Frequently Asked Questions

A Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) is a professional who belongs to the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC). An RCC has obtained a master's level education in an accredited counselling program, has met the 100 hours of clinical supervision requirements, has a clear criminal record check, has professional liability insurance, and has agreed to the scope of practice, code of ethical conduct, and constitution and bylaws of the association. If you are interested in reading about these agreements you can find more information here.

Counselling, or talk therapy is a confidential, collaborative dialogue between a counsellor, and client(s), where the application of counselling psychology concepts assists the client in achieving their stated mental health goals related to their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. This is achieved through bringing awareness to patterns, beliefs, values, being challenged by alternative interpretations, and strategizing around life obstacles.

There are many studies showing the efficacy of counselling. Counselling shows improvements related to depression, adjustment, addiction, conflict, anxiety, sleep issues, guilt, purpose in life, and more. We often separate our mind, and body, yet these two systems are interwoven. This means that mental health improvements can also show improvements in physical health as well.

The skills that you may learn when you choose to attend counselling include: self-efficacy, cognitive flexibility, and emotional regulation strategies. Counselling can help you transition to a new stage in life, it can improve your function at school, or work, and improve relations with your family, friends, and romantic relationships.

Counsellors have a legal duty to keep what you share in therapy confidential, unless you consent to disclosure. This includes not sharing information on your identity, status, and attendance. Counsellors may also share anonymized information with a supervisor to receive feedback on their approach as a therapist.

Confidentiality when it comes to RCC’s is not just a standard enforced by the BCACC, it can be enforced in court. The duty of confidentiality has three exceptions in which a counsellor is obligated by law to report. These exceptions are:

• Mandatory reporting of suspected abuse of a child, or vulnerable person

• Mandatory reporting of a risk of imminent serious harm to self or others

• When subpoenaed by a Canadian court of law

If you have any further questions about confidentiality please ask in session.

I offer in-person counselling at my office location in Victoria BC, and online counselling through a secure telehealth service for anyone who resides in BC. I have availability during weekends, as well as evenings, and throughout the day.

I encourage you to seek out a counsellor who is the best fit for you. Whether or not therapy will be effective for you depends greatly on the therapeutic relationship between you and the counsellor you choose. The most important thing for me is that you are receiving the help that you need. If I believe that you would benefit from seeing another counsellor, I am happy to connect you with them.

The qualities that I believe make me an effective counsellor is my honesty, listening deeply, and encouragement of free expression. It is my intent for you to be able to bring any thoughts or feelings into the room to explore, and not feel judged. People tell me that I have a calm demeanour, and am unafraid to have difficult conversations, and have a dry sense of humor. I am also encouraging, and do my best to ask questions that lead to constructive dialogue as I know your time is valuable.

I would say that my experience doing my own counselling work for addiction, grief, anxiety, and depression have all led me to be a more empathetic counsellor who is incentivized to find effective evidence-based solutions to the concerns you bring to therapy.

If you are interested in reading more, please take a moment to look at my about, services, and resources pages to get a sense of who I am, and how I think.

I work with a wide range of people! I would say that due to the nature of my focus on drugs and alcohol in private practice, I tend to work with young professional men that are having difficulty managing their substance use in their day to day life.

How many sessions counselling takes to become effective depends on the concerns you are addressing. If you are experiencing acute stress, you may only need a few sessions to begin to see improvements in your mood. Recent research suggests that 15-20 sessions are required for 50% of people to fully recover from the symptoms that they are experiencing. People who have a chronic mental health condition, multiple conditions or deeply rooted concerns, may have to attend counselling for up to a year and a half to begin to see results.