you’ve gotten this far.

Starting this process can bring up a mix of emotions, nervousness, curiosity, excitement, or even uncertainty. Whatever you’re feeling is completely welcome.

Your first session is an opportunity for us to get to know one another, understand what brought you to counselling, and begin creating a space where you feel comfortable and supported. You can expect to:

• Review consent and confidentiality: We’ll discuss how counselling works, your rights as a client, confidentiality and its limits, and my approach to therapy.

• Talk about what brings you in: You don’t need to have everything figured out. We’ll explore what you’re experiencing, what feels important to you, and what you may want support with. You’re welcome to come with notes or questions, but there’s no need to prepare anything.

• Talk about where you’re coming from: I take a holistic approach, meaning we’ll explore you as a whole person, not just the problem or challenge that brought you to counselling. This may include your relationships, experiences, values, strengths, interests, support systems, and the broader context of your life.

• Discuss next steps: Toward the end of our session, we’ll reflect on what came up, identify potential areas of focus, and discuss what ongoing counselling might look like.

Most importantly, you don’t need to have the “right” things to say. We’ll take things at your pace and work together to figure out what feels most helpful.

You don’t need to be in crisis or have a specific diagnosis to benefit from counselling. Therapy can be a space to better understand yourself, navigate a difficult transition, work through relationship patterns, process past experiences, or simply feel more grounded and connected in your life. If something feels difficult to navigate on your own, that can be reason enough to reach out.

That’s completely okay. You don’t need to arrive with a clear goal, diagnosis, or perfectly organized explanation of what’s going on. Part of our work together can be slowing down, getting curious, and discovering what feels most important to you. We can figure it out together.

The frequency of sessions depends on your needs, goals, availability, and preferences. Everyone is different and it can depend on many factors.

Many clients begin with weekly or bi-weekly sessions and adjust over time. We can regularly check in about what feels supportive and sustainable for you.

Short answer: most likely, yes!

Many extended health benefit plans provide coverage for services provided by a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), but coverage varies between plans and providers. I recommend checking your benefits plan or contacting your insurance provider to confirm whether Registered Clinical Counsellors are covered and whether there are any limits on the number of sessions or reimbursement amount.

Confidentiality is a key to the effectiveness of the counselling process, so the personal information you share in counselling will be kept confidential. In British Columbia, there are, however, some exceptions to your counsellor's duty of confidentiality: if there is a concern of imminent harm to you or another, if a child is in need of protection (e.g., abuse, neglect, exposure to violence) or if your file has been subpoenaed for a court case.

It’s completely understandable to hope that counselling will bring quick answers or immediate relief. While you may notice helpful insights or shifts from your very first session, counselling is a process, not a quick fix. Meaningful change often takes time, patience, and a willingness to explore what may be underneath the challenges you’re experiencing.

The pace of counselling is different for everyone and depends on your goals, circumstances, and what you’re hoping to work through. With each session, there is an opportunity to develop greater self-awareness, gain clarity, build internal resources, and practice new ways of relating to yourself and others.

There’s no “right” timeline for healing. We’ll work at a pace that feels supportive and sustainable for you, while regularly checking in on your progress and what you need.

Finding the right therapist matters. Choosing a counsellor can be a little like finding the right pillow, you might find one that looks great, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it feels right once you settle in. It can take a little time to find the person, approach, and relationship that allows you to feel comfortable, understood, and supported.

As you get to know your counsellor, you might ask yourself:

• Do I feel comfortable being myself around this person?

• Do I feel heard, understood, and respected?

• Do I feel safe enough to be honest, even when something feels difficult or uncomfortable?

• Do I feel like we are working together

• Does their approach feel helpful and aligned with what I need?

• Can I bring up something that isn’t working for me without worrying about how they’ll respond?

• Am I leaving sessions with something to reflect on, understand, or work with?

• Do I feel like this is a relationship where I can gradually build trust?

It’s also important to remember that feeling comfortable doesn’t necessarily mean every session will feel comfortable. Therapy can sometimes be challenging, emotional, or bring up things you’d rather avoid. The question is whether you feel supported enough to move through those moments together.

If something about our work together doesn’t feel right, I encourage you to bring it up, we can explore it together. And if you ultimately feel another therapist or approach would better support you, that’s completely okay too.

I generally don’t like “shoulds” but, therapy should feel like a collaborative relationship where you can be yourself, not a commitment you’re stuck in.