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-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.

Is counselling covered by MSP in BC?

No. BC's Medical Services Plan does not cover counselling or psychotherapy in private practice — a session with a Registered Clinical Counsellor, a Canadian Certified Counsellor or a Registered Social Worker is paid for by you or by an extended health plan, not by MSP. No provincial health plan in Canada covers private-practice counselling; BC is not unusual in this.

What MSP does pay for is care from physicians — your family doctor, and a psychiatrist on referral — and the counselling that runs inside public services: health-authority mental health teams, hospital programs, and youth services such as Foundry. Those are free at the point of use, and they come with waits and eligibility rules. The free options in BC, including the ones that are online, are listed further down this page.

For private-practice counselling the route is usually an extended health plan through work or school, or an employee assistance program. Reimbursement depends on the designation your plan covers (CCC, RCC, RSW or Registered Psychotherapist), and all three of the designations held at TEO are ones many BC plans name — read your booklet for the exact wording and the annual maximum. Direct billing is available with Mohamad and Alison for Pacific Blue Cross, CVAP and plans on the TELUS eClaims network; otherwise you receive an insurance-ready receipt after every session and submit it yourself. If the cost of therapy is a crime-related one, BC's Crime Victim Assistance Program may cover it in full, and TEO is an approved CVAP provider.

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.

Where can I find free online counselling in BC?

Free online counselling in BC exists, and it is worth knowing about before you pay for anything. Start with HelpStartsHere, the BC government's finder for mental health and substance use services, which you can search by community and by the kind of help you need.

• · BounceBack — free CBT-based coaching by phone and online, run by the Canadian Mental Health Association, for adults and youth dealing with low mood, worry or stress. In BC it is referral-based: ask your family doctor or clinic.
• · CMHA BC — lists its other free programs, and the BC Mental Health Support Line is 310-6789, no area code needed, any hour.
• · Foundry — free, confidential counselling and health services for young people aged 12 to 24 and their families, at centres around the province and online through Foundry Virtual BC. No referral needed.
• · 9-8-8 — call or text, any hour, if it cannot wait for an appointment.

The honest limits: free services are short-term, have eligibility rules and waits, and are not designed for longer structured work such as EMDR. Many workplaces also offer a few free sessions through an employee assistance program, which is worth checking before you assume you have to pay. TEO's sessions are private-pay — $150 per 60-minute session — but the first 15-minute consultation is free, and our free printable workbooks and handouts are open to anyone, no email address asked for.

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 in BC?

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.

Where can I find free online counselling in BC?

Start with HelpStartsHere, the BC government's finder for mental health and substance use services. BounceBack, run by the Canadian Mental Health Association, is free CBT-based coaching by phone and online for adults and youth with low mood or anxiety; in BC it is referral-based, so ask your family doctor or clinic. CMHA BC lists its other free programs, and the BC Mental Health Support Line is 310-6789, no area code, any hour. Foundry offers free counselling for young people aged 12 to 24, including Foundry Virtual BC. If it cannot wait, call or text 9-8-8. TEO's sessions are private-pay, but the first 15-minute consultation is free.

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-minute consultation — costs nothing and needs no referral. You receive an insurance-ready receipt after every session, and a small 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 offers 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.