Frequently Asked Questions About Counselling

Serena offers online virtual counselling services across Canada except for Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.In person counselling is available by appointment only at 5688 Cowerie St, Sechelt, BC, V7Z 0J6

Virtual counselling services are safe, secure, and a convenient way to access counselling if you're unable to make in-person sessions. Appointments will take place in the comfort of your own space through an online platform called “Jane App”. Jane App is best supported through Chrome on a desktop or mobile phone.For more information on Jane App especially their online security, take a look at their platform here: https://jane.app/features/security-and-reliability

Counselling $100/50 minute SessionCoaching $125/50 minute SessionSerena Slade Counselling & Wellness does offer a few sliding scale spots per year depending on availability. Feel free to reach out via email at info@serenasladewellness.com or by phone 778-722-1733 to ask for more details.

Many Insurance plans provide coverage for counselling services depending on their benefit plan and health spending account. Reach out to your insurance provider with the following information; Serena Slade RTC-C #4230 to see if you have coverage through your benefits plan.Please note at this time, direct billing is not available. Each client will receive an invoice at the end of their session to be submitted to their benefit plan.

Each year, I reserve a few spaces for clients that may not be able to afford standard counselling rates due to financial barriers. If you're interested, please reach out to see if a sliding scale is available or if you would like to be added to the waitlist.

A discovery call is a 15 minute call either by video or over the phone to see if we would be a good match for one another. It’s an opportunity to ask additional questions about the process and to ensure that I am the right fit for your needs.

Before your first session, I will send an initial client intake and confidentiality agreement that is required to be filled out prior to the first initial session. I recommend giving yourself some time to complete the form and to not rush your process as some of the information can feel sensitive.

Confidentiality is at the heart of the counselling relationship. What you share with me stays between us. As a registered counsellor, I follow a strict code of ethics that requires me to safeguard your privacy. Any information we collect, including personal details, session notes, and intake forms, is stored securely and kept confidential.There are a small number of exceptions to this, often referred to as the limits of confidentiality. Your counsellor may need to break confidentiality if there's an immediate risk that you could harm yourself or someone else, if a child or vulnerable person is currently at risk or has already experienced harm, or if I'm legally obligated to disclose information, such as in response to a court order.

Your appointment time is reserved specifically for you. Cancelling late or missing a session prevents that time from being offered to another client. For this reason, we require at least 24 hours' notice to cancel or reschedule.Appointments cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice, or missed entirely, will be charged a cancellation fee to the card on file. If you need to reschedule within that 24-hour window, please reach out as soon as possible. While I'll try to accommodate the change, a cancellation fee may still apply.

Click the 'book here' button on the home page, and you'll be taken to my online scheduling system, Jane App. From there, you'll set up a quick account with a few basic details, then choose a date and time that fits your schedule. Once booked, you'll receive a confirmation email.Having trouble? Send an email to info@serenasladewellness.com and I'll be happy to help you out.

My approach is relational, person-centred, and trauma-informed. I believe change happens within a therapeutic relationship when you feel genuinely seen, understood, and accepted just as you are.Every client's journey looks different, but we often start by working through the challenges that brought you to counselling using practical, evidence-based tools. As trust and safety build over time, our work may naturally deepen, exploring attachment patterns, nervous system responses, and the ways past experiences continue to influence your thoughts, emotions, and relationships today. Along the way, I also draw on somatic awareness and parts work to help you build a stronger sense of self, greater emotional regulation, and deeper self-trust and inner felt safety.

As a Registered counsellor, I offer a supportive space where you can better understand your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, along with practical tools to create meaningful change. Together, we can work on building skills such as managing emotions, setting healthy boundaries, recognizing patterns that no longer serve you, or strengthening your overall sense of self and wellbeing.

Counselling often explores how past experiences shape your present thoughts, feelings, and patterns. Life coaching, on the other hand, tends to be more forward-focused, supporting you in setting goals and creating actionable steps toward the life you want. If you're not sure which fits your needs at the moment, that's a great question to bring to our first discovery call together.

At this time, I'm not able to offer counselling and coaching simultaneously. These two types of support serve different purposes and require a different focus, so blending them at the same time can actually make it harder to get the full benefit of either. Instead, we'll work together to determine which approach best fits where you're at, and if your needs shift over time, we can talk about transitioning from one to the other.

This really depends on your needs and the type of support that feels right for you. Generally, counselling is most beneficial on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, especially in the beginning, as we work to build stability and momentum. From there, sessions often shift toward maintenance, and depending on where you're at, we may transition into more of a coaching-focused approach if that feels like the better fit for your goals.

Your first session is a chance for us to slow down and get to know each other. We'll talk through what's brought you to counselling, explore your history and current challenges, and start to identify what you're hoping to get out of our work together. There's no pressure to share everything right away — we'll move at a pace that feels safe and comfortable for you. Think of it as the beginning of a conversation, not a one-time deep dive.

While many of my clients identify as adult women, I welcome and work with folks of all gender identities and backgrounds. What matters most to me is whether we feel like a good fit for the work ahead. If you're curious, feel free to reach out and we can chat about what you're looking for and how I can support you.