Online Therapy in British Columbia

Online counselling in BC, in plain terms

TEO Counselling Services is a virtual counselling practice based in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Every session is by video — there is no office anywhere. Three clinicians work with BC clients: Mohamad Shabib, a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC); Alison Shaji, a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC); and Rola Shbib, a Registered Social Worker (RSW). Individual sessions are $150 for 60 minutes, couples sessions are $175, and the first conversation — a free 15 to 20 minute consultation — needs no referral. Sessions run seven days a week, 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm Pacific.

BC is TEO's home province — the only province where all three clinicians are available. Alison works with BC clients exclusively, which makes BC the one place TEO offers sessions in Hindi and Malayalam, and the one place Christian counselling is available.

Who you would be working with

BC is the only province where the whole practice is available, so you can be matched rather than simply assigned.

Mohamad Shabib, MACP, CCC, founded the practice and lives in Nanaimo. He is a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCPA) and a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with the CRPO in Ontario. His training covers Advanced EMDR through an EMDRIA-approved programme, Internal Family Systems Levels 1 and 2, the Gottman Method Levels 1 and 2, CBT for Trauma, DBT, and Indigenous Focused Oriented Therapy. Sessions in English or Arabic.

Alison Shaji, MA Clinical Psychology, RCC, is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors and works with BC clients exclusively. She is trained in EMDR, the Gottman Method Levels 1 and 2, EFFT, CBT and DBT, and draws on psychoanalytic, inner-child and shadow work. Sessions in English, Hindi or Malayalam.

Rola Shbib, BSW (Hons), RSW, is a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, and works with clients in every province TEO serves, including BC. Her background spans crisis intervention, suicide-prevention work, addictions, and grief and loss — she holds an honours degree in thanatology. Sessions in English or Arabic.

One thing to be plain about: those levels are completed training, not certification — nobody here is certified in EMDR, IFS, Gottman or DBT. If a particular approach matters to you, name it at the consultation and ask who holds it.

Counselling is not regulated in BC — read the letters, not the label

Counselling is not a regulated profession in British Columbia: no provincial college for counsellors, and no law reserving the words "counsellor" or "therapist", so anyone in BC may advertise under them. One narrow change is scheduled — from 29 November 2027, "psychotherapist" becomes a protected title under BC's new health-professions framework. Until then, and for the word "counsellor" even after, the label alone tells you nothing.

What stands in for regulation is registration you can check. The Registered Clinical Counsellor designation (BC Association of Clinical Counsellors) and the Canadian Certified Counsellor designation (Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association) are voluntary rather than required by BC law — which is exactly why checking them means something. Every clinician here holds one you can look up: Alison as an RCC, Mohamad as a CCC, Rola as an RSW. The province-by-province picture is on our regulation reference.

What the first few sessions look like

The free consultation is a conversation, not an assessment. You describe what is going on in whatever order it comes out, and you get a straight answer about whether this is the right kind of help — including when someone else would be a better fit.

The first full session is mostly history and direction: what brought you here, what has already been tried, what you want to be different. Nothing is dug into before you are ready, and structured trauma work in particular does not begin until there is enough stability and enough trust to make it worth doing. From there the pace is yours — there is no package to sign and no minimum number of sessions.

What you say in session is confidential, within four limits: if a child needs protection; if a regulated health professional has sexually abused a patient, which must by law be reported; if there is a serious and imminent risk of harm; and if a court orders the file or issues a subpoena. Those limits are explained in full in the first session, before anything sensitive is discussed.

Common questions

Do you have an office in British Columbia?

No. TEO Counselling is based in Nanaimo but virtual only — every session is by video, and the Nanaimo address is a mailing address for the corporation, not a place you visit. Someone in Fort St. John or Prince Rupert gets the same access as someone in Vancouver.

Is counselling covered by MSP?

No. The Medical Services Plan does not cover counselling or psychotherapy in private practice — no provincial health plan in Canada does. Coverage usually comes through an extended health plan from work or school. many BC plans name Registered Clinical Counsellor, Canadian Certified Counsellor or Registered Social Worker, and all three are represented at TEO, so check which one your plan lists.

Who would I see?

BC is the only province where all three TEO clinicians are available: Mohamad Shabib, a Canadian Certified Counsellor trained in EMDR, IFS and the Gottman Method; Alison Shaji, a Registered Clinical Counsellor who works with BC clients exclusively; and Rola Shbib, a Registered Social Worker whose background is crisis work, grief and addictions. Who fits what you are bringing gets settled on the free consultation call.

What does it cost?

Individual therapy is $150 per 60-minute session and couples counselling is $175. The first conversation — a free 15 to 20 minute consultation — costs nothing and needs no referral. You receive an insurance-ready receipt after every session, and a limited number of reduced-fee spots exist — ask at the consultation.

How do sessions work?

Sessions are by video through Jane, with Zoom or Google Meet as backup. You pay per session through Jane by Interac e-Transfer or credit card. Appointments run seven days a week from 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm Pacific — BC's own clock, so no time conversion. Cancellation is free with 24 hours' notice; inside 24 hours, or a missed session, the full fee is charged.

Can I have sessions in a language other than English?

Yes. Mohamad and Rola both offer sessions in Arabic, and Alison offers sessions in Hindi and Malayalam. Because Alison works with BC clients exclusively, Hindi and Malayalam sessions are available in BC only.