// Victoria BC Talk Therapy & Counselling
- Individual Therapy
- Couples and Family Therapy
- Substance Use Assessment and Counselling
- Mental Health and Wellness
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What Is Talk Therapy/Counselling and How Does it Help?
Emotional support
Talk therapy provides a safe space where you can openly express your emotions, concerns, and struggles. Simply talking about your experiences can alleviate emotional distress and provide a sense of relief.
We are beings that require validation, mutual support, and encouragement. We need relational connection to develop and grow.
Insight and self-awareness
Through conversation, you can gain a deeper understanding of your thoughts, emotions, and behavioral patterns with yourself and others.
This increased self-awareness helps identify perceptual concepts and attached emotional experiences that historically served you, and currently may be keeping you stuck.
Coping strategies
You can develop effective coping strategies to deal with challenges, stressors, and difficult emotions. These strategies may provide tools and techniques to manage anxiety, depression, anger, or other mental health issues you may be experiencing.
Problem-solving skills
Talk therapy can enhance problem-solving abilities by helping you to explore different perspectives, evaluate options, and develop practical strategies for addressing challenges.
Behavioral change
By examining and understanding your thoughts and behaviors, we can work to modify unhealthy or unhelpful patterns. This can lead to positive changes in relationships, communication, and lifestyle choices.
We often develop ways of coping and feeling relief by using substances, using distractions, focusing on past or future thinking. Although it leads to some relief and escape, these patterns can become the problem. Recovery is a process and effort to get back on track in addressing change in your preferred directions.
Relationship improvement
If you are experiencing difficulties in your relationships, talk therapy provides an opportunity to enhance communication skills, resolve conflicts, and develop healthier relationship patterns. You have control over your Self (Thoughts, Perceptions, Emotions, Values, Beliefs). Doing your work in managing yourself is a focus that can empower you and enhance your relationships.
Mental health management
Talk therapy can be an essential component of managing various mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, mood swings, or responses to trauma.
Reg Fleming,
Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology, John F. Kennedy University (1990)
Registered Marriage and Family Therapist (Canadian and BC Association of Marriage and Family Therapy)
Registered Clinical Counsellor (BC Association of Clinical Counsellors)
”My role is to help you understand what stories you have about yourself and others that are problematic, and to explore with you how these stories help or hinder your life.
By discovering what influences you and others may have on re-writing your stories, we can take actions that will lead towards developing your stories in preferred directions.
We will identify what will nurture these preferred directions and these preferred stories, and create your natural support system that can assist in maintaining change.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I need counselling?
Chances are you may be recognizing that talking with a therapist could give you the care and attention you could benefit from. This is an important step that requires courage to deal with getting your life back on track!
Many people seek counselling when they are at a point where they feel like they are out of options, their relationships are failing, and they are hoping for change. These challenges you are dealing with are an opportunity for those changes.
Some people choose to see a counsellor to sustain their current life path, and to maintain growth and change, even though they are not in a state of desperation.
You can book a free consultation to see if Solutions Therapy is right for you.
How many sessions will I need?
Results and timeframe can vary greatly depending on the individual(s) and their situation. Typically, a series of 10-15 sessions is recommended.
Your progress is tracked using the Outcome Rating Scale. It will be reviewed with you to ensure positive change and problem solve issues with progress.
Are these services covered by BC Medical or extended health benefitis?
Counselling is not covered by the BC provincial health plan but you might have partial or full coverage from your employer’s extended insurance plan for counselling by a “Registered Clinical Counsellor” (RCC). Clients are encouraged to check in with your employee benefits and health Insurance for the possibility of reimbursement.
Do you offer in person and virtual sessions?
Yes. In-person sessions are available at our Yaro Building location at 111-645 Fort Street, Victoria, and virtual sessions are offered via a secure video platform.