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How do I get started?

So glad you asked! I understand that seeking help takes courage and I want to make it as easy as possible for you.  Contact me at (604) 561-5807 or email: info@ashleyshankarcounselling.com to get started. In your free 15 minute consultation, you may ask any questions and if I am a good fit for you, we would book our first counselling session. 

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What’s Involved In Counselling?

In your first session, we will discuss in detail what brought you to counselling. I will listen intently, ask questions to clarify and understand your issues, and share how I might approach them with you. In this time, you can tell me about any previous counselling experiences, what worked and what didn’t, as well as your expectations for our work together.

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What Are Benefits Of Counselling?

Therapy can support an increase in self awareness and emotional intelligence while building your capacity to cope with adversity. Some of the things you can learn in therapy include:

• Experiencing your feelings with out being overwhelmed

• Respecting yourself

• Showing kindness and compassion for yourself and others

• Feeling confident about reaching out for support to loved ones

• Learning new skills when old ones don’t work

• Having a sense of belonging with people and in the world

• Living your life in alignment with your values

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How often should I attend therapy sessions?

The best outcomes for therapy are possible when counselling appointments are scheduled and attended regularly. Together we determine how often you will attend, based on your needs,  which may be weekly, every other week or monthly.  In my experience, the clients that have the most positive outcomes from therapy attend weekly sessions initially. 

 

Over time, you’ll start noticing you feel better and you’ll start to incorporate the work you are doing in our counselling sessions into who you are outside of our sessions.  At this time depending on your needs and goals, we may discuss a plan to meet less often. and meet for a check-in to reflect on how things are going, and catch any old patterns that may have re-emerged since your last session.  This can be an important tool for assisting in the maintenance of long-term and lasting change!

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What are Your Hours?

Weekday and weekend sessions are available from 11am-8pm. Please contact me to determine what works best for your schedule. Sessions are offered by video, telephone, and in-person on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. 

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​Will My Extended Health Program Cover The Costs For Counselling?

This will be dependent on your specific benefits package.  I am a Registered Clinical Social Worker (RCSW/RSW) and most health insurance plans cover the services of RCSW’s/RSW's.  Most counselling is not direct billing which means you will pay for your session and then you can submit the receipt to your health provider for reimbursement. Direct billing will only apply for clients who are covered by Medavie Blue Cross and First Nations Health Authority.

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Revenue Canada recognizes Social Work as a health profession, and exempts Registered Social Workers from charging GST for their clinical counselling services.  Clinical services provided by RSCW’s can be claimed on income tax returns.  In accordance with the Medical Expenses Tax Credit (METC), the Government of Canada will reimburse recipients of clinical services that have expenses greater than $2,635 in January 2023 or 3% of the taxpayer's net income.

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​What Is The Cancellation Policy?

Your spot is reserved just for you.  I require 48 hours notice to cancel or reschedule an appointment without incurring the full fee. Any late-cancels or no-shows will be billed at the full fee.

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