How The Counselling Journey Works
Request A Discovery Session
In a discovery session, you will meet your counsellor and discuss your situation and goals. It’s your opportunity to ask questions, and learn about the methods used, the counselling process, what to expect and anything else you want to ask. It’s important for you to feel comfortable with your therapist. This is your chance to get to know her.
Download Our Free Guide
If the idea of counselling seems daunting, download our eBook. We have demystified the process to help you make the most of your counselling experience. The guide breaks down how counselling works, what’s involved and what to expect. It’s something you can email or print to discuss with your partner, family or doctor if you choose.
Complete Our Online In-Take Form
When you’re ready to proceed, complete our online in-take form and we’ll email you instructions on how to book your first session. We will tell you how to log into our client portal, how to setup your account and how to prepare for your first session. The process is easy and we’ll support you every step of the way!
Your First Session
We’re starting a journey together. Where we begin depends on you and what you’re facing. If you’re in crisis, we’ll work together to stabilize the situation. If you’re not in crisis, we’ll start by getting to know each other, by asking questions to understand what’s happening, what you seek to accomplish and how to proceed together.
The Stabilizing Stage. Managing Crisis and Overwhelm
You can’t heal while you’re in crisis.
Defusing a crisis involves a rapid sequence of counselling sessions. These “triage-focused” sessions help you gain perspective and sufficient control to regain your focus.
Humans are not wired to endure hardship alone. To do so is agonizing, so your counsellor will join you on your journey to help you navigate to safe and solid ground.
Depending on what you’re dealing with this stage can be over in a blink of an eye or take a number of sessions until you’re able to start the healing process.
The Regulating Stage. Where The Healing Begins
The first healing stage of counselling is about increasing awareness, understanding patterns and practices and their implications. Together we identify, unpack and make sense of the barriers to well-being. In the process, your behaviour patterns start making more sense.
The process is calming, empowering and expansive.
You’ll begin to appreciate the power of vulnerability and see how it can empower you to create connections and manage challenges with greater confidence.
Let the healing begin!
The Creating Stage. Healing Continues And Life Expands
Equipped with deep insights, new behaviour patterns and abilities to navigate life, this stage is about deepening connection, consistent practice and mastery.
It involves developing your abilities and navigating emotion at higher and higher levels of risk, and intensity. You will become a black belt in managing vulnerability, and you’ll use this ability to expand your life into new directions.
It’s about you pursuing new and exciting opportunities you might have previously viewed as impossible.
The Maintenance Stage. Holding The Ground Gained
Regardless of how much you’ve grown and how much ground you’ve gained, there is always the risk of getting thrown off track. Relapse is when you slide back into old, unhelpful thought patterns and coping mechanisms.
A little bit of maintenance goes a long way in helping reduce your risk of relapse.
Periodically revisiting the constructive conversation reinforces your “workable patterns”. This low-intensity counselling is about reducing the frequency, intensity and duration of relapses.
How The Counselling Journey Works
Request A Discovery Session
In a discovery session, you will meet your counsellor and discuss your situation and goals. It’s your opportunity to ask questions, and learn about the methods used, the counselling process, what to expect and anything else you want to ask. It’s important for you to feel comfortable with your therapist. This is your chance to get to know her.
Download Our Free Guide
If the idea of counselling seems daunting, download our eBook. We have demystified the process to help you make the most of your counselling experience. The guide breaks down how counselling works, what’s involved and what to expect. It’s something you can email or print to discuss with your partner, family or doctor if you choose.
Complete Our Online In-Take Form
When you’re ready to proceed, complete our online in-take form and we’ll email you instructions on how to book your first session. We will tell you how to log into our client portal, how to setup your account and how to prepare for your first session. The process is easy and we’ll support you every step of the way!
Your First Session
We’re starting a journey together. Where we begin depends on you and what you’re facing. If you’re in crisis, we’ll work together to stabilize the situation. If you’re not in crisis, we’ll start by getting to know each other, by asking questions to understand what’s happening, what you seek to accomplish and how to proceed together.
The Stabilizing Stage. Managing Crisis and Overwhelm
You can’t heal while you’re in crisis.
Defusing a crisis involves a rapid sequence of counselling sessions. These “triage-focused” sessions help you gain perspective and sufficient control to regain your focus.
Humans are not wired to endure hardship alone. To do so is agonizing, so your counsellor will join you on your journey to help you navigate to safe and solid ground.
Depending on what you’re dealing with this stage can be over in a blink of an eye or take a number of sessions until you’re able to start the healing process.
The Regulating Stage. Where The Healing Begins
The first healing stage of counselling is about increasing awareness, understanding patterns and practices and their implications. Together we identify, unpack and make sense of the barriers to well-being. In the process, your behaviour patterns start making more sense.
The process is calming, empowering and expansive.
You’ll begin to appreciate the power of vulnerability and see how it can empower you to create connections and manage challenges with greater confidence.
Let the healing begin!
The Creating Stage. Healing Continues And Life Expands
Equipped with deep insights, new behaviour patterns and abilities to navigate life, this stage is about deepening connection, consistent practice and mastery.
It involves developing your abilities and navigating emotion at higher and higher levels of risk, and intensity. You will become a black belt in managing vulnerability, and you’ll use this ability to expand your life into new directions.
It’s about you pursuing new and exciting opportunities you might have previously viewed as impossible.
The Maintenance Stage. Holding The Ground Gained
Regardless of how much you’ve grown and how much ground you’ve gained, there is always the risk of getting thrown off track. Relapse is when you slide back into old, unhelpful thought patterns and coping mechanisms.
A little bit of maintenance goes a long way in helping reduce your risk of relapse.
Periodically revisiting the constructive conversation reinforces your “workable patterns”. This low-intensity counselling is about reducing the frequency, intensity and duration of relapses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Individual counselling fees are $160, plus taxes for 60-minute sessions.
Couples counselling fees are $200-240, plus taxes for 75-90 minute sessions.
No, we do not accept insurance. You must pay directly and submit receipts to your insurance company.
We suggest confirming that sessions with Canadian Certified Counsellors are covered by your insurance provider.
We accept payments through our client portal, as well as through e-transfers.
No-shows and session cancellations within 24 hours of your scheduled appointment will be charged in full.
You may cancel or reschedule your appointment with 24 hours’ notice or more at no charge.
Beatty Counselling does not offer a standardized sliding scale. However, we do provide a limited number of equity spots per clinician each quarter to ensure those who cannot afford support can access counselling. Please contact us to discuss this option further.
Whether or not therapy works for you, depends on several factors. One of the first things we’ll do is assess fit for our services. Then we continually assess fit and progress as we work together. We generally know fairly quickly if our treatment model is right for you. However, there are no guarantees that therapy will work for you.
Addressing your anxiety and depression starts with unpacking and understanding your current situation and ways of dealing with vulnerability both personally and with important others.
The resulting increased awareness, while empowering, can be painful. The poet Robert Frost said “The only way out, is through”. Experiencing and working through pain is an essential aspect of therapy, so fear and discomfort are the primary risks you face.
How long people seek therapy depends on what they are struggling with and their objectives.
Some people seek to address issues and work with us for a few months. Others find the process of therapy so helpful that they choose to stay engaged in the process for years as a way to heal and stay on track. One client said it best “I come to therapy so I don’t need to come to therapy”.
Couples sessions are often much more complex than individual sessions.
Many couples start to see a difference in their relationship after 10 to 12 sessions, but sometimes it can take longer. It depends on the depth of pain experienced within the relationship, how long the problems have been going on, as well as what other life experiences might be influencing the relationship.
It’s important for you to feel empowered within the therapeutic process. That includes deciding whether to continue or discontinue therapy. There are no long-term commitments required, and your therapist will support and assist you with whatever you decide.
The short answer is yes. We are legally bound not to disclose the contents of sessions to anyone without express client permission.
We use HIPPA-compliant video conferencing, notetaking and payment processing programs. We use Canadian service providers to ensure your session and payment data are stored within Canada.
Occasionally, we may request sessions be recorded for supervision, training and professional certification purposes. However, we’ll discuss this in advance and will not record a session without your explicit approval.
Although everything we discuss is confidential, I am legally bound to disclose information under three conditions:
- If your intention is to harm yourself
- If your intention is to harm another person
- If you disclose information about a vulnerable person such as a child at risk
I have a duty to ensure the safety of my client and persons at risk. If these concerns arise within session, we will discuss a safety plan to keep whoever we are concerned about safe. This might include involving persons who can help and support outside the therapeutic relationship.
Frequently Asked Questions
Individual counselling fees are $160, plus taxes for 60-minute sessions.
Couples counselling fees are $200-240, plus taxes for 75-90 minute sessions.
No, we do not accept insurance. You must pay directly and submit receipts to your insurance company.
We suggest confirming that sessions with Canadian Certified Counsellors are covered by your insurance provider.
We accept payments through our client portal, as well as through e-transfers.
No-shows and session cancellations within 24 hours of your scheduled appointment will be charged in full.
You may cancel or reschedule your appointment with 24 hours’ notice or more at no charge.
Beatty Counselling does not offer a standardized sliding scale. However, we do provide a limited number of equity spots per clinician each quarter to ensure those who cannot afford support can access counselling. Please contact us to discuss this option further.
Whether or not therapy works for you, depends on several factors. One of the first things we’ll do is assess fit for our services. Then we continually assess fit and progress as we work together. We generally know fairly quickly if our treatment model is right for you. However, there are no guarantees that therapy will work for you.
Addressing your anxiety and depression starts with unpacking and understanding your current situation and ways of dealing with vulnerability both personally and with important others.
The resulting increased awareness, while empowering, can be painful. The poet Robert Frost said “The only way out, is through”. Experiencing and working through pain is an essential aspect of therapy, so fear and discomfort are the primary risks you face.
How long people seek therapy depends on what they are struggling with and their objectives.
Some people seek to address issues and work with us for a few months. Others find the process of therapy so helpful that they choose to stay engaged in the process for years as a way to heal and stay on track. One client said it best “I come to therapy so I don’t need to come to therapy”.
Couples sessions are often much more complex than individual sessions.
Many couples start to see a difference in their relationship after 10 to 12 sessions, but sometimes it can take longer. It depends on the depth of pain experienced within the relationship, how long the problems have been going on, as well as what other life experiences might be influencing the relationship.
It’s important for you to feel empowered within the therapeutic process. That includes deciding whether to continue or discontinue therapy. There are no long-term commitments required, and your therapist will support and assist you with whatever you decide.
The short answer is yes. We are legally bound not to disclose the contents of sessions to anyone without express client permission.
We use HIPPA-compliant video conferencing, notetaking and payment processing programs. We use Canadian service providers to ensure your session and payment data are stored within Canada.
Occasionally, we may request sessions be recorded for supervision, training and professional certification purposes. However, we’ll discuss this in advance and will not record a session without your explicit approval.
Although everything we discuss is confidential, I am legally bound to disclose information under three conditions:
- If your intention is to harm yourself
- If your intention is to harm another person
- If you disclose information about a vulnerable person such as a child at risk
I have a duty to ensure the safety of my client and persons at risk. If these concerns arise within session, we will discuss a safety plan to keep whoever we are concerned about safe. This might include involving persons who can help and support outside the therapeutic relationship.
