How much does counselling cost?

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I charge $140 per 50-minute appointment and for reviewing documents outside of appointments (such as commenting on job applications or reviewing materials to help clients prepare for interviews).  

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Do extended benefits cover career counselling?

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Every benefit plan is different (each employer negotiates different plans with benefit providers) so it's necessary to check your specific plan(s) to see if you have coverage for Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCCs).

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There are usually 4 ways to check the particulars of your benefits: 
 

1. check internal website at your organization (where HR department posts forms and materials) 
    

2. check your online benefits portal (where you submit receipts for prescriptions and massage)
    

3. call the general hotline for your extended benefits provider 
    

4. call/email someone in your HR department 

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If you have a partner with extended benefits, you may also have coverage through your partner’s plan too. Young adults may also have some coverage under parents' extended benefit plans. 

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What happens when people contact you?

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Like many counsellors, I offer a free initial call to help people get a sense of whether they would like to work with me and to help me confirm that I can provide the type of support that people want. 

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When people contact me, some have specific questions and others have no idea where to start and what to talk about. Both are perfectly fine. If you don't know where to start, I'm happy to take the lead. 

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Also, if you're worried that you'll feel obligated or pressured to book an appointment, please know that at the start of calls, I always tell people it's ok to go away and think about booking an appointment and I encourage people to find someone they feel comfortable working with. Counselling works best when people feel good about moving forward.  

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What are your hours?

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It's usually best to talk about work when you aren't at work, so I aim to be flexible and offer a range of appointments (some early mornings, daytime, early evenings & Sundays). 

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Whenever I can, I also make myself available on short notice because things at work can happen quickly (people get last minute interviews, get let go/decide to quit/go on leave, need to negotiate a job offer). 

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Where are you located?

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I recently moved from downtown Vancouver to Courtenay on Vancouver Island. I offer online or phone appointments.   

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How long does counselling take?

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Good question! I'd want to know the same thing. The honest, but frustrating answer is that it's hard to say without learning a bit about you, your circumstances and the type/level of support you're seeking.  

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After talking to people, we can come up with a plan together that fits your goals, budget and timeline. 

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If you're like me though, you'd appreciate a bit more information upfront.

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Career counselling ranges from short term support to longer term support. Here are some ballpark examples: 

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Short term (3-8 appointments)

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• job search support

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• interviewing support  

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• exploring career options 

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• support learning & practicing skills (like communication, setting boundaries)

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Longer term support (more than 8 appointments)

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• support during stress leave or short term disability (or period leading up to deciding to take leave)

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• support navigating difficult workplace situations 

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• support making a major career shift ​​

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• support building or re-building confidence 

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• support addressing an issue that you've been working on or mulling over for years 

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Here are some factors that tend to influence the length and pace of counselling:

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• $$$ - counselling can be tailored to fit peoples' budgets and available extended benefits 

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• ​level of crisis - when there's a crisis at work (or close to it), people often want/need more support because it can be hard to figure out which way is up when you're in the thick of things. People in crisis often want/need to work quickly. I work at whatever pace people think is helpful. Sometimes that means meeting weekly, every few weeks, or a a few sessions in a short period of time to get you 'off to the races'

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• motivation & energy levels - some people come to counselling keen to work on things and others need a bit of time to warm up (they kinda know they need to face things and they also kinda want to avoid them). The good news is that it's often easier than people assume to face things (believe it or not, it can actually be a relief for some people). Generally speaking, the harder things are to face, the longer counselling can take. The same is true of energy levels - when you start counselling with very little energy, it can take a bit of time to focus on building up energy before you get to the point where you feel ready to focus on next steps  

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• feelings - people often come to counselling wrestling with tough feelings (confusion, anxiety, depression, frustration, anger, disappointment, discouragement, resentment, hopelessness, grief and regret). The bigger the feelings, the longer it can take to work through them in counselling and get to a point where you feel ready to focus on next steps ​​

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• legwork before counselling - people sometimes start counselling after a sudden realization and other times, they start after doing a lot of thinking and legwork on their own. If you've had a chance to think about your situation before coming to counselling, it sometimes speeds things up  

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• ​decision-making styles - some people make decisions quickly and others prefer to gather lots of information and take their time. Generally speaking, if you're someone who tends to gather a lot of information and take your time with decisions, counselling can take longer ​​

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• preferred level of support - some people prefer to do a lot of legwork on their own between appointments and others prefer more support talking things through and bouncing ideas off others  

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• accountability - some people use counselling to stick help them stick with plans that are important to them ​​and other people are off to the races. Counselling can last longer if you need longer term support staying accountable to your plans​

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Note that the frequency and pace of career counselling can be different from general counselling (it's common to meet weekly, but there are situations where I meet people for a few sessions in a short period of time (for example, for interview preparation or when people are trying to decide whether to quit a job) or a meet people infrequently (for example, when people are doing research on their own). If you have specific concerns about timing/# of sessions (like limited benefits), please don't hesitate to let me know about your concerns.  

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What are your qualifications?

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I completed a law degree at Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS and a Masters in Counselling Psychology at Adler University in Vancouver, BC.

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I am registered with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (membership #16299). You can confirm my registration by searching for my profile on the Association website (Search Our Member Registry - BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (bcacc.ca)) or by asking for a copy of my registration certificate.

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Can I ask you about your career?  

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What's allowed in counselling can be a bit of a mystery, especially because counsellors take different approaches. If you're curious about my career path and think discussing it might be relevant and helpful to you, I'm happy to share my experiences and discuss where there might be similarities and differences in our paths.

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If my career is not relevant to you, that's ok too! Some people get their bearings by learning about others while other people prefer to focus on their own experiences. 

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Do you use standardized assessments? 

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In my experience, people fall into one of the following groups when it comes to standardized assessments:  

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• group 1 (love 'em) - people in this group love standardized assessments or think they are a useful way to understand themselves, other people and the types of careers out there (these folks have often completed assessments in the past and found them to be relevant, eye-opening and/or meaningful) 

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• group 2 (hate 'em)- people in this group hate standardized assessments or put little stock in them (these folks have often completed assessments in the past and found them to be unhelpful, inaccurate, disappointing or unscientific. People in this group sometimes also dislike testing, prefer to take a more holistic approach or don't think people can be reduced to simplistic categories

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• group 3 (unsure) - some people aren't familiar with standardized assessments and would need to know more to form an opinion about them

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I aim to be flexible and work in ways that make the most sense to people. If you love assessments, we can discuss ones that might be helpful in your circumstances. If you hate them, we can discuss other ways of working together. Last but not least, if you aren't familiar with assessments, I can explain what's out there so you can decide if any assessments are right for you. 

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Other Questions?

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Feel free to contact me.