The Things People Ask Before They Reach Out

No. In British Columbia you can see a counsellor without a doctor's referral. Some extended health plans ask for one before they reimburse you, so it is worth checking your own plan, but you do not need one to get started.

New clients can book a free 20-minute consultation directly, or send a message first if you would like help working out what fits. I reply within two business days. Current clients book their next session in Jane (opens in a new tab).

It is a conversation about fit, not a therapy session. You share a little about what is going on, I explain how I work, you ask whatever you would like, and together we decide whether to go ahead. There is no cost and no obligation to book afterwards.

Only if we decide to work together. Your intake and consent forms are sent through Jane after the consultation, before your first session.

The consultation is free. The intake session is $210 for 75 minutes, and individual sessions are $170 for 60 minutes or $252 for 90 minutes. Reduced fees are considered case by case. Lower-cost sessions with supervised counselling interns are available through the RUCC Collective: $50, $25 on the sliding scale, or no cost, from January 2027. Until then, Maddy Devitt offers free counselling.

Often, but not always. Check your plan for "Registered Clinical Counsellor" specifically, because some plans list only psychologists, and some ask for a doctor's referral before reimbursing. I provide detailed receipts with the registration details insurers ask for. I am also an approved First Nations Health Authority provider.

By Interac e-Transfer.

Please give at least 48 hours' notice to cancel or reschedule. Sessions cancelled with less notice, and missed appointments, are charged at the full rate.

Yes. All sessions, including counselling intensives, are online by video, so you can join from anywhere in British Columbia.

Sessions are 60 or 90 minutes, usually weekly or every two weeks. We keep going until you have reached most of your goals, and we review how it is going together rather than leaving it open-ended. You can stop whenever you want.

My work is trauma-informed and culturally affirming. I draw mainly on Brainspotting, AEDP and Internal Family Systems, along with Emotion-Focused Family Therapy, EMDR and other approaches, including body-based ones. Read about my approach or see my full training.

Please tell me. Fit matters more than almost anything else in counselling. I will help you find someone better suited, whether that is Maddy or a counsellor outside my practice.

I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Approved Clinical Supervisor with more than 15 years of experience. Maddy is a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology student completing her practicum with my practice, and her work is clinically supervised by me. At the moment, her sessions are free. Read more about Maddy.

Usually not. Most plans only reimburse registered clinicians, and Maddy is still completing her training. At the moment her sessions are free, so there is nothing to claim.

Nobody, unless you tell them. I cannot confirm that you are a client to anyone, including family members, doctors or the person who referred you, without your written consent. The limited legal exceptions to confidentiality are reviewed with you at your first session, before you share anything.

As a Registered Clinical Counsellor, I am registered with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) and follow its Code of Ethical Conduct and Standards of Clinical Practice (opens in a new tab). These cover consent, confidentiality, boundaries, record keeping and virtual practice. If you ever have a concern about my work, I hope you will raise it with me, and you can also contact the BCACC.

Please do not wait for an appointment. Call or text 9-8-8 (Suicide Crisis Helpline, any time), call the BC Mental Health Support Line at 310-6789, or call 911 in an emergency. This is a counselling practice, not a crisis service.