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Payment Policy

  • All sessions are paid before each session by credit, debit, cash or internet bank transfer (details on the intake form).

  • If you are covered by extended health benefits, please check with your provider (Sunlife, Pacific Blue Cross, Great West Life, Group Health, etc.) to determine if counselling sessions are covered.

  • Shya, Cheryl, Clint, Andrew and Sandra are all registered for direct billing with FNHA (First Nations Health Authority) and ICBC.

  • Cheryl and Sandra are also registered for direct billing with Green Shield.

Cancellation Policy

  • We require 24 hours notice to cancel appointments. Without this notice, cancelled or missed appointments will be charged the full amount for the session. Appointments can be cancelled/rescheduled online or by calling 778-763-1342. We can always change appointments from in-person to virtual if needed!

Confidentiality

All information is strictly confidential with the following exceptions:

  1. Files or counsellors are subpoenaed by the courts.

  2. There is abuse or neglect of a child or vulnerable adult. We are required to report this to appropriate authorities.

  3. If there is imminent risk or harm to yourself or another named individual. We are required to report this to the appropriate authorities.

Common Misconceptions about Counselling

01

Only people with a lot of problems go to counselling. 

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People go to counselling for many different reasons. Counselling can be a great way to explore behaviour, relationships, feelings or thoughts that may be troubling you. Counselling as a model of help has proven to be a legitimate source of support through the challenges of life for many people.

02

A counsellor will give me a clinical diagnosis and/or suggest I take medications.

 

A counsellor cannot give a clinical diagnosis or prescribe medication. Only a doctor, psychiatrist or psychologist may offer this support to you. Counselling could provide you with support in dealing with and understanding the diagnosis once you get it. For example, counselling could help you understand how you relate to your diagnosis and what this means for you. Also, counselling can be an essential way to augment the use of medication to treat mental health issues, as it has been proven that medication and counselling together provide the best outcomes for these concerns. 

03

I can't afford counselling! 

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Counselling can be expensive, but we can work with your schedule and budget by offering weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly sessions. We also can recommend low-cost options in our community, such as the Native Friendship Centre and the Community Counselling Centre.

04

Only weak people need counsellors. 

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Taking a critical look at yourself can be difficult. Additionally, entering into an intimate relationship with a stranger, as one will do in counselling, can make someone feel vulnerable. Using counselling services does not mean you are weak, entering counselling requires incredible strength and courage!

05

If I go to counselling, my problems will be fixed. 

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Counselling does not solve problems but instead helps you cope with them or assists you in coming up with creative solutions. Change takes time, especially with aspects of our lives that have been with us for a long time. Changes can and do happen in counselling, but maintaining an understanding and compassionate view of your achievements is important.

06

Counselling means lying on a couch with the therapist sitting behind you, taking notes.

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Counselling has changed since the times of Sigmund Freud! Counselling often involves sitting across or beside one another and talking. Some therapists may also use other creative interventions such as drama, painting or writing. Depending on your counsellor's style, notes may never even be taken!

07

A counsellor who is not the same age, gender, race or socioeconomic status as I will not understand where I am coming from.

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Your counsellor may not have the same experiences as you; however, counsellors are able to recognize the experience of another person through their use of empathy skills. Through your counsellor's use of empathy, you may feel understood despite many differences between you and your counsellor. In addition, counsellors at Haven Counselling Services are trained to approach clients and therapy with curiosity and from the perspective that the client is the expert on their own life. This lens allows you, the client, a unique opportunity to teach your counsellor about who you are and what your life has been like through your eyes.

08

Counselling involves talking extensively about your childhood.

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In counselling, you always have the right to let your counsellor know what you want to explore and what you don't think is important. Some therapists believe that exploring childhood and family experiences can help you to recognize and understand patterns of behaviour, thinking, and feeling that could be impacting you and your relationships today. Going slow and building safety and trust with your counsellor is what is most important to us at Haven.

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