Frequently Asked Questions

When people contact me about counselling, they often ask if my services are covered by their company's insurance benefits and the answer is no. Does that mean they should just move on and find someone whose services are covered? Not necessarily. And here's why:

First, you want to make sure you are working with the right helping professional for you. If your priority is benefits coverage, you might miss out on a whole range of support opportunities that could be the perfect thing for you.

Secondly, the coverage most companies offer is rarely adequate for the needs of effective counselling. With the average hourly rates for counselling inching toward $200 and upwards, your benefits might cover two or three sessions. If you want to continue the work, you are now paying $200 out of pocket every week. Now the pressure is on to "hurry up and get better" because your budget is overtaxed by this expense.

Alternatively, you can work with someone who keeps their rates low but fair making the investment more manageable for you.

Effective counselling takes time and patience. It's not something you want to have to rush through or cut short.

Honestly, this is a hard one to answer easily. Primarily, I would say I am a humanist which means I include all in humanity as equally valuable. Further, I am a feminist which means I recognize the systemic impact inequities in our society have on individuals of all genders. Third, I studied transpersonal or spiritual psychotherapy which teaches a holistic relationship between mind, body and spirit. And I can't forget to mention the healing powers of Mother Nature which I call upon both in my personal and professional lives.

I am intentional about creating a welcoming and safe environment for my clients where we can build trust over time. I rarely have an agenda for our sessions; I believe it is important for you to come with a question or a story or anything at all that you want to explore. I'm really good at following your lead -  listening closely, respectfully challenging,  gently validating. I call it the meander method - we have a starting point and we see where it goes, following paths of deeper inquiry. Almost always, by the end of the hour, we have circled back to the beginning query but now have greater insight and/or resolution. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “It's the not the destination. It's the journey.” If we explore with an intended outcome, we risk losing the important lessons along the way.