Frequently Asked Questions About Online Counselling
Starting therapy can bring up a lot of questions. Find helpful information about online counselling with Shared Wellness, including what to expect, booking, services, and support available across BC and Ontario.
Questions about Getting Started with Therapy
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Counselling is a process of sharing your feelings, thoughts, and experiences. Your counselor will guide you through a period of reflection, help explore deep-rooted emotions, and together you will find a space where you can focus on healing.
It’s okay to feel hesitant or unsure about counselling, most people feel the same but we can also explore those feelings. Typically, during your first session, we will work together to identify and assess your goals. This allows us to collaboratively create a treatment plan catered to your specific needs. Your counsellor will get to know you and your background, while also providing information on key points of your partnership such as confidentiality and limits to that confidentiality.
Counselling can be a powerful tool to help you move towards your desired change. Most of the time we are able to effectively manage the difficulties we face using our own knowledge and resources, however, sometimes we need guidance along the way. Seeking help with a skilled counsellor when the obstacles seem too great may be the best way you can continue to take good care of yourself, and your family.
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Many people want to begin therapy, but feel unsure how to find the right therapist for them. It can be overwhelming to choose, given the range of options, credentials, and modalities that are offered in our area. We believe that an authentic connection with your therapist is incredibly important to make therapy worth your time and investment. Finding the right therapist is essential to the therapeutic process. It is most important to us that you feel comfortable and at ease throughout this entire process.
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Yes. Shared Wellness offers a free 15-minute phone consultation for new clients. This is a chance to briefly share what you are looking for, ask any initial questions, and get a sense of whether working together feels like the right fit. You do not need to prepare anything in advance or know exactly where to begin.
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Once you submit the contact form or book a consultation, a member of the Shared Wellness team will follow up with the next steps. We will help confirm whether our services are a good fit for what you are navigating and answer any practical questions you may have before your first session.
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Not at all. Many people reach out because something feels heavy, overwhelming, or difficult to make sense of, not because they have the perfect words for it yet. You can begin wherever you are. Your counsellor will help you slow down, explore what is coming up, and decide what feels most important to focus on together.
Online Counselling in BC & Ontario
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Yes. Shared Wellness is primarily online and promotes doing the healing work in the comfort of your own home. All sessions are conducted virtually using a HIPAA-compliant video-conference platform (JaneApp) or by phone. Learn more about the benefits of online and phone counselling .
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Yes. Shared Wellness provides virtual counselling for clients located in British Columbia and Ontario. Online sessions make it possible to access support from a space that feels comfortable and private for you, whether that is at home, in your office, or another quiet location.
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You will need a reliable internet connection, a device with a camera and microphone, and a private space where you can speak comfortably. Sessions are held through a secure, PHIPA-compliant video platform, and phone sessions may also be available when video is not the best option for you.
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Yes. While most online sessions take place by secure video, phone sessions may be available when that feels more accessible or comfortable. You can mention your preference when booking or reaching out.
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Yes. Shared Wellness uses a secure, PHIPA-compliant platform for online video sessions. Your counsellor will also talk with you about choosing a private, comfortable location for your appointment so you can speak as openly as possible.
Counsellor Services & Therapist Fit
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Shared Wellness supports individuals and couples navigating concerns such as anxiety, depression, grief and loss, trauma, relationship challenges, fertility, prenatal and postpartum mental health, cultural or family expectations, and major life transitions. You do not need to fit neatly into one category to reach out—therapy can be a place to explore what is affecting you and identify the support that feels most helpful.
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Yes. Shared Wellness offers online couples and relationship counselling for partners who want support with communication, conflict, connection, trust, changing family dynamics, or other relationship concerns. Sessions provide space to better understand one another, work through difficult patterns, and move toward a relationship that feels more supportive and connected.
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Yes. Shared Wellness offers prenatal and postpartum therapy for people navigating the emotional changes, pressures, and uncertainties that can come with fertility, pregnancy, birth, parenthood, and the postpartum period. This may include support for anxiety, low mood, identity changes, relationship shifts, grief, pregnancy loss, or feeling unlike yourself.
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Yes. Counselling is available in English and Punjabi. You are welcome to let us know your language preference when you book or contact us so we can help you find the right fit.
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Culturally responsive counselling recognizes that mental health is shaped by more than what happens within us. Family, culture, identity, faith, tradition, migration, stigma, and intergenerational experiences can all affect how we understand ourselves and the challenges we face.
At Shared Wellness, we make space for these parts of your story without assumptions or judgment. You do not need to explain away the cultural context of your life before it can be understood.
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This is a bit of a tough question to answer, only because each person’s needs are different. The amount of counselling you will need will vary depending on your situation, struggles, and your goals, but you can discuss this further with your counsellor to come upon a mutual treatment plan, and an estimated time of therapy.
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Healing and growing can take time, but many people tell us they start feeling better by the end of their first session. Simply having someone able to focus on you, really hear you, and help you express yourself can make a huge difference.
We believe it is important to help explore an individual’s strengths, as this will empower them to work toward their personal goals for growth, to build their confidence, and effectively cope.
Fees, Insurance & Policies
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Many extended health plans include coverage for counselling provided by registered social workers, but coverage varies by provider and individual plan. We recommend reviewing your benefits information or contacting your insurance provider directly to confirm your coverage before your first appointment.
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The right frequency depends on your goals, availability, and the kind of support you are looking for. Some clients begin with weekly or biweekly sessions, while others meet less often as therapy progresses. Your counsellor will work with you to find a rhythm that feels supportive and realistic.
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Individual counselling sessions are $140 for 50 minutes.
Couples counselling sessions are $170 for 50 minutes for two people.
Counselling services provided by a Registered Social Worker are exempt from GST and PST. You may also be able to claim your Registered Social Worker receipts as a medical expense on your income tax return.
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Many extended health plans offer coverage for counselling services provided by Registered Social Workers. Coverage varies by plan, so we recommend checking with your insurance provider or group benefits administrator before your first session.
When confirming your coverage, ask whether your plan covers services provided by a Registered Social Worker (RSW). After your session, Shared Wellness will provide a receipt that you can submit to your insurer for reimbursement based on your plan.
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This still needs confirmation. Based on the information provided, it sounds as though clients pay for their session directly and submit their receipt to their insurance provider for reimbursement. I would not add a direct-billing question unless they confirm that they offer it.
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We understand that things come up. If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please provide at least 24 hours’ notice.
Appointments cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice, as well as missed appointments, are charged the full session fee.
Still have a question?
You do not need to have everything figured out before reaching out. Book a free 15-minute consultation or get in touch to learn whether counselling feels like the right next step.