Frequently asked questions (faq)

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It depends on your insurance provider and the type of benefits package you have. If you look under 'Counselling/Therapy' in your benefits booklet, it will specify what type of counselling professionals your plan covers. Some plans will only cover specific professionals. If it states you are covered for a Registered Social Worker (RSW), then your sessions will be covered by your insurance. If you are unsure, please contact your insurance company.

No, unfortunately I do not provide direct billing at this time. However, upon receiving payment for your session, you will be emailed a receipt which you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. 

Yes! I am a registered provider for ICBC, First Nations Health Authority, CVAP, and Autism Funding.

During your first session, you can expect to be asked questions about why you are coming to counselling, if you have ever been to counselling in the past, what issues you are currently struggling with, and what your goals for counselling are. 

During your child/teen's first session, you can expect to be asked why they are coming to counselling, what issues they are struggling with and how it affects the family, if they have ever been to counselling in the past, and what their goals for counselling are.

If your child/teen is comfortable with seeing me on their own for counselling, the first session may or may not include a parent/caregiver for the first 10-20 minutes of the session, and I will continue the session with the child/teen and myself. Subsequent sessions may include a parent/caregiver at the beginning of the session for the first 5-10 minutes to provide updates and concerns, and the rest of the session will be spent with the child/teen, and myself.

If your child/teen is uncomfortable with seeing me on their own for counselling, the first session, and subsequent sessions may include a parent/caregiver for part of the session, or the entire session. In my professional experience, the child/teen benefits the most from having sessions on their own, without a parent/caregiver present, so they can have their own space and be able to process/express their emotions without the presence of a family member. However, this may not be possible if the child/teen is not feeling comfortable. The comfort of the child/teen is the top priority, and I am flexible with tailoring the sessions to meet your and your child/teen's needs.

There is also an option to have individual sessions with your child/teen for a set number of visits, and then schedule a family or parent session periodically. For example, seeing your child/teen for 4 sessions, and the 5th session is a family/parent session.

The length of therapy depends on a lot of different factors, such as how often you attend counselling, what treatment modalities we are utilizing in sessions, what the issues are, and your awareness/willingness to practice tools outside of counselling sessions.

It is my goal to give you the tools to help you help yourself. By doing so, you will have the independence and confidence to be able to cope with challenging situations in a healthy manner.