Counselling Services

Counselling at CFEC

CFEC offers low-cost counselling using a variety of supportive, non-pathologizing, and person-centred approaches. Narrative therapy, emotion focused therapy, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused brief therapy are all among the modalities that are commonly used. Feminist and anti-racist therapies are incorporated throughout our work as part of our commitment to supporting vulnerable and historically disenfranchised populations.

General counselling services take place Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM—4:00 PM.

Relationship and Family Counselling

Relationship and family counselling form the cornerstone of the counselling program. There is a near-endless list of issues that can be addressed through counselling at CFEC. We make every effort to meet the unique needs of every family or relationship. Nonetheless, it’s important to be aware that there are a number of situations we aren’t able to help with. Consider some of the following examples:

Within our scope:

  • Improving communication
  • Decreasing conflict
  • Building trust
  • Increasing emotional connection
  • Navigating difficult shared experiences
  • Helping with life transitions

Not covered by our scope:

  • On-going violence within the home
  • When there is a lack of safety between participants
  • Dealing with accusations of “parental alienation”
  • Navigating legal or government systems

Individual counselling

Individual counselling is also offered, but please be aware that priority is always given to family and relationship counselling. This service is, first and foremost, supportive in nature. We are unable to offer counselling that is medically-oriented or requires a high level of intensity/duration. Please consider these examples:

Within our scope:

  • Mitigating the impact of anger
  • Stress reduction
  • Post-separation support
  • Supporting those who have been negatively affected by domestic violence
  • Supporting those who have used violence in intimate partner and familial relationships
  • Grief (please attend hospice first)
  • Goal setting
  • Gender-affirming support
  • Esteem-building

Not covered by our scope:

  • Suicidality
  • Major trauma
  • Disorders that meet or are likely to meet the DSM-5-TR diagnostic criterion, such as:
    • Bipolar disorder
    • Depressive & anxiety disorders
    • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
    • Personality disorders
    • Eating disorders
  • Addictions & problematic substance use
  • Psychosocial assessments

Therapy Groups

Therapy groups of various sorts are continually being developed and run throughout the year. Our most notable and consistent offering is our anger education group. Please see posters around the centre and social media for our latest groups.

Group Courses

Several group programs are offered throughout the year. Participants must register for these courses in advance. Non-alcoholic beverages and snacks are provided at the events. Click to visit a course page for more information.

Anger Education

Go to Anger Education

Postpartum Support Group

Go To Postpartum Support Group

Special considerations

Special considerations are often present for those seeking or engaged in counselling services. If trying to determine if CFEC is the right place for your needs, please consider if any of the following scenarios apply to you:

Mandated services:

If a legal order or similar agreement requires you to attend counselling, you can certainly do so at CFEC. However, such requests are not inherently prioritized and any necessary documentation (e.g., treatment summaries, proof of attendance) will be subject to standard fees. If the organization mandating services has a funding agreement with CFEC, a referral from them may expedite services and offset fees.

Time-sensitive requirements:

There are times when it may be necessary for a client to complete a certain number of sessions within a given timeframe. We do our best to provide prospective clients with an up-to-date and accurate estimate of wait times, but this is only an estimate and subject to change. As with mandated services, we do not prioritize based on time sensitivity; if this is a major concern for you, we highly recommend you explore private options.

Emergency situations:

We are not a crisis centre. As such, we do not respond or provide services to clients after hours, on weekends, or over holidays. Similarly, if your counsellor is sick or on vacation, there is no alternate counsellor in place. If such absences are likely to be unbearable to you, it may be that your needs are beyond what we are able to support.

Session Limits

Session limits are in place in order to mitigate our extremely high demand for services. This will be discussed at the beginning of services. Once reached, clients may request additional services but will need to again wait for their turn on the waitlist.

Our Catchment Area

The catchment area of CFEC extends to the southern and eastern boundaries of the Cariboo Regional District, Lac La Hache to the north, and Dog Creek to the west. Only those living within this area are eligible for counselling services at CFEC.

Accessing Services

If you would like to learn how to access our services, or if you’re a professional seeking to make a referral, please visit our Access Services page.

Go To Access Services