How to Find a Counsellor in BC, Canada | Tips and Resources

Therapy is hard work. Finding the right therapist shouldn’t be. At First Session, we believe the fit between you and your counsellor is the most important factor for a positive counselling experience and improved mental health.

Here’s how to find a counsellor in British Columbia and make sure they’re the right fit for you and your mental health goals.

What to Consider When Looking for a Therapist in BC

• British Columbia is the most diverse province in Canada — and with nearly 30% of British Columbians being immigrants from other countries, the need for culturally sensitive and diverse counsellors is significant

• British Columbia has the most expensive housing in the country — The rising cost of living in BC has created significant financial stress and uncertainty for many residents

• Counsellors in British Columbia are not regulated by law — which makes it important to recognize the different designations and regulating bodies when searching for a counsellor

• British Columbia is in the midst of a drug crisis — Addiction and the loss of loved ones to toxic drugs has impacted the mental health of many British Columbians, increasing the need for counsellors specializing in addiction and related issues

Communities in BC

When seeking a counsellor in BC, you may be able to narrow down your search by looking for a professional in your particular town or city.

The capital of BC is Victoria. The ten largest cities in British Columbia by population are:

• Vancouver
• Surrey
• Burnaby
• Richmond
• Abbotsford
• Coquitlam
• Kelowna
• Langley Township
• Saanich 
• Delta

Other large communities include:

• Nanaimo
• Kamloops
• Chilliwack
• Maple Ridge
• New Westminster
• Prince George
• Coquitlam
• North Vancouver
• Langford
• Vernon
• Mission
• Penticton

Public Mental Health Resources in BC

Typically, publicly-funded mental health care in Canada serves people in an acute mental crisis or with complex diagnoses. 

You may have to wait months or even years before being seen by a publicly-funded counsellor, with little to no choice in counsellor or schedule and a limited number of sessions.

Sessions with private-practice counsellors are not covered by BC’s Medical Services Plan (MSP), they are often covered in extended health plans through your employment.

Skip to the end of this article to learn about publicly funded mental health resources in BC.

Three Stages of Seeking Counselling in BC

Everyone is at a different point in their counselling journey. We should know: We’ve helped over 10,000 Canadians connect with the right counsellors. Every individual has their own needs and questions. 

But we’ve noticed that most people looking for counsellors are at one of three stages in their journey:

• ‍Stage 1: You know you want to see a counsellor, but you’re unsure what kind of counselling or counsellor you’re looking for‍

• Stage 2: You know what type of counselling or counsellor you’re looking for—you just need help finding it

• Stage 3: You’ve found a potential counsellor and you’re ready to take the next step

Here’s what you need to know at each stage.

Stage 1: You Want to Find a Counsellor but You’re Not Sure What You’re Looking For 

Why do you want to see a counsellor?

First things first: What made you interested in seeing a counsellor?

More specifically, do you have a particular issue or concern? Some people seek counselling because they want to improve their emotional regulation skills, or reduce the frequency of panic attacks. Others seek help improving a particular relationship.

You don’t need to have a specific goal in mind when you seek counselling, but consider what you’re hoping to get out of it. That will make beginning your search—and, later, consulting with individual counsellors—more straightforward.

Why is “right fit” so important?

Your connection with your counsellor is the number one factor affecting your success in counselling.

Decades of research have shown that finding the right counsellor for your needs improves the likelihood of therapeutic success. That applies across different modalities, mental health diagnoses, and therapeutic settings(1).

- First Session counselling client

When you and your counsellor have established a meaningful human connection, you can be vulnerable, feel heard, and trust the process.

Counsellor traits

Some individual traits may be important to you when you consider what makes a good counsellor for you. Some may not.

Consider:

• Age: Would you prefer a counsellor your own age, or someone older with more lived experience? 

• Gender: You may feel more comfortable working with a counsellor of a particular gender (or agender)

• Lived experiences: All counsellors receive training in the most common issues their clients face, but not every counsellor has personally experienced them

• Cultural background: Depending on your own experience, you may prefer to work with a counsellor who has a cultural background similar to your own.

• Online presence: You may choose to seek a counsellor with a detailed profile, updated website, and active social media. It’s against ethical guidelines for counsellors to provide testimonials and reviews, but their online presence can give you a better idea of what their practice is like. 

Specializations

Counsellors may choose to specialize in:

• specific diagnoses (e.g. borderline personality disorder, PTSD, autism, OCD)
• client concerns (low self-esteem, sleep issues, grief, work or professional challenges)
• client demographics (such as BIPOC, couples, children, caregivers)

If you don’t have a specific concern, you can work with a counsellor with a broader client base. 

Often, First Session clients start counselling with a broad scope, and over time identify more specific areas they’d like to focus on.

However, some conditions require more support from the counsellor to navigate or have specific treatment methods, including: trauma/PTSD, eating disorders, and gender and sexual identity. 

Modalities

A therapy modality is a specific method or approach used by counsellors to help people deal with mental, emotional, or physical issues. It’s a tool tailored to help individuals heal or improve their well-being in a way that works best for them.

What are the most common modalities?

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
• Somatic Experiencing
• Internal Family Systems (IFS)
• Eye Motion Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Psychedelic counselling

Even as you consider different modalities, keep this in mind: Evidence shows that counsellor-client fit affects counselling outcomes more than the specific modalities used(2). 

Objective criteria

Cost and payment

The cost of seeing a counsellor in Canada varies widely.

But in BC, the average cost of counselling is $150. Most sessions last 50 or 60 minutes. 

Counsellors set their prices based on a number of factors, including their level of education, specialization(s), and overhead costs. 

Many workplace and student health benefits cover counselling services, but most restrict which counsellor designations qualify. Check out your policy details to see which designations and credentials qualify for reimbursement. Examples include “social worker”, “MSW”, “psychologist”, etc.

For more help with determining your insurance coverage see our full guide: How to Find a Therapist Covered by Insurance in Canada

Licence or designation of counsellor

Different provinces have different licenses and designations for counsellors. Extended health insurance typically only covers counsellors with certain designations, so it’s important to make sure your insurance covers counsellors with the designations most common in your province.

The designation counsellor is not regulated by law in BC. Any individual with any level of experience can operate as a counsellor. However, most counsellors are members of self-regulating organizations that set requirements for education and clinical experience. The Federation of Associations for Counselling Therapists in BC (FACT BC) provides a list of recognized organizations.

Some of the most common designations recognized by organizations in BC are: 

• Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC). Members belong to the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) 

• Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC). Members belong to The Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA): This organization advocates for Canadian counsellors and therapists, and ensures its members abide by professional ethics and standards and support cultural diversity.
• Registered Therapeutic Counsellor (RTC). Members belong to the Association of Cooperative Counselling Therapists of Canada (ACCT)
• Registered Professional Counsellors (RPC). Members belong to the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association.

Unlike counsellors, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists are regulated by law in BC. Their designations include:

• Registered Social Worker (RSW). Members belong to the BC College of Social Workers 
• Registered Clinical Social Worker (RCSW). This is a class of social workers with advanced training and certification in clinical treatment. Members belong to the BC College of Social Workers 
• Registered Psychologist (R.Psych). These professionals must meet high academic and professional requirements. Members belong to the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC 
• Psychiatrist. These are medical doctors who specialize in mental health interventions. They are regulated by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia.

In-person vs virtual counselling

In-person counselling is the traditional format for psychotherapy.

Many people who see counsellors find that having a separate physical space for counselling helps them to create their own separate mental and emotional space. Also, certain aspects of counselling—like the counsellor’s body language—are better experienced in person rather than on screen.

That being said, you may find it difficult to fit trips to a counsellor’s office into your schedule. Or you may discover that the counsellor you most strongly connect with has their office far away from where you live.

Virtual counselling has gained popularity in recent years, partly due to the effects of the pandemic. It opens up more options in terms of which counsellors you can see. And you may find it more comfortable to do a session of counselling in your own home than in someone else’s office.

Most First Session counsellors are licensed to serve clients across Canada.

Even if you don’t need to commute to your counselling sessions, schedule time to yourself before and after the session, so you can prepare in advance and process your thoughts and feelings when the session is over.

Counsellor availability

Here are some questions to consider when reviewing a potential counsellor's availability:

• Are they available in the time window you’re looking for? (mornings, afternoons, evenings, weekends)
• Do you want to meet at the same day and time for each session or do you need flexibility?
• Do they require you to book weeks in advance or can you take it one week at a time?
• Do they offer appointments on short notice? 

For in-person counselling, you should also take into account commuting time and how it will affect your personal schedule.

Stage 2: You Know What You’re Looking For, You Just Need  to Find It

Some people are at the stage where they already know what they’re looking for in a counsellor. The trick now is to narrow down the search.

For instance, PsychologyToday lists thousands counsellors in BC alone. Where do you even start?

Our goal at First Session is to connect Canadians with the right counsellor the first time. Our directory of qualified counsellors has been curated to make it easier for you to find the right fit. Explore counsellor profiles and get started by booking your first session today. 

How to assess a counsellor’s profile page

Here are some things to keep in mind as you browse counsellors on First Session:

Images and video 

A picture is worth a thousand words. Most people aren’t comfortable contacting a potential counsellor if they don’t know what they look like. Besides photos, First Session includes a video as part of each counsellor profile. That gives you an even better sense of what to expect during an actual session. 

Note your gut reaction to exploring these videos—that is, your connection not only to what a potential counsellor says, but how they say it. 

Keywords and phrases 

These words and phrases give a rough indication of a counsellor’s approach to treatment. Some examples:

• “Spirituality”
• “Those seeking growth and transformation”
• “Self-compassion”
• “Mind-body connection”

Some keywords may inspire you and help you better articulate what you’re looking for. Others may not. Keep an open mind, but also be realistic about your own goals and attitude.

You may also find that the language a particular counsellor uses speaks to your own experience. For instance, if a particular counsellor’s description of how it feels to suffer from clinical depression speaks to your own experience, that could be a sign they would be a good match.

Objective criteria

This includes availability, cost, designations required for health benefits, and location.

Vetting

Depending on which directory you’re using to learn more about a particular counsellor, that counsellor may or may not have been vetted. 

Vetting includes making sure counsellors meet certain qualifications in terms of availability, response times, transparent pricing, and policies of diversity and inclusion. Research a counsellor directory’s vetting process before using it to make a decision.

(Heads up: Every First Session counsellor is thoroughly vetted.)

Take advantage of free consultations

A free consultations gives you the chance to test your personal fit with a counsellor over a short, no-commitment conversation. You can also ask any questions not answered by a counsellor’s profile page.

Word of advice: Don’t get bogged down with consultation calls. When interviewing potential counsellors, only schedule one to three at a time, and make sure they’re spread over one week or more. Any more than that tends to lead to decision paralysis.

Finally, you don’t need to book a consultation before seeing a counsellor. If you’re confident, based on what you’ve learned about them, that a counsellor would be a good fit for you, you’re free to go ahead and book your first official session.

Stage 3: You’ve found a potential counsellor and you’re ready for the next step

If you’re reached this stage, you’ve already identified the counsellor that’s right for you, and you’re ready to start your journey.

Some tips to help you take the next step:

• If you find yourself really struggling to choose between more than one counsellor, then whichever one you choose is going to be a good choice—so go ahead and book that first session

• There’s no such thing as counsellor soulmates. If you’re always waiting for that one perfect counsellor to come along, you’ll end up waiting forever. Statistically speaking, there are many counsellors that would make a great fit. 

• If you’re having trouble making a decision, consider: Are you unsure about a particular counsellor, or are you unsure about your ability to make the right choice?

• If you struggle to listen to your intuition or trust your own judgment—issues counselling can address—then the decision to schedule the first session with a counsellor that feels right for you counts as progress.

Even before they’ve met with a counsellor, people usually feel better after booking their first counselling session. Taking concrete steps to address your mental health is empowering, and starts to build inertia that will help carry you along your counselling journey.

How can I tell if counselling is working?

First things first: Therapy offers you the rare opportunity to work towards something without worry about performance or achievement.

That something could be concrete mental health goals, or the general aim of improving your wellbeing. But an achievement-oriented mindset is more likely to hinder your progress than help it. And it may even feed into issues you’re trying to address—eg. a sense of inadequacy, or obsessive compulsive behaviour.

So, you don’t need to track your progress with an Excel spreadsheet in order to tell if counselling is working. But here’s what you can do:

• Journal. Keeping a journal of the insights and challenges you meet in your sessions creates a time capsule you can review later. Reading through entries that range over months or even years can give you a sense of how your outlook has changed with the help of counselling.

• Talking to loved ones. As you continue along your journey, your partner, your family, or your closest friends are likely to notice positive changes in your behaviour. Ask them what they notice. You may find you’re surprised at how far you’ve come.

Ready for the next step? Browse our directory to find the right counsellor for you.

References:

1Horvath A. O., Luborsky L. (1993). The role of the therapeutic alliance in psychocounselling. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 61, 561–573

2Horvath A. O., Symonds B. D. (1991). Relation between working alliance and outcome in psychocounselling: a meta-analysis. J. Couns. Psychol. 38, 139–149

Publicly-funded and community mental health resources in BC:

The government of British Columbia lists a range of mental health resources available to residents:

• Mental health supports and resources (HealthLink BC)
• Crisis and Information Lines - Province of British Columbia 

You can also access mental health services through these organizations:

• YMCA BC Mental Wellness provides online and in-person mental wellness programs for teens, youths, and adults.
• QMUNITY provides free and low-cost counselling to members of the LGBTQ2A+ community
• Crisis Centre BC provides emergency support via crisis lines, as well as ongoing support through workshops and care programs. 
• BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services offers support services for individuals with mental health and substance abuse issues.

Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division offers a wide range of mental health resources, support services, and tools.