How much does therapy cost at Bodymind Counselling in Victoria, BC?

Sessions with a Registered Clinical Counsellor are $160 per 50-minute individual session and $170 for couples. Senior counsellors charge $180. Low-fee sessions with supervised student counsellors start at $30 for a first session and $70 for subsequent sessions.

Does MSP cover counselling in BC?

No, MSP does not cover private practice counselling in BC. However, many extended benefits plans do cover Registered Clinical Counsellors. Bodymind Counselling offers direct billing to most major insurance providers.

Do you offer online counselling in BC?

Yes. Bodymind Counselling offers online therapy to clients anywhere in British Columbia. Virtual sessions are equally effective for most concerns and follow the same process as in-person appointments.

What is somatic or body-centred therapy?

Somatic therapy goes beyond traditional talk therapy by incorporating attention to what is happening in your body — sensations, nervous system responses, and physical experience — as a source of insight and healing. It is particularly effective for anxiety, trauma, and stress. Sessions are not physical or hands-on; it simply means your counsellor attends to your body's experience alongside your thoughts and emotions.

How do I get started with counselling at Bodymind?

New clients start with a free 20-minute consultation by phone or video. You can request this through the contact form on our website. We'll match you with a counsellor whose availability and experience fit your needs, or you can let us know if you already have someone in mind from our counsellor bios.

What level of training do your therapists have?

All Bodymind counsellors are either Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCCs) with a master's degree in counselling, or master's-level practicum students in their final training year, supervised by an RCC. All counsellors engage in ongoing professional development.

Do you offer low-cost or affordable counselling in Victoria?

Yes. Bodymind Counselling offers low-fee counselling through our student practicum program. Supervised student counsellors offer sessions at $30 for a first session and $70 for subsequent sessions, making therapy accessible to those on a limited budget.

Are you accepting new clients for counselling in Victoria?

Yes, Bodymind Counselling is currently accepting new clients. We have counsellors with availability during daytimes, evenings, and weekends. Contact us through our website to request a free consultation and get matched with a therapist.

Do you offer couples counselling in Victoria, BC?

Yes. Bodymind Counselling provides couples counselling with our Registered Clinical Counsellors. Sessions are $170 for 50 minutes. The process begins with a free consultation to discuss your goals and find the right therapist fit.

Are your sessions confidential?

Yes, confidentiality is central to our practice. There are a few legally defined exceptions (such as risk of serious harm) that your counsellor will explain in your first session. For student therapists, a supervising RCC will have limited access to session information for training purposes, and is equally bound by confidentiality.

Özlem Maviş, Registered Therapeutic Counsellor

Feb 2

Written by Sarah Pullman

Özlem Maviş, RTC (she/her)

AREAS OF FOCUS:

Trauma and C-PTSD
Anxiety and Depression
Existential & Spiritual Exploration
Relationship Challenges & Loss
2SLGBTQIA+ Support
Immigration and Cross-Cultural Experiences

THERAPY MODALITIES:

AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy)
Body-centered and Somatic Approaches
Emotion Focused Therapy
Expressive Arts Therapy
Focusing-Oriented Dreamwork
Spiritually-Integrated Psychotherapy

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT WHEN WORKING WITH ÖZlem

I believe that our deepest pain can hold seeds of transformation. When given space to be felt, heartbreak, grief, loneliness, and loss can lead us to a more authentic relationship with ourselves. I offer a safe environment to explore emotions that may feel overwhelming or hidden, opening space for healing and growth.

My style is gentle and relational, prioritizing safety while encouraging self-compassion and accountability. I may invite you to slow down, notice what is happening in the moment, and bring awareness to your body and emotions. Together, we create experiences of connection and acceptance that may not have felt possible before.

EXPRESSIVE ARTS THERAPY

If you are feeling burned out or disconnected from your emotions, expressive art therapy can help soothe your nervous system and give rise to unexpected insights. In sessions, we reconnect with creativity and playfulness using colour, imagery, movement, and natural materials – without the need for any background in the arts. Sessions take place in my Fernwood studio, combining guided and intuitive practices that help you move from the head into a more embodied, resourceful state.

APPROACH AND EXPERIENCE

I draw on somatic practices, parts work, and spiritual or philosophical reflection for those exploring deeper questions of purpose and meaning. Together we can explore what will suit you best, and adjust as needed along the way. I love working with clients experiencing heartbreak, life transitions, loneliness, or relationship challenges. I offer sensitive support around neurodivergence, sexuality, trauma, and identity.

My background includes a BA from McGill University and advanced training in Focusing, Focusing-Oriented Dreamwork, and Spiritually-Informed Psychotherapy. I’m completing a Master’s in Expressive Arts Therapy and Psychology, and hold a diploma from the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute. I completed my year-long practicum at Bodymind Counselling, alongside my level 2 AEDP training. Outside of Bodymind, I provide counselling and art therapy to students at an alternative elementary school. Previously, I worked as a community support worker for individuals with diverse abilities for a number of years.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE

Immigrating alone from Turkey to Canada fifteen years ago deeply influenced my understanding of resilience and belonging. During some of my hardest times, I turned to painting and poetry and experienced firsthand the healing power of creativity.

Over the years, I’ve become less interested in art as a finished product and more fascinated by what unfolds within us when we create. This curiosity also shapes how I approach therapy: I’m drawn to the complexity, imagination, and uniqueness of our inner worlds, rather than cookie-cutter ways of understanding ourselves.

Outside of work, I enjoy experiences that allow me to immerse myself in different realms, from the depths of the ocean while freediving to the atmosphere of a good film that makes me think. I also love being home, cozying up by candlelight with friends, and letting our conversations move freely from the playful and silly to the deep and meaningful.

FEES

Sessions with Özlem are $150 per 50 minute session, including GST.
Özlem is a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor (RTC) and many extended benefits plans will cover her services, but please check to be sure. Some sliding scale spots may be available.

HOURS

Özlem is available Mondays and Tuesdays 2:30 pm - 8 pm, and Thursdays 8:30 am - 2 pm in the downtown office. She is also available Wednesdays from 2 pm - 7 pm in the Fernwood Art Therapy studio.

Book with Ozlem

Trainings:

Master’s in Expressive Arts Therapy and Psychology - European Graduate School (expected completion 2027)
Graduate Diploma in Expressive Arts Therapy - 2023 - Vancouver Art Therapy Institute
Graduate Certificate in Spiritually-Informed Psychotherapy - 2022 - St. Stephen’s College, University of Alberta
3-Year Training in Relational Wholebody Focusing - Dr. Karen Whalen, PhD (expected completion 2029)
Complex Trauma Certification Training Level 1 & 2 (CCTP/CCTP-II) Course - 2026 - Janina Fisher, PhD
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) - 2026 - LivingWorks
Neurodiversity: Creating Affirming Spaces for Autistic and VAST Clients - 2026 - Nyck Walsh, MA, LPC
AEDP Advanced Skills Module - 2026 - Kate Halliday, LCSW
AEDP Essential Skills - 2025 - AEDP Institute
AEDP Immersion - 2025 - Diana Fosha, PhD
Various on-demand AEDP online trainings - 2024
Trauma-Informed Grief Support - 2024 - Shauna Janz
Kink-Aware Psychotherapy - 2024 - Sexual Health Alliance
Embodied Experiential Dreamwork Certification - 2022 - Dr. Leslie Ellis, PhD, RCC
Nature-based Expressive Arts Therapy Certification - 2021 - World Arts Organization
Focusing Level 4 - 2018 - The International Focusing Institute

Featured

Alison Ferko, Registered Clinical Counsellor

Alison is a Registered Clinical Counsellor whose approach is warm, gentle, and collaborative. Alison strives to foster an authentic therapeutic relationship where clients can feel understood and seen in all of their humanness. Alison has a special interest in working with highly sensitive/possibly neurodivergent adults, though is open to working with a range of concerns including identity-exploration, parenting, anxiety, and burnout.

In Person and Virtual Appointments, weekend availability

Özlem Maviş, Registered Therapeutic Counsellor

Özlem Maviş is a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor and an expressive arts therapist. Her approach is gentle, experiential, creative, collaborative, and anti-oppressive. Oz has a particular interest in supporting people through their heartbreak and relational wounds, trauma, anxiety, life transitions, immigration or major moves, and quest for home and belonging. Oz also offers expressive art therapy sessions out of a beautiful studio space in Fernwood.

In Person, Art Studio and Online Sessions

Richard Turner, Registered Clinical Counsellor

Richard is a Registered Clinical Counsellor at our downtown location. He supports adults with a variety of concerns including anxiety, depression, childhood bullying, and life transitions (including immigration). His goal is to help clients find a deeper sense of understanding, self-acceptance, and a more integrated relationship with themselves. He has a particular interest in supporting neurodiverse individuals.

In Person and Online Sessions
Weekend availability

Katelyn Hill, Student Counsellor

Katelyn Hill (she/her) is a student counsellor who believes meaningful change begins with feeling genuinely understood. Warm, collaborative, and empathetic, she is particularly interested in attachment and the ways our relationships with partners, family, friends, and ourselves shape how we understand and navigate the world. Katelyn enjoys helping clients slow down, make sense of their emotional experiences, and use those emotions as a pathway toward greater self-understanding and lasting change.

Available on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays, in person and online.

Andréa Dorrans, Student Counsellor

Andréa Dorrans (she/her) is a student counsellor who brings a wealth of life experience as well as prior counselling experience to her practicum. Warm and direct, Andrea is grounded in anti-oppressive and identity-affirming values, and attentive to how stress can settle in the body even when someone seems fine. Her areas of interest include grief and loss, relationship distress, chronic illness, perimenopause and life transitions, social anxiety, and belonging.

Available on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays, in person and online.

All of the counsellors at Bodymind Counselling gratefully live and practice on the lands of Lekwungen peoples, the Songhees and Esquimalt, and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples.

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Sarah Pullman