A: If this is on your mind, it might be worth talking to somebody. Anyone can benefit from counselling and we all have mental health. Nobody’s mental health is perfect and we all need to work on certain things from time to time. We like the ‘dental model’ of counselling- come in for periodic check-ins to ensure things are on track and you are living in accordance with your goals and health, rather than waiting for a crisis to hit. Certainly, if there is an acute crisis, that is an important point to seek support but being proactive has a lot of benefits for people.

A: If they are someone that you are close to and you feel comfortable sharing your observations and concerns in an assertive, compassionate, non-judgmental, non-controlling way, then this can be a helpful action step to take. However, sharing your concerns does not guarantee any change will happen on their part. We recommend that concerned loved ones engage in their own self-development and recovery. This supports you in your life and prevents burnout and drain, while also providing helpful modelling to those around you. When your loved one is ready, they will take the necessary steps to look after themselves. Counselling can help focus on appropriate boundaries, how to be a true support rather than controller or enabler, and developing healthy communication during a difficult time.

A: We hope we can help and offer something different than what you have encountered before. Obviously with counselling, there are no guarantees, but it is our hope to draw in our professional education, experience as well as lived experiences to best support you. All of our practitioners are passionate about drawing from evidence-based, modern counselling methods to support change. We aim to provide real world strategies and tools that you can incorporate in a practical way to support yourself. We can’t ensure that this experience with counselling will be different, but we will certainly try!

A: We wish that there was a way to step through or over the history gathering but that is an essential part of the counselling process. While we may not spend a lot of time focusing on the past if that does not fit with your goals or priorities, it may come up as we get to know you. We also like to understand people’s current life and context- their work/education, relationships, hobbies, coping, and so forth so that we can build on that. We will not jump into areas that you are not comfortable with and sometimes that can ease the pressure that comes with stepping into a new relationship with a new provider. If you decide to seek support from another therapist on the Sana Psychological team, with your permission your client notes can be shared with that provider which also helps reduce the amount of history taking and ‘getting to know you’ that needs to happen.

A: All of our providers have their own unique educational, professional, and personal history which combines to form something special. Some of our providers identify as BIPOC, others who are in recovery, some have had previous careers in other sectors, and more. Every provider is different in terms of what they are bringing to the connection. This intersection of personal and professional eclecticism is unique. We invite you to read through the bios of each of our team members on the About page and if you see someone that you are interested in, we hope that you’ll get in touch to learn more. 

A: No. Self-referrals are all that is required. We work with adults and youth age 12+ to improve health and wellness. Many of our clients’ experiences would not warrant a diagnosis or psychiatric label, yet they find a lot of benefit from the work that we do to improve their overall quality of life.

A: Our practitioners are counselling, not assessment, specialists. An informal assessment is done by every clinician in therapy; however, if you are looking for a diagnosis then we would encourage you to seek out a professional psychological assessment as this will include a more extensive clinical interview and psychological testing

A: Mental health tends to ebb and flow for people. There are natural periods where symptoms are more intense and harder to navigate, and times where things subside. Counselling can help prolong the quieter, less active periods and reduce the intensity of flare-ups. We obviously cannot guarantee what your personal outcomes will be since we have not even met yet! Change depends on a lot of individual factors combined with the therapeutic relationship and tools being recommended. If you show up with openness and willingness, there is a great chance that helpful change will occur for you.