It's normal to have questions before starting therapy. Here are some common ones we hear.
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At New Mind Counselling, we provide compassionate support for women navigating life's most meaningful transitions and challenges. Our counsellors specialize in perinatal and postpartum mental health, perimenopause, grief and loss—including divorce and death—adolescent emotional support, and major life changes like becoming new parents. We focus on your unique experience, offering a safe space to process emotions, build resilience, and restore balance in your life, without using diagnostic labels.
Your first session is a chance for us to get to know each other. We'll discuss what brought you to counselling, explore your hopes for therapy, and answer any questions you have about the process. There's no pressure to share everything at once—we'll move at your pace. This session is about building comfort and clarity.
Sessions are typically 60 minutes long. Most clients begin with weekly sessions to build momentum and establish a strong therapeutic relationship. As you progress, we may move to bi-weekly or monthly sessions. The frequency is always tailored to your needs and goals.
Our standard fee for a 60-minute session is $150. We accept debit, credit, and e-transfer.
Yes. Confidentiality is the foundation of our work. What you share in sessions remains private, with few legally mandated exceptions (such as risk of harm to yourself or others, or suspected abuse of a child or vulnerable adult). We will discuss the limits of confidentiality in detail during our first meeting.
As registered clinical counsellors, our core approach is collaborative talk therapy. We don't use diagnostic labels; instead, we focus on your unique story, strengths, and goals. We draw from evidence-based approaches like Person-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Solution-Focused Therapy to provide tools and insights tailored just for you.
While friends offer invaluable support, a counsellor provides a professional, objective, and completely confidential perspective. We are trained to help you identify unhelpful patterns, process difficult emotions, and develop effective coping strategies—all within a structured, non-judgmental space dedicated solely to your growth.
Sometimes, yes. If it aligns with your goals, we may suggest brief exercises, reflections, or practices to try between sessions. These are designed to reinforce what we discuss and help you apply new skills in your daily life. They are always optional and collaboratively agreed upon.
The therapeutic relationship is key to success, and it's important you feel comfortable. If you don't feel we're the right fit, we encourage you to discuss it openly—there's no offense taken. We are committed to helping you find the support you need and can provide referrals to other qualified professionals.
You don't need to be in crisis to benefit from counselling. Many people seek support for personal growth, navigating life transitions, managing stress, improving relationships, or simply wanting a dedicated space for self-reflection. If you're wondering if it could help, that's often a good sign it's worth exploring.
When seeking support for your mental and emotional wellbeing, understanding the different types of professionals can help you find the right fit. While both registered psychologists and registered clinical counsellors provide essential therapy services, their training, approaches, and typical areas of focus have some key distinctions.
Registered Psychologists complete extensive graduate-level education (often a Master's or Doctorate) in psychology. Their training heavily emphasizes psychological theory, assessment, and the diagnosis of mental health conditions. They are qualified to use standardized tools to provide formal diagnoses (like generalized anxiety disorder or clinical depression). Their work often involves treating more complex, entrenched, or severe conditions, using evidence-based therapeutic models to address the root causes and symptoms. Think of their expertise as having a deep, clinical map of the mind's terrain, which allows for targeted, diagnostic-informed treatment.
Registered Clinical Counsellors typically hold a Master's degree in counselling, with training focused on the practical, relational skills of therapy. Their core modality is talk therapy—a collaborative, conversational process where you explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a safe, confidential space. The counsellor's role is to listen deeply, ask guiding questions, and help you uncover your own insights, build coping strategies, and move toward your goals. This approach is exceptionally well-suited for navigating life transitions (like career changes or parenthood), relationship dynamics, stress management, grief, and enhancing personal growth and resilience.
Our Approach at New Mind:
As a registered clinical counsellor, this practice is built on the foundation of talk therapy. We do not use diagnostic labels. Instead, we focus on you as a whole person—your unique story, your strengths, and the specific challenges you're facing. We believe that while a clinical diagnosis can be helpful for some, many people find greater empowerment and growth when we work together to understand your experiences without pathologizing them. Our goal is to provide a supportive space for collaborative problem-solving and meaningful change.
Ultimately, both psychologists and counsellors are skilled, compassionate professionals. The best choice depends on whether your primary need aligns with clinical assessment and diagnosis or with supportive guidance and collaborative problem-solving through talk therapy. Many issues benefit greatly from either approach, so trusting your connection with the therapist is often the most important factor.