that your plan covers clinical counsellors. A receipt will be issued with all information needed for reimbursement.

I can directly bill Autism Funding, Belair Direct Group Benefits, Canada Life, ClaimSecure, Desjardins Insurance, FNHA, iA Financial Group, ICBC, Medavie Blue Cross (Veterans Affairs), Manulife, Métis Nation BC, and Pacific Blue Cross.

According to ICBC, "Since May 2021, Enhanced Care covers everyone for 12 weeks after their crash no matter who was responsible. That means you don’t have to wait to start your pre-approved treatments. All you need is your ICBC claim number, which is created when you submit your claim." (https://www.icbc.com/claims/injury/accessing-treatment-during-your-first-12-weeks-of-recovery) ICBC currently offers pre-approved coverage for 12, 50-minute counselling sessions at $157/session. A physician or nurse practitioner referral isn't needed, nor approval from ICBC, but I will require your Personal Health Number (PHN) and ICBC claim number.

Many clients feel better within 1-2 sessions by virtue of being heard and understood. By 6 to 8 sessions, clients often develop insight into issues and experience measurable shifts in key focus areas. After 6 months to a year of regular (eg. biweekly) sessions, clients tend to report meaningful, sustained change. So, while the attainment of therapeutic goals varies from client to client, a timeframe one would ideally commit to is 6-12 (or more) months.

Counselling sessions are offered Tuesday through Friday, 1:00pm to 8:00pm, in-person and online.

Yes and yes! Virtual counselling is delivered via Jane app video. Meeting invitation links are emailed approximately 30 minutes before session. I also offer telephone counselling upon request.

Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCC) have completed a minimum of a master’s degree. We are recognized by the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors as qualified to provide counselling services. We can assess but not formally diagnose nor prescribe medication to clients. To learn more about RCCs, visit https://bcacc.ca/about-us/. Registered Social Workers (RSW) hold a bachelor’s degree, connect clients to resources, provide counselling and support services, mediate conflict, advocate for services. They cannot formally diagnose nor prescribe medication to clients. Registered Psychologists (R.Psych) have completed a PhD; assess, diagnose and treat behavioural, emotional, cognitive and mental disorders; typically practice in specific areas such as clinical counselling, forensic, health, rehabilitation, or school psychology. Psychiatrists are medical doctors (MD) with specialized training in treating mental illness. They can prescribe medication and may use talk therapy and medication therapy in tandem or exclusively. Psychiatric services are covered under BC's provincial Medical Services Plan (MSP).

Absolutely not! Art therapy requires no prior artistic experience - stick figures are always welcome. To this I'll add that there are no right or wrongs to creative self-expression.
 Art therapy is not about the product, but the process.
 And art is for everyone, it does not (or should not) discriminate. Art making and creative expression have immediate therapeutic value owing to their power to help individuals gain insight, heal, and cope with life's challenges. As a fully trained and qualified art therapist, I am excited to facilitate art making and creative self-expression to help clients grow and heal. My clinical approach to working with art is to sensitively acknowledge the subjectivity and relativity of experience embedded in each client's work. Critical to understanding what significance art holds for its creator is witnessing the artwork with respect, curiosity, intelligence, and an open mind. With this, I challenge and invite clients to discover, explore, and realize the therapeutic benefits of art therapy.