I realize that starting therapy can be intimidating. You may be wondering how it works and what to expect leading up to your first session. This is the place to figure out that information and if your have more questions, feel free to contact me.
Before the First Session
Please book a free 15-minute consultation and/or ask questions via email to figure out if I am a good fit for you and for the needs you are seeking therapy for. If after reading my website you feel like jumping right in, you also can just book an initial session. Please book through my booking page or via email.
To book a consultation or session, you need to create an account in the online portal first. There is a “Create Account” tab at the top of the screen for doing that.
After the first session is booked, I will send you informed consent and intake forms.
- The Informed Consent form provides you with information about counselling, policies and acknowledges your permission to enter into an agreement around my counselling services.
- The Intake Form gathers preliminary information for getting you started on counselling. This helps me to understand your needs and goals, what experiences may impacting your life, and gives me a better idea of how I may be able to help you.
The First Session
The first session is about welcoming you into therapy and creating a foundation for the understanding of your struggles, your experiences, and your goals in therapy. It is different from other sessions. Due to the fact, it is more focused on sharing of information and establishing an agreement of how we are going to move forward in therapy. Furthermore, I try to get to the point where we can either enter into the work of therapy or a skill or resource that can help you by the end of the session.
To book a free 15-minute consultation or your first session, please visit my booking page or contact me via the links below.
Photo by Ashley Batz on Unsplash
Special Situations
ICBC
To start with counselling under the Insurance Company of British Columbia (ICBC), we need to have approval. There is pre-approval for 12 sessions in the first 12 weeks after a motor vehicle accident (MVA). If you are in that time frame, we will just need your claim number to take advantage of the session you are already pre-approved for.
In the event that it is past the first 12 weeks post-MVA, I will need to receive approval from your adjuster to get started on therapy. Usually, that involves initially an approval for a few sessions to do an assessment and create a treatment plan, before more sessions are approved.
Prior to our first session, I will get you to fill out a ICBC supplement form in addition to the informed consent and intake form. This is based on the questions I need to fill out as part of the assessment that ICBC requires.
In the first session we will focus on defining goals for therapy, filling out the ICBC assessment, and collaborating on a treatment plan. Usually, I try to start on some therapy if we have time.
FNHA
To get started with counselling under First National Health Authority (FNHA), we first need to get approval from FNHA. To get this approval, you need to fill out “Pay Provider Authorization” form that gives me permission to get payment directly from FNHA in exchange for counselling services. As well as answering a couple of questions that enables me to answer certain questions as part of the approval process. I often do this process by email.
Usually it takes a few days to about a week to get approval. After we get approval, I will let you know and we will book our first session.
CVAP
You can find out more information at the website for the Crime Victims Assistance Program (CVAP), including information sheets, applications, and additional information.
You will be provided with a copy of the decision to whether you are eligible for counselling services. Additionally, a Restitution and Civil Action form, provided that the time of the eligibility decision, must be completed and returned to the CVAP.