Counselling is shown to be quite effective for emotional, psychological or relational concerns for most people. If you think you or your relationships could benefit, you are likely right. If you are a couple looking for support, we practice Emotionally-Focused Therapy which has the highest success rate of any couple’s therapy (75% success rate, 80-90% improvement rate!). If you are unsure give us a call and we would love to talk more about it with you.
Sessions typically last either around an hour (60 min), 75 minutes or 90 minutes. Different people prefer or need different lengths of time. Most individual sessions can take place in an hour, however some people may need more, particularly initially. Couples at first may need more than an hour and we suggest 75 minutes for the first three sessions. Families almost always need 90 minutes, at least initially.
See the Fees section for details of costs and coverages. While many people do value and prioritize their emotional psychological, or relational health, we understand that counselling is an added expense. If this is a concern we can arrange a time to talk via telephone to help you gauge whether you feel it is a good fit.
See the Fees section for details around insurance coverage. To summarize: it may be depending on your coverage. Many private insurance and benefit companies cover part or all of psychological services. A receipt is issued at the end of each appointment that you can submit to your coverage provider for reimbursement.
For the most up-to-date availability of the therapists, see their schedules online here, or click “Book An Appointment” at the bottom of this page.
No, services are self-referred. Just contact us to begin.
This depends on multiple factors, including the severity and pervasiveness of the issue, as well as the person(s) themselves. Some people need only a few sessions and others need more. Our goal is to help you achieve your goals and feel healthier or happier as quickly as possible, though like most things in life the greater the time invested the greater the results. We typically suggest we find time in your schedule that works and commit yourself to regular meetings until you see the changes you hope for.
We see both adults and older teens, and have much experience with both groups. For youth we typically see ages 16 years old and above. For children younger than that we suggest working with the parents directly. We see all ages of capable adults.
Firstly it may not be like what you have seen on TV. In counselling you sit in a comfortable room and work with a trained professional towards feeling better emotionally, psychologically or in your relationship. While there are different styles and types of therapies/therapists, ideally it is an interactive process with you and your therapist working towards your goals. You should feel comfortable, cared for, and supported by someone who has training, qualification, and experience in the area.
What is the difference between a psychologist, therapist and a counsellor?
This is a common question. The term “psychologist” is a legally protected term and only those who have met the College of Alberta Psychologists’ standards of education, training, and knowledge can use it. The terms therapists, counsellor or other terms (ex. life coach) are not protected terms and can be used widely. These terms typically refer to someone offering counselling services in some manner, however, are not necessarily a psychologist. The majority of our team are psychologists and some therapists are master-level social workers. All are trained therapists and counsellors. The terms therapy and counselling are largely interchangeable.
This can be a common issue in relationships and with teens. We would encourage the hesitant person to commit to the initial session before making a decision around moving forward. If that is not an option we would encourage the hesitant person to give us a call and we can arrange a time to chat. In our experience people can be hesitant for a number of reasons, including fear of judgement, fear of being labelled the problem, worry they will be sided against, negative experiences with counselling in the past and a sense of shame or worry that counselling is only for those who are very unwell. We have found that these worries are usually put to rest within one session. Teens can find arriving at counselling particularly challenging at times. We spent many years working with teenagers and we usually get along pretty well, making it not quite so difficult.
Just as with physical health, mental health has emergencies and severe illnesses. If it is an emergency you should present to the emergency room of a hospital or urgent care. If it is severe you may want to consider talking to your doctor about it as well as accessing counselling services or “psychotherapy”. For significant, impairing mental health concerns it could be useful to contact Access Mental Health (see Links section).
For individuals: counselling is helpful for most people with the exception of a few. However if the presenting issue is a significant, impairing mental health concern it may be useful to involve your physician as well. For couples: most couples benefit from counselling however there are two instances in which counselling is not helpful. Firstly if someone is engaged in a physically or sexually abusive relationship we cannot aid you in improving or staying in a relationship that is putting you at harm. Secondly for couples counselling to be effective there cannot be an active, ongoing affair happening at the same time as counselling. This rule only applies to ongoing affairs, not past affairs.
Yes, of course! All people need to feel happy, loved, attached and valued, regardless of their gender or sexual preference. We value all people regardless of differences. This includes differences in race, sexual identity, gender, ethnicity, culture or any other factor. If you feel there are areas that make you and your struggle unique, we encourage you to contact us and discuss these concerns first to ensure you do feel understood and comfortable.
Unfortunately we no longer have an office in Cochrane. We are located in comfortable office spaces in the Hillhurst/Kensington Area of NW Calgary, about 35 minutes from Cochrane.
Unfortunately this does happen. Like any profession there is a range of abilities and personalities that make up the counselling profession. Your sense of feeling understood, supported, and cared about is very important to the process. It matters a great deal to us that you have a positive experience and I encourage you to give us a call with your concerns. Often clients that have expressed these concerns seem to find a different experience when we do chat.
We have found that in our own lives when we are in nature, we feel healthier and better. There is now also a large body of research supporting the health implications of time in nature. Outdoor counselling sessions are an attempt to combine the healing effect of therapy, in a natural environment. Of course, these are completely optional and indoor, office-based appointments are readily available as well. If you are interested please discuss further with us, as we would be happy to explore this potential avenue of healing with you. Typically what this entails is meeting at a set time for your typical counselling, however, we meet in a pre-agreed upon place (usually a parking lot or park) and walk a short distance to a private setting where we have set up a meeting space. We have a counselling session, that may or may not involve natural elements, and then hike back out. It should be noted that this is weather permitting and that there are no washrooms on site usually. Also while every effort is taken for privacy, we can not guarantee the same privacy as in a closed, sound-proof office.
You are not expected to disclose your therapy unless you choose to for your own reasons. Some clients however are excited to share their growth and want to refer others. You are welcome to do so by simply sharing this webpage or email and letting those people initially contact us. We do not initiate unsolicited contact with your friends, even if you think they would be receptive or a good fit. Due to potential duel-role relationships that could arise, we don’t see close family members of active clients or people with personal relationships to their therapist(s). You are of course welcome to review/rate us on Google or Like/Share our Facebook page if you so choose. There is no expectation to do so, and you will not be solicited in any way during your therapy. We do ask that if you have negative feedback that you address the therapist directly with this via email or in person, to give them a chance to repair. This can be important to your therapeutic process.
