Questions people ask before they call

Usually you don’t, until you try it. A useful test: if the same difficulty has come back more than twice and your own efforts haven’t shifted it, a third party who isn’t inside the system tends to help. The free 20-minute consultation exists so you can find out without committing.

Mostly listening. I’ll ask what brought you, what you’ve already tried, and something about your history — not to file you, but because the present makes more sense with it. You’ll leave with a sense of how I work and whether you want more.

For couples, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy is designed as a short-term approach, typically 12 to 30 sessions. Individual work varies more. Patterns laid down early take longer, and I’ll say so rather than let it drift. We review it openly as we go. I thrive in long-term therapy.

Yes. I offer online therapy across British Columbia and internationally, and it works better than most people expect, including for couples. You’ll need a private room and a reliable connection.

Yes, with the narrow legal exceptions that apply to all counsellors — risk of serious harm to you or someone else, suspected harm to a child, and certain court orders. I’ll explain these properly in our first session.

Sometimes, and I’m clear about the terms up front. I don’t hold secrets between partners: anything relevant to the work needs to be able to come into the shared room, in its own time.

No. I practise gentle, trauma-informed therapy — including Somatic Experiencing, which is specifically designed to avoid overwhelm. We work at a pace your nervous system can tolerate. You don’t need to tell me the whole story in detail for the work to help.

Understanding where a pattern came from isn’t the same as assigning blame. We look at the past because it explains the present, and then we work in the present. Most people find it produces more compassion, not less.

That’s a common reason people find me. If insight alone had been enough, you’d be somewhere different by now. Somatic and experiential work offers a different route in — through the body and through experience, rather than through more understanding.

Tell me. Being able to disagree with your therapist isn’t a disruption of the work; it’s often the work. I’d rather know than have you quietly go along with it.

No. I’m a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor, not a physician. If medication seems worth exploring, I’ll say so and we’ll think about who to talk to.

Yes. Open and polyamorous relationships are a normal part of my practice, and you won’t spend sessions teaching me the basics or defending the structure of your life. There’s a dedicated page on polyamory and ethical non-monogamy.

It depends. Plenty of people start alone and bring a partner in once the ground feels steadier. We’d talk about how to make that transition cleanly.

Coverage for Registered Therapeutic Counsellors varies by insurer and plan. Please check with your insurer. I am a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor with the Association of Cooperative Counselling Therapists of Canada (ACCT).