Guiding Your Journey to Wellness

A Psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has specialised in mental health conditions. They have extensive training in diagnosis and are the only class of the three who are able to prescribe medications.

A Psychologist is trained in assessment and diagnosis. These mental health practitioners may or may not offer counselling services.

A Registered Counselling Therapist is dedicated to counselling care and helping clients process distress to improve quality of life. At Mind Works Counselling Therapy, we offer counselling care. Depending on your circumstances, and with your consent, we can work together with the rest of your health care team.

We offer both virtual and in-person sessions to meet the needs of our clients and their unique circumstances.

Yes! What you share with your counsellor is between you and your counsellor. Your counsellor will discuss the limited exceptions to confidentiality with you. These include suicidal/homicidal ideation, threat of harm to a vulnerable person, and subpoena.

We use the Jane software platform to store our case notes and to conduct virtual sessions. Jane does not facilitate recording of any kind, and all stored data is 128-bit encrypted.

Jane is compliant with the PHIPA (Public Health Information Privacy Act).

https://jane.app/guide/basics/security-faq

We want to get to know you, to hear your story, and to understand what is happening in your life. The first session is an opportunity for us to begin to build our relationship and discuss your concerns, goals, and how you would like to move forward.

The first session is a great time to assess whether or not you think we can work together. Think of it like an interview. If you don’t feel like we’re a good fit, we can help you find another therapist who might be better suited to you and your needs.

Great question! Most people usually start out once a week. Depending on what your needs are, you and your therapist may decide to meet more or less often. If you are being covered by some form of insurance or social program, there may be a limit of how many sessions you are eligible to receive, or a schedule for you to follow. Your counsellor will review all of these details with you during your first session.

Yes! Some Insurers pay up front or direct bill, while some will require you to pay and then will reimburse you. If you are not sure what your insurance covers, we can discuss that during the initial consultation.

If your insurance offers partial coverage, we also accept Visa, Mastercard, etransfer, and cash.

Credit cards can be kept on file, and all payments are organised prior to the session.

Current Insurers: Blue Cross, NIHB, Canada Life, Sunlife, Manulife, WCB and several others who are registered through Telus Health. If you are not sure if your insurance covers Counselling Therapy/Clinical Counselling, I can help you find out.

Like everything in health care, accessing counselling can be challenging, and we want to be as accessible as possible. If you need to cancel your appointment, you can do so by calling or through your personal Jane account (this will be set up during your consultation). There will be no charge to you if you cancel with at least 24 hours’ notice. Cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice will be billed at full price.

No! Counselling Therapy is exempt from taxes in Nova Scotia

Absolutely. In Nova Scotia, Registered Counselling Therapists must hold a minimum of a Master’s Degree in a related field, including 400 practicum hours. After that, Therapists can apply for a license and are designated as Registered Counselling Therapist Candidates (RCT-C). While in the candidate phase, RCT-Cs are able to practice while completing an additional 2000 hours of supervision before becoming Registered Counselling Therapists (without the Candidate designation). This process generally takes an additional 2-5 years.

My candidacy supervisor is Eric Ross, of Attune Counselling Therapy. He can be reached at 902-818-3245.

The Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists receives any ethical concerns or complaints you may have about your therapist. The ethics policy is outlined in the consent form you will receive prior to beginning therapy. To learn more, you can visit the Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists at NSCCT.ca

The NSCCT is responsible to the public to ensure that Registered Counselling Therapists uphold the highest ethical and code of conduct practices. Your therapist should take the time to review this information with you at the beginning of your first session, or at any future time as you request. Unfortunately, there are times when some clinicians may fail to adhere to these standards. Anyone can file a complaint. A complaint is an expression of concern about the conduct or actions of a Registered Counselling Therapist related to the care provided or other aspects of the professional counselling relationship. Complaints allege that the counselling therapist did not meet the standards expected by the College, other members of the profession, or the public. If you believe that your therapist is in violation, the NSCCT has a complaints process to protect you. The Complaints Committee reviews complaints about: Professional Misconduct – Not acting according to the Code of Ethics or Standards of Practice. Your counsellor should have these documents available in their office. Incapacity – Counselling while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Incompetence – Failing to provide proper care. Conduct Unbecoming the Profeession – behaving unprofessionally outside of the workplace. Sexual Misconduct – NSCCT provides a dedicated confidential reporting line to assist in reporting sexual misconduct by a Registered Counselling Therapist. Please leave a voicemail and our trained Sexual Assault Complaint Navigator will contact you within 48 hours. Call 902-579-8119. What To Do If You Have a Complaint or Concern About a Counselling Therapist For Further information on the complaints process and to access the complaint form: visit: www.nscct.ca/filing-complaint email: registrar@nscct.ca phone: 902-225-7531 If you are uncertain whether a concern you have is grounds for a complaint, please contact the executive Director & Registrar for advise. Please reach out to the College if you require assistance in filling out the complaint form, or with any other aspect of filing a complaint. Filing a Complaint There is NO FEE for filing a complaint with the College. It is never too late to file a complaint. Although it is always better to file a complaint close to when the events occurred, there is no legal time-limit. NSCCT has provided an infographic to aid in the complaint process: https://nscct.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Complaint-Infographic.pdf Possible Outcomes The Complaints Committee will meet to REVIEW all the evidence available concerning the complaint, including the investigator’s report, and to determine an appropriate outcome, which may include any of the following: Dismiss the complaint Informally resolve the complaint Consider a proposed settlement agreement Counsel the counselling therapist Caution the counselling therapist Reprimand the counselling therapist Suspend the license of a counselling therapist or the their ability to obtain a license Refer the complaint to the Professional conduct Committee, if a hearing is needed. ARE YOU A MEMBER OF A MARGINALISED COMMUNITY? Individuals who experience maginalisation, socio-economic disadvantage or systemic racism can be hesitant to file a formal complaint or to participate fully in a process operating within a system they have learned to mistrust. NSCCT is committed to reducing barriers to reporting concerns about a registered Counselling Therapist from members of maginalised communities. NSCCT acknowledges that members of marginalised communities are particularly at risk of being subjected to poor treatment, unethical or illegal behaviour and are especially vulnerable to abuse. Our complaints/professional conduct policy and procedures also reflect this possibility.