Frequently Asked Questions.

I’ve been wanting try counselling with you, but I’ve never done it before. How do I get started?

Getting started is easy. Just click on the "book now" button on my website and it will direct you to my scheduling system. Fill in the information that you can and sign and upload the consent form. At your appointed time you will come to my office. If you havent't been able to fill out all the forms that's ok. We can go over them at the office. If you have any specific questions beforehand, I can answer them by email, or if you want, we can set up a time for a quick phone call.

I see you are a Registered Clinical Counsellor. What is the difference between a Clinical Counsellor, a Psychologist, and a Psychiatrist?

Clinical Counsellors are focused primarily on working directly with people to help them experience personal change. They are consumers of data produced by researchers (psychiatrists and psychologists). Their job is to put into practice what researchers have learned. Clinical Counsellors have the education of a Masters degree. Through their education they are trained to work with individuals, groups and families. In a clinical setting, clinical counsellors delve into a client’s past, present and future in their work with the client to remove barriers that prevent the client from realizing their goals. One of the main differences between a clinical counsellor and a psychologist who does talk therapy is that the fee for a psychologist is higher than the fee of a clinical counsellor. Psychologists look at human behaviour from an environmental perspective. They look at how factors such as political, social, economic, personality, and family structure/dynamics affect people’s behaviour. In BC, psychologists have attained one of two degrees, a Ph.D. or Psy.D. and are addressed as “Doctor.” However, psychologists are not medical doctors. In practice, psychologist often can be seen in the field of research, on university campuses as professors, and in clinical settings doing therapy. Because of their particular training, only psychologists and psychiatrists are licensed to conduct and interpret psychological tests such as IQ tests and personality tests. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who focus their practice on the biological foundation of behaviour. They try to find out how the functioning of the brain is affecting behaviour. They usually use medications to alleviate psychological problems such as depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc. While psychiatrists were the originators of talk therapy, most of them today see patients for short periods of time to assess them and administer medication.

How long have you been doing this?

I completed my bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1998. I Completed my master’s degree in 2002. I became registered as a clinical counsellor in 2003, and opened my private practice that year. Prior to my schooling I spent ten years working with individuals and families and myself in personal growth and healing. I would say I have been doing this work professionally for twenty years, and in exploration for an additional ten years.

What types of clients do you work with?

My counselling practice has evolved over time, and I have worked with all kinds of different people over the years. My focus is currently on working with men and women, individually and in relationship, or couples counselling. I have a specific interest in working with issues of sexuality, and I have enjoyed delving into this specialized training over the past five years. I work with people who have diverse sexual orientations and interests.

What is the best way to set up an appointment?

The best way to set up an appointment is through my online booking system. If that does not work for you, you can text me or email me and we can set up an appointment that way.

Will what I talk about in sessions be kept confidential?

With some exceptions, everything you say within the counselling session is kept confidential. I am not permitted to talk about or write about anything you tell me unless you give me permission. The exceptions to confidentiality are as follows: I am required, by law, to take appropriate action if there is a danger that you will physically harm another person or that you will seriously harm yourself, or if information you give me leads me to believe a child is in danger. I do not have the right of privileged communication in a court of law; under a subpoena a Clinical Counsellor must disclose information pertaining to therapy. If you accept third party coverage, the third party may require you to agree that they receive confidential assessment, treatment, and medical-legal reports.

I’m not sure if counselling is right for me, can I ask you some questions about it before committing to a session?

If you have questions, the easiest way to ask them is via email. However, I know it is important for some people to hear my voice and have a conversation before booking an appointment. If you want to have a phone conversation, please email me and we can set up a time to have a short chat.

Is there anything I should do to prepare for our session?

If your funds are limited and you can only do short term counselling, you should come into your first session with some clear goals about what you want to work on. If you are prepared to do longer term counselling, just bring an open mind. Once therapy gets started, I may ask you to do homework after some of our sessions.

I can’t make it into your office. Is there any other way we can do a session?

For those who can’t make it into my office, I can do sessions through an online platform called doxy.me. It is better to have at least one session in person to start things off, but there are always exceptions.

What form of payment do you accept?

I take credit cards through my online booking system. In the office you can pay by cash, cheque, credit or debit card.