Questions about therapy.

Send me a note through the contact form. It takes a couple of minutes, and you don’t need to have it all figured out. Sending it doesn’t commit you to anything.

You’ll get a reply from me, not a template, within three business days. If what you’ve described is work I do well, we’ll find a time, and you decide whether to take it. If it isn’t, I’ll tell you, and point you toward someone better suited where I can. Better now than three sessions in. (Want a free 15-minute call first? Just ask.)

$160 for 50 minutes, by e-transfer. You set the pace, including how often we meet and when to stop.

Online. I’m based in Vancouver, and in-person sessions may come later.

Often, yes. Many plans cover Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCC), but how much varies a lot. Worth checking yours before your first session. I’ll give you a receipt for each session.

I often work with high performers: people others rely on, people who can think clearly under pressure, make difficult decisions, and carry a lot of responsibility. Yet in their own lives, they may still get pulled into the same argument, lose touch with what they actually want, or know exactly what matters and still not act on it. The common thread is often something like: “I’ve thought this to death. I’m still stuck.”

Yes. A deliberate focus of this work is men who can think clearly but struggle to feel clearly: articulate, responsible, and capable, but disconnected from what's actually happening underneath. The same approach can fit people of any gender who recognize that pattern.

Yes. If your brain can turn one awkward conversation, career decision, or relationship question into a three-day internal investigation, this is useful territory for therapy. We’re not trying to shut your mind off. We’re trying to help your mind work for you, not against you.

Yes. Maybe your partner asks, “What are you feeling?” and your mind goes strangely blank. You know you’re not made of stone, and you may even sense that something hurts or that something in your life isn’t quite right, but putting your finger on it is surprisingly hard. You might not know whether you’re unhappy, angry, lonely, or just… off. Some people have even been called cold, distant, or “a robot,” especially by the people closest to them. We can work on getting better access to what’s happening underneath the surface and finding language for it, so you understand yourself more clearly and the people you care about don’t have to keep guessing.

Yes. Maybe you know what you want to say, but the conversation with your partner, parent, or child quickly turns defensive, emotional, or sideways. We can work on how to get your point across without losing the relationship in the process: saying the hard thing clearly, helping the other person actually understand your perspective, and staying close enough to hear theirs too. The goal isn’t to “win” the conversation. It’s to leave more of them feeling understood, respected, and closer than when you started.

If you’ve already spent time and money on therapy, the last thing you need is to start over and tell the whole story again. We’ll look at what you’ve already learned, what actually helped, and what somehow still hasn’t changed. From there, we’ll get specific about what you want to be different now and keep checking whether the work is producing movement outside the therapy room. Sometimes that means less talking about the pattern and more catching it in real time, trying something different, and seeing what happens. If therapy isn’t helping, I’d rather we know that than just keep booking sessions.

A better question may be: what is this problem costing you? Maybe it’s hours lost to the same thought, another fight with someone you love, months of putting off a decision, or going through the motions in a life that should feel better than it does. If it keeps taking your time, energy, attention, or closeness with people you care about, it may be worth getting some help with it.

A few situations where I'd recommend a different clinician:

• If you're in crisis or experiencing active suicidality. Crisis intervention isn't my specialty and you deserve immediate support from someone trained specifically for it. In a crisis, call or text 9-8-8 for the Canada Suicide Crisis Helpline. If there is immediate danger, contact local emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department.
• If your central struggle is substance use, an eating disorder, OCD, or panic disorder. There are clinicians who specialize in those areas, and that specialization matters.
• If you need formal assessment or diagnosis. That's the work of psychologists or psychiatrists.
• If you're looking for someone to validate that the problem is someone else. That work tends not to go anywhere, and I'd rather be upfront about it.

Sessions are 50 minutes. The first one or two focus on getting clear about what you're working with and how the work should proceed. Later sessions may be practical and skill-focused or may go deeper into emotional or relational patterns.

Yes. I’m fascinated by psychology, neuroscience, and behavioural science, but I don’t think modern Western research has a monopoly on understanding how people change. My work also draws from contemplative, relational, and body-based traditions that have been studying attention, emotion, suffering, and connection for a very long time. I’m interested in what holds up in research, what holds up in real life, and most importantly, what actually helps you.

You’ll often notice something shifting in the first few sessions: you'll catch patterns sooner, or handle a situation differently. People often notice meaningful change within 6–8 sessions: more peace with themselves, clearer direction, and an easier time acting on what matters. We’ll keep checking whether therapy is actually helping rather than assuming more sessions are always the answer.

This is counselling. The work is grounded in clinical training, ethics, and the therapeutic relationship, not coaching.

That said: some clients want a coaching engagement instead. The work looks similar in some ways (frameworks, behaviour design, communication, decision-making) but coaching is structurally different. It isn't licensed clinical practice, it doesn't carry the same protections, and the focus stays on present-oriented goals rather than the deeper psychological work. If a coaching arrangement is what you're actually looking for, that's worth mentioning when you get in touch. We'll figure out which one fits.

Yes, where relevant. I'm fluent in the practical and in the deeper registers: spiritual, existential, philosophical. Meditation has played a meaningful part in my life, and the work of teachers in the Insight Meditation tradition has shaped how I think about presence and attention. This work can hold those questions without losing its practical ground.

Yes. I’m a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. I hold a Master of Counselling (MC) and completed clinical training through UBC Counselling Services.

Counselling confidentiality is governed by professional ethics and BC privacy legislation, with legal exceptions such as risk of serious harm, suspected harm to a minor, and court orders. The applicable privacy and consent terms will be provided before care begins.

Sending an inquiry does not book an appointment. The cancellation policy and other practice terms will be provided before any session is booked.

Yes, always. Counselling works because you've chosen it; it doesn't work when you haven't. If something isn't fitting (the approach, the chemistry, the pace, anything) I'd rather know so we can either adjust or you can find someone who fits better. No hard feelings, no pressure, no awkward exit conversation required.