Going through a difficult time or significant life transition? Need help with an important decision or a relationship challenge? The North Shore branch of Canadian Mental Health Association is offering low-cost counselling sessions.
The sessions offers confidential, one-to-one support from a professional team of counsellors who can assist with individual challenges and suggest ways to create meaningful change in life.
“There is a gap of accessibility for counselling services because a lot of people don’t have counselling available through benefit plan or they simply can’t afford it,” said Julia Kaisla, the executive director of the North Shore branch.
The low-cost counselling sessions also help in reducing stigma around accessing these service, especially in certain cultural communities where acknowledgement of mental health issues is still a taboo. “We have counsellors who can speak Hebrew and Farsi, and we want to bring in more counsellors who can speak different languages, but it is dependent on funding,” she said.
The service provides up to 12 sessions of individual counselling. The short-term, affordable service is provided for adults who do not have an open claim with ICBC, WCB or any other insurance carrier and who have a realistic potential to benefit from short-term counselling.
There are two tiers of counselling professionals available:
Intern Counsellors: $25/session for individuals
These are Master’s level counselling interns in the final year of professional training and have been studying the field of counselling psychology for 7 years. They are supervised by a counselling coordinator.
Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC): $50/session for individuals
The counselling coordinator, Maria Watson, is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with 17 years of counselling experience, and specializes in treating anxiety and depression. She uses CBT, an-evidence based approach that provides clients with tools to change their thinking patterns and their behaviours so they suffer less.
Those who want to access the sessions can call 604-987-6959, or email at northshore@cmha.bc.ca to book an appointment.
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