Common questions about counselling at The Birches Collective Wellness

Getting Started

  • No, you do not need a medical referral to begin your journey. You are welcome to book directly with me whenever you feel ready. (Please note: While I do not require one, some private insurance plans do ask for a doctor’s note for reimbursement. I gently recommend verifying this with your provider beforehand so there are no financial surprises on your end.)

  • The complimentary 15-minute Trailhead Discovery Call is a brief, no-pressure meet-and-greet, rather than a clinical therapy session. It’s a chance for us to connect, discuss what you are navigating, and see if I am the right Guide for you. The Trailhead Assessment (your first session) is where the work begins. Together, we sit down, look at the map of your life, and carefully build a customized, structured plan for the path ahead.

  • We sit together, take a breath, and begin mapping out where you are right now. I will ask gentle questions about your current struggles, your history, and your goals. We may also review a few brief questionnaires that will give us a clear baseline. Most importantly, you are entirely in control of the pace. You do not have to dive into your trauma on day one, and you do not need to perform your pain to be taken seriously. Nothing is required of you beyond simply showing up.

  • Reaching out takes immense courage, and your message is deeply important to me. I personally reply to all inquiries, typically within 24-48 business hours. If you haven’t heard from me by then, please do not hesitate to send a gentle follow-up. Occasionally, the digital woods can be glitchy, and I would always rather you nudge me than ever assume you have been forgotten.

  • In trauma recovery, your safety is more important than our feelings. The therapeutic relationship is the absolute foundation of healing, which means you are allowed and encouraged to be selective. Use our free call to notice how your nervous system reacts: do you feel at ease, or on edge? If I am not the right Guide for your journey, I will gladly help connect you with someone who is. Choosing a different path is not a failure, it is profound self-care.

  • This is one of the most common things I am asked, and I want to offer a gentle reframe: if therapy didn’t work before, it does not mean that you are beyond help. It simply means that specific approach wasn’t the right fit for your wonderfully unique mind, or for the season of life you were in at the time. Tell me what you have tried and what hasn’t worked as this is valuable trail data that can help guide us towards an approach that fits.

Fees and Insurance

  • Transparency is a core part of creating a safe environment. You will find the exact investment for each session listed clearly on the Approaches page, so there are never any financial surprises before we begin. To make the process as seamless as possible, a secure credit card is kept on file and processed effortlessly at the end of our time together each session.

  • Yes, to keep your focus entirely on your healing, I offer direct billing to Medavie Blue Cross and TELUS eClaims. In most cases, this means you will not have to pay out-of-pocket and wait for reimbursement. For all other plans, I will provide a detailed clinical receipt via email immediately after your session for you to submit to your provider.

  • Most insurance plans in New Brunswick do, but because every policy is uniquely written, coverage can vary. To give you the best possible chance of coverage, I hold two distinct professional designations: I am a Licensed Counselling Therapist - Candidate (LCT-C) provincially, and a fully certified Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) nationally. This may be helpful because some Canada-wide policies that do not recognize candidate-status therapists will cover my services based on my national CCC credential.

    The clearest way to confirm is to call your insurance provider before our first session and ask them this exact question: “Does my plan cover a Licensed Counselling Therapist - Candidate (LCT-C) practicing under clinical supervision, or a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC)?”‍ ‍If you need my registration numbers to give them during that call, simply let me know and I will happily provide them.

  • At The Birches Collective Wellness, we believe that cost should not be the barrier that keeps you in the woods. Through The Canopy Program, I reserve a limited number of reduced-fee spots for people facing financial barriers. These spots are available for both our neurodivergent clients (The Wayfinder Protocol) and our trauma reprocessing clients (The Deep Woods). Clients in this program receive the exact same high-quality, specialized care as everyone else.

    To ensure we can provide this opportunity to as many community members as possible, The Canopy Program is structured as a finite, focused chapter of care. Spots are granted for a specific, predetermined block of sessions (typically 8 to 15 sessions, depending on your clinical pathway) to complete our targeted work together.

    To ask about a spot, just mention it during our free discovery call or in your first message. (Please note: Because these spots are limited, there may occasionally be a waitlist).

  • Out of respect for our shared time and the needs of our community, I ask for 24 hours’ notice to cancel or reschedule so I can offer that time to someone else on the waitlist. Standard late cancellations and missed appointments are charged the full session fee.

    There is one exception to this policy: If you are a first responder or military member and a mandatory shift-extension, call-out, or deployment gets in the way of our session, please just let me know and I will waive the fee entirely. I will never penalize you for doing the job.

The Clinical Work

  • Absolutely not. Not on day one, not until you are entirely ready, and never in more detail than you choose. We begin by helping you feel anchored and building nervous system regulation skills that work in real life. We only turn toward the shadows of the past when your body and mind feel secure, and you set the pace every single step of the way.

  • Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) maps your entire life story in chronological order, allowing the hardest events to find their place in a fuller picture of who you are and honouring your resilience. It suits people carrying multiple, complex hard experiences and typically runs 12-15 sessions, that conclude with a written “Testimony of Survival.”

    Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) targets specific, individual memories or sensations using gentle, guided eye movements. It often takes only one to three sessions per memory, and uniquely, it does not require you to describe every painful detail out loud.

    We will look at the map together and choose the path that best fits what you are carrying.

  • It depends entirely on what you are carrying and which path we take. NET has a clear, finite structure of 12 to 15 sessions. ART can move much faster, often finding resolution for specific memories in just a handful of sessions. Our foundational work (The Clearing) and ADHD routine-building (The Wayfinder) are flexible and tailored to your ongoing goals. I will always be transparent with you about clinical expectations, and we will constantly review our progress as a team.

  • This is a very fair worry, and it is exactly why we do not rush. Deep trauma work can temporarily stir things up, which is why we spend our initial sessions strictly on building your stabilization toolkit and checking in constantly about your pace. You can pause, slow down, or stop at any point. Choosing to use the brakes isn’t a loss of progress, it just means you are the one holding the compass and choosing our pace.

  • No, I do not provide formal psychological assessments or medical diagnoses. However, I work with how ADHD actually shows up in your daily life, whether or not you have a formal diagnosis. Our Wayfinder sessions focus on building practical routines and strategies that fit the unique “operating system” of your brain. If a formal diagnostic assessment would be useful to you, I can point you toward trusted providers in the province who offer them.

  • Yes. While my clinical focus is dedicated to first responders and my own front-line experience deeply shapes how I practice, the clearing is open to any adult carrying the weight of trauma, burnout, or a neurodivergent mind.

  • No, my practice is strictly dedicated to one-on-one, individual therapy for adults 19 and older. While I occasionally provide psychoeducation to partners to support my client’s individual healing, I do not conduct couples counselling. If you are looking for dedicated couples or family work, I would be glad to suggest where to look.

Logistics

  • My in-person office is on Fredericton’s northside, at 215 Main Street, Unit J. Parking is available for free behind the building and my office is wheelchair accessible. I will send directions and what to expect before your first visit, so you’re not hunting for the door.

  • Yes. Video sessions run on a secure, private platform, and all you need is a quiet spot and a stable internet connection. Many clients choose video for shift work, seasons where the weather is unpredictable, or plain convenience. The work itself is just as effective this way.

    Please note: ART sessions are in-person only and some NET sessions are in-person preferred.

  • No. I see clients in person and by secure video throughout New Brunswick, where I’m licensed. I can also work by video with clients in the provinces and territories where counselling therapy isn’t regulated by a provincial college: British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. In those places there’s no provincial licence to hold, and my national certification as a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) is the credential that applies.

    Not sure? Just ask. I’ll tell you straight away, and if I can’t see you, I’ll help you find someone who can.

  • Absolutely. Some people find it easier to walk in with a partner or a friend, and they're welcome to sit in the waiting area or join us for the beginning of the session. The therapy itself is one-on-one, but getting through the door matters more than doing it alone.

  • Email me and tell me what you’re working with. Be it rotating shifts, nights, or a commute that swallows your evening. I know that a standard weekday calendar doesn’t fit everyone’s life.

    I look at these requests one at a time, and I can’t promise a particular slot. But if there’s a way to make it work, we’ll find it. It also helps to include the shape of your schedule and the windows that would actually work for you in your initial request, since that saves us a few emails back and forth.

Privacy and what to expect from me

  • Yes. What you share stays between us, and your records are kept securely.

    There are a few legal limits I'm required to explain up front: if there's a serious risk of harm to you or someone else, a concern about a child's safety, or a court order.

    We'll go through these limits together in your first session so nothing catches you off guard.

  • No. Employers, unions and insurers don't receive session notes or hear what we discuss. If you're claiming through insurance, the insurer sees only what billing requires: dates, fees and my credentials. If a workplace program or a claim needs a report from me, nothing goes anywhere without your written consent, and you'll see it first.

  • In New Brunswick, therapists complete a supervised practice period after graduating before receiving full licensure. I hold a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology, I'm registered with the College of Counselling Therapists of New Brunswick (registration # LCT-C26-055), and I'm a Canadian Certified Counsellor (certificate # 11250337). During this period I practise under the clinical supervision of Monica Smyth, MA, LCT, CCC. In practice that means an experienced clinician reviews my work regularly, which is an added layer of care for you.

  • This website and my inbox aren't monitored around the clock, so please don't wait for me if you're in crisis. Call or text 9-8-8 at any hour, call 9-1-1, or go to your nearest emergency department.