Counselling Services
Counselling takes place within a therapeutic relationship with a professional, with the objective of supporting people in identifying, understanding and addressing concerns they experience and changes they wish to make within their life experience or functioning. The scope of any counselling is determined by the professional’s educational qualifications, if they hold licensure or registration with a regulatory body or college, in the field or industry in which they are working. There is supportive counselling, resource counselling, employment counselling, mental health counselling, substance use counselling, and counselling as treatment.
Our counsellor is a Registered Nurse (RN) with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and a Registered Social Worker (RSW) with a Master of Social Work (MSW)(clinical focus). “Registered Nurse” and “Registered Social Worker” are protected titles which are regulated by provincial colleges; this exists to protect the public by regulating the scope and practice of the professional.
Our counsellor’s practice is informed by their nursing and clinical social work education. They have been practicing both nursing and clinical social work within the mental health field for over a decade. Clinical social work practice means that our counsellor professionally applies social work theory and methods of treatment towards addressing psychosocial, emotional and mental concerns, challenges, and/or conditions and impairments to functioning and well-being.
Collaboratively with clients, our counsellor identifies and explores priorities with the intent of supporting people through difficulties; and empowering meaningful growth and change. A strong relationship is formed and confidentiality is paramount.
At SCP our counsellor is eager to support people in the following areas:
- Mental health and neurodivergent diagnoses or concerns such as anxiety, panic, depression, ADHD
- The whole-self impact of physical illness, injury, pain and change in functioning
- Grief and loss
- Life events, changes and transitions
- Stress management and sustainable living choices
- Emotional regulation and mood management
- Healthy and effective functioning in relationships
- Parenting
- Identity and core values/beliefs exploration
- Self compassion building
- Meaningful goal setting and decision making
- Trauma
- Substance use
- Disordered eating
Our counsellor has had clinical training in, and can offer, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and therapy for individuals, groups, family, couples/marriage/relationships.
Though not formally trained in, our counsellor can also provide counselling informed by Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), narrative therapy, expressive therapies (art, play, music, etc.) and sensorimotor therapy.
Depending on your extended health benefits/insurance or coverage plan, counselling services with our RSW counsellor may be covered. ICBC does provide coverage for individual counselling services with our RSW counsellor.