LOW FEE STUDENT COUNSELLING

Money shouldn’t be a barrier to accessing mental health care.

Are you in need of support, but can’t afford to spend a lot on therapy?

Are your benefits for counselling limited to a dollar amount that covers less than a handful of sessions? Or that limits you to a counsellor chosen by someone else?

Would you like to be able to access weekly or biweekly counselling, but it feels financially impossible?

Let’s get you the support you deserve.

Sliding Scale Therapy

Typically with no wait list!

Bodymind Counselling offers counselling sessions with highly trained and carefully selected student counsellors, who have completed the academic portion of a Masters in Counselling program. These students are hand-picked from a long list of applicants, and undertake a 12 month practicum at our clinic. They offer sessions both in person, and via secure video therapy.

Students receive intensive supervision and lots of instruction during their 12-month practicum, and are able to provide clients with a longer-term relationship and more sessions than many other short-term, low-fee options can provide.

Can students really provide good therapy?

In a word: yes. What students lack in years of experience, they tend to make up for in other ways. The student counsellors at Bodymind Counselling bring their academic study, their life experiences, and their passion for this new career to their sessions with clients. We feel strongly that anyone working as a student here already has a great deal to offer.

Research has shown again and again that the feeling of a “good fit” is one of the most important factors in whether therapy is effective. If you find a student who you feel comfortable opening up to, you will likely be surprised at just how effective your therapy experience can be.

How much does it cost?

Your first session with a student counsellor is only $30! After that, sessions are $60, plus GST. Please let us know if this fee is truly prohibitive for you.

Are counselling sessions with a student covered by my extended benefits?

Sadly, not often. Some people have reported that their sessions were approved for coverage after they wrote a letter to their insurance company, explaining that the sessions were provided by a trained student but without a supervisor in the room. We are happy to provide these letters for you.

Student counsellors are a great option for people who don’t have any extended benefits for counselling, or for people who have used up their benefits with an RCC and would like a more affordable option for the rest of the year.

How many sessions can I have?

That’s up to you as the client. A student practicum is 12 months long and it is often possible to have weekly or biweekly sessions until your therapist graduates if desired.

What happens after my therapist graduates?

Once your therapist has completed their practicum, you will be offered the option of continuing to work with them, though the fee will increase at that time (first to a pre-registered rate, and eventually to a full RCC rate). If you can’t afford that increase, you will be offered a referral to either an incoming student at Bodymind Counselling, or a student counsellor at a different centre, if needed.

Are there other sliding scale options at Bodymind Counselling?

In addition to students, we have counsellors on the Bodymind Counselling team who have recently finished their degree and are doing a six-month internship while waiting to become fully registered. They offer sessions for $100 each, which is another choice for more affordable counselling.