Writing
Notes on the things people ask before they book.
Written to be useful on their own, whether or not you ever get in touch.
- 01
Fees and funding
· 5 min read
What counselling costs in British Columbia, and when someone else pays for it
Counselling in BC is not covered by MSP, but it is not always paid out of pocket either. Extended health benefits, ICBC, WorkSafeBC and the Crime Victim Assistance Program each cover it under different rules. Here is how to work out which one applies to you before you book anything.
- 02
How therapy works
· 5 min read
EMDR, explained without the jargon
EMDR is a structured trauma therapy that works on how a memory is stored rather than on talking it through in detail. It runs in phases, it begins with preparation rather than with the memory itself, and it does not require you to describe what happened in full.
- 03
ICBC and funded counselling
· 5 min read
Counselling after a crime in BC: how the Crime Victim Assistance Program works
The Crime Victim Assistance Program is a British Columbia government programme that can pay for counselling for victims of violent crime, and in some cases for immediate family members and witnesses. It runs on an application rather than a referral, and it is the least known funded route in the province.
- 04
How therapy works
· 4 min read
What "trauma-informed" actually means, and what it should look like in the room
Trauma-informed appears on nearly every counselling website in British Columbia, which has worn the phrase close to meaningless. Used properly it describes how a session is run — pace, choice, safety, and what happens when something surfaces — rather than a technique anyone performs on you.
- 05
Before you book
· 5 min read
How to choose a counsellor in BC, and what the letters after the name mean
In British Columbia, "counsellor" and "therapist" are not restricted titles — anyone may use them. "Registered Clinical Counsellor" is different, and carries a master’s degree, supervised clinical hours, a code of ethics and a complaints process behind it. Here is what to check before you book.
- 06
ICBC and funded counselling
· 5 min read
WorkSafeBC and psychological injury: how counselling gets covered after something happens at work
WorkSafeBC accepts claims for mental health injuries, not only physical ones. Funded counselling runs through an accepted claim, and the diagnosis supporting that claim must come from a psychiatrist or a psychologist rather than from a counsellor. Here is the order the steps actually happen in.
- 07
Before you book
· 4 min read
What actually happens in a first counselling session
A first session is mostly you talking and me listening, with no obligation to tell the worst of it straight away. Here is what the hour is actually spent on, what I will ask, and what you are free not to answer.
- 08
ICBC and funded counselling
· 5 min read
ICBC counselling after a motor vehicle accident: what you are entitled to in BC
If you were injured in a motor vehicle accident in British Columbia, you are pre-approved for counselling for the first 12 weeks, no matter who was responsible, and you do not need a doctor’s referral. Here is how that works in practice.
- 09
Language and culture
· 4 min read
Why counselling in your first language is different work
Describing what happened in a second language and actually being understood are not the same task. For many people in Surrey, being able to speak in the language they think and feel in is the difference between the two.
A question is not a commitment.
If something here landed, you are welcome to ask about it before booking anything. There is no charge for that.