Our CBT Therapy Services

Step 1: Getting Started with CBT Therapy at Turning Tides

Welcome to Your Healing Journey

Taking the first step toward healing takes courage. At Turning Tides Counselling & Life Coaching, we understand that reaching out for support is a significant decision. Our approach to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is grounded in care informed by trauma research, ensuring you feel safe and supported from your very first conversation with us.

What Is CBT and How Can It Help You?

Cognitive behavioural therapy is a practical, evidence-based approach that helps you understand the connections between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Rather than focusing solely on past events, CBT empowers you to develop new ways of thinking and responding to life's challenges. This method has shown remarkable effectiveness for managing anxiety, depression, trauma responses, and the emotional patterns that may be holding you back.

At our Vancouver-based practice, we integrate CBT with other therapeutic approaches including Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic experiencing, dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). This means your treatment is tailored specifically to your unique needs and circumstances.

How to Begin: Your Initial Contact

Starting therapy with us is straightforward and designed with your comfort in mind.

• Reach out to us via email at info@turningtidestoday.com or by phone at 778-321-6058
• Book your free 20-minute consultation through our online booking platform at https://www.colib.io/booking/turning-tides-coaching-counselling
• Have a brief conversation where we listen to what brings you in and answer any questions you may have
• Determine if we're the right fit for your needs and discuss next steps together

Your First Full Session: What to Expect

Once you've decided to move forward, your first 50-minute session will be a time for us to truly get to know you. Kotone Frankowski, our Registered Therapeutic Counsellor, will create a warm, welcoming space where you can share at your own pace.

During this session, you can expect:

• A thorough conversation about what brought you to counselling
• Discussion of your background, current challenges, and what you hope to achieve
• Exploration of your values and the strengths you already possess
• An explanation of how CBT and our integrated approach can support your specific situation
• Clear information about how we work together, including session length, frequency, and what confidentiality means
• Collaborative goal-setting that reflects what matters most to you

This isn't an interrogation. It's a conversation between two people working toward your wellbeing.

Service Delivery Options

We offer flexible ways to access therapy that fit your life:

• Online sessions available to clients throughout British Columbia, including Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island, the Fraser Valley, Interior BC, Northern BC, and beyond
• Secure, encrypted platforms ensure your privacy during virtual sessions
• Flexible scheduling to accommodate your work and personal commitments

Frequently Asked Questions About Getting Started

Is CBT right for me?

CBT works well for many people, particularly those dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma responses, relationship challenges, and life transitions. During your free consultation, we can discuss whether this approach aligns with your needs. If it doesn't, we'll be honest about that and can explore other options together.

How long does therapy typically take?

This varies from person to person. Some people benefit from short-term focused work on specific issues. Others prefer longer-term support as they navigate deeper healing. We'll discuss what feels right for you as we progress.

What if I'm nervous about opening up to a stranger?

That's completely normal. Many people feel this way before their first session. Our role is to create an environment where you feel safe enough to be yourself. We move at your pace, and you're always in control of what you share and when.

How is confidentiality protected?

Everything you share is held in strict confidence. We follow professional standards and legal requirements to protect your privacy. The only exceptions are situations involving immediate safety concerns, which we would discuss with you directly.

What if I've tried therapy before and it didn't work?

Previous therapy experiences, whether positive or challenging, inform how we work together. Sometimes it's about finding the right approach or the right fit with a counsellor. We're committed to understanding what you need and adjusting our approach accordingly.

Can I do therapy online if I'm not in Vancouver?

Yes. Our online sessions serve clients throughout British Columbia and internationally. You'll have the same quality of care whether you're joining from your home in Victoria, Kelowna, Prince George, or anywhere else with a secure internet connection.

What about insurance coverage?

Coverage may be available based on your individual policy. We accept major insurance providers including Canada Life, Green Shield Canada, Manulife, SunLife, and Pacific Blue Cross. We recommend checking with your provider about your specific coverage. You'll pay for sessions upfront and can submit claims for reimbursement.

What if I can't afford regular sessions?

We believe everyone deserves access to quality care. A sliding scale option is available upon request for those who need financial flexibility. Let's have a conversation about what works for your situation.

Investment in Your Wellbeing

Individual sessions are offered at an affordable rate, with couples sessions also available. Pricing details are provided during your consultation and on our services page. We accept Mastercard, Visa, and PayPal for your convenience.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Your healing journey begins with a single conversation. There's no pressure, no judgment, just genuine support from someone who understands what you're going through.

Book your free 20-minute consultation today:

Schedule Your Free Consultation

Or reach out directly:

• Email: info@turningtidestoday.com
• Phone: 778-321-6058
• Website: www.turningtidestoday.com

About Kotone Frankowski

Your counsellor, Kotone Natasha Frankowski, is a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor with certification from Evergreen Certificates. She brings over five years of professional experience and a deep commitment to care informed by trauma research. Her approach combines evidence-based methods with genuine compassion, ensuring you receive thoughtful, personalised support tailored to your unique circumstances.

Kotone specialises in helping people navigate trauma, complex emotional patterns, relationship challenges, self-esteem concerns, and significant life transitions. She works with individuals, couples, and groups across British Columbia and beyond.

Our Commitment to You

At Turning Tides, we believe healing is possible. We're here to walk alongside you, offering skilled support, genuine care, and evidence-based approaches that actually work. Your wellbeing matters. Your story matters. And you deserve to feel better.

Let's begin this journey together.

Step 2: Getting to Know You and Setting Your Direction

Welcome to the second step of your journey with us. This is where we truly begin to understand what brings you here and what you hope to achieve. Think of this phase as a collaborative conversation where we get to know each other and build the foundation for meaningful change.

What Happens in Your First Sessions

Your first session with Turning Tides Counselling & Life Coaching is designed to feel welcoming and safe. We'll spend time talking about what's been happening in your life, what matters most to you, and what you're hoping to work towards. This isn't a clinical interrogation. It's a genuine conversation between two people who are committed to your healing and growth.

During these initial sessions, we'll explore your story, your values, and the strengths you already possess. Many people are surprised to discover resources within themselves they didn't know were there. We'll listen carefully and ask thoughtful questions to help you clarify what you really want from counselling.

How We Get to Know You

Rather than filling out lengthy forms, we use a conversational approach. We'll discuss your background, your current situation, and what's been most challenging for you. If you've experienced trauma or are navigating complex emotions, we create space for you to share at your own pace. There's no pressure to reveal everything at once.

As we talk together, we're also learning about your values, what gives your life meaning, and what you're genuinely ready to work on. This collaborative process helps us understand not just your struggles, but your hopes and your unique strengths.

What to Bring and Prepare

To make the most of your first sessions, here's a simple checklist to help you prepare:

• A quiet, private space where you can speak openly (for online sessions)
• Any relevant medical or mental health history you're comfortable sharing
• A list of current medications or supplements, if applicable
• Insurance information, if you plan to submit claims
• A notebook or device for jotting down thoughts or insights that emerge
• An open mind and willingness to explore what's been happening in your life
• Honest reflections on what you hope to achieve through counselling

You don't need to prepare a formal presentation. Simply come as you are, ready to have a genuine conversation about your life and your hopes for change.

Understanding Our Approach to Growth

Our counselling draws on several evidence-based approaches that work together to support your healing. We use Internal Family Systems work, which helps you understand different parts of yourself and how they interact. We incorporate somatic approaches that recognise how your body holds onto experiences. We draw on cognitive behavioural techniques to help shift unhelpful patterns. We use acceptance and commitment therapy to help you live in line with your values. And we bring in dialectical behaviour therapy skills for emotional regulation and resilience.

What this means in practice is that we're not applying a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, we're tailoring our work to what resonates with you and what your unique situation calls for.

Setting Goals That Matter to You

One of the most important parts of these early sessions is working together to clarify your goals. These aren't goals we impose on you. They're goals you identify as meaningful and important to your life.

We might explore questions like: What would be different if counselling went really well? What matters most to you? What would help you feel more like yourself? What relationships or areas of your life do you want to improve?

Your goals might be about healing from past experiences, improving how you relate to others, managing difficult emotions more effectively, discovering your life purpose, or simply feeling more at peace. Whatever matters to you matters to us.

How We Track Your Progress

Throughout our work together, we'll check in regularly about how things are shifting for you. This isn't about ticking boxes or meeting clinical benchmarks. It's about noticing real changes in how you feel, how you relate to others, and how you're moving through your life.

We'll have conversations about what's working, what feels different, and where you might want to adjust our approach. You'll receive between-session email support to help you reflect on insights and stay connected to your goals. This ongoing dialogue ensures that your counselling stays responsive to your actual needs and experiences.

Addressing Your Concerns About This Process

Will I have to share everything at once? No. You share what feels safe and manageable. Healing happens at your pace, not ours. We respect your boundaries completely.

What if I'm not sure what my goals are yet? That's completely normal. Many people come to counselling without a clear sense of what they want. We'll explore this together, and your goals will become clearer as we work.

Is this process confidential? Yes, absolutely. Everything you share is held in strict confidence. The only exceptions are situations involving immediate safety risks, which we'll discuss openly with you.

What if I don't feel comfortable with the approach? We encourage you to tell us. Your comfort and trust are essential. We can adjust our approach or discuss what might work better for you.

How long does this phase take? Most people find that the first two to four sessions give us a solid foundation for the work ahead. However, this varies based on your unique situation and what feels right for you.

Session Details

Your sessions will be 50 minutes long, giving us meaningful time to connect and explore. Sessions are conducted online through a secure platform, making them accessible whether you're in Vancouver, elsewhere in British Columbia, or anywhere else. Our trauma informed care approach means we create a safe, respectful space where you can be fully yourself.

Our counselling services are available to clients throughout British Columbia, including Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island, the Fraser Valley, the Interior, Northern BC, the Kootenays, and beyond. If you're located outside BC, we can also discuss options for supporting your healing journey.

Insurance and Investment

We work with several major insurance providers. Coverage may be available based on your individual policy with Canada Life, Green Shield Canada, Manulife, SunLife, or Pacific Blue Cross. We recommend checking with your provider about your specific coverage before your first session.

We accept payment via Mastercard, Visa, and PayPal. A sliding scale option is available for those who need it, because we believe everyone deserves access to quality counselling.

Ready to Begin?

This second step is about building trust, clarity, and direction. It's about discovering what you truly want and how we can work together to help you get there. Your first sessions with us are an investment in understanding yourself more deeply and charting a course toward the life you want to live.

When you're ready to move forward, we invite you to book your first session through our online booking platform. You can also reach out with any questions before you begin.

Book your first session now: https://www.colib.io/booking/turning-tides-coaching-counselling

We look forward to getting to know you and supporting your journey toward healing and growth.

Step 3: Your Therapy Sessions and Ongoing Support

You've identified your goals and chosen your therapeutic approach. Now comes the meaningful work of healing. This step is where real transformation happens through consistent, supportive sessions and the practices you'll develop between them.

What to Expect in Your Sessions

Each session lasts 50 minutes and follows a natural rhythm designed to support your healing journey. Here's how your time together typically unfolds.

Therapeutic Techniques We Use

Our trauma informed care draws on several evidence-based approaches. Each one is chosen because it aligns with your needs and your healing goals.

• Internal Family Systems (IFS) helps you understand the different parts of yourself. Rather than seeing your responses as problems, we explore them with curiosity. This approach is particularly powerful for those who've experienced complex trauma, as it helps you develop compassion for all the ways you've protected yourself.
• Somatic approaches recognise that trauma lives in your body, not just your mind. We work gently with your nervous system, helping you feel safer in your own skin and develop a more trusting relationship with your physical self.
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) supports you in noticing patterns between your thoughts, feelings, and actions. When you understand these connections, you gain real choice in how you respond to life's challenges.
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps you build a life aligned with what truly matters to you. Rather than fighting difficult thoughts and feelings, you learn to move forward even when they're present.
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) combines acceptance and change strategies. It's especially helpful if you're managing intense emotions or navigating complex relationship patterns.

What matters most is that these aren't techniques applied to you. They're tools we explore together, and we adjust our approach based on what actually helps you feel more grounded, more connected, and more like yourself.

Practices Between Sessions

The real work of healing happens in your everyday life. Between sessions, you'll have the opportunity to practice what you're learning and notice what shifts.

These practices might include:

• Reflective writing to notice patterns, track what's shifting, and process emotions that come up. This isn't about perfect prose. It's about getting your inner experience onto the page.
• Grounding and calming practices tailored to what works for your nervous system. These might be breathing techniques, sensory awareness exercises, or movement practices that help you feel more present and settled.
• Relational practices if you're working on relationships. This might mean trying new ways of communicating with a partner, noticing patterns in how you connect with others, or simply being more intentional about how you show up in your relationships.
• Mindfulness and reflection to deepen your awareness of your own inner world. This helps you notice what you're feeling before you react, giving you more choice in how you respond.
• Creative or movement-based practices that help you process experience in ways that go beyond words. Art, music, dance, or time in nature can all be part of your healing.
• Reading and learning if that resonates with you. Our therapy book club offers a community-based way to explore healing through literature and shared discussion.

You'll never feel pressured to do these practices. Instead, we'll explore together what feels genuinely helpful and sustainable for you. The goal is to build practices that feel like gifts you're giving yourself, not obligations you're forcing yourself to meet.

Between-Session Support

Your healing doesn't pause when your session ends. We offer several ways to stay connected and supported between appointments.

• Post-session follow-up emails give you a chance to reflect on what emerged in your session. These emails often include reminders of insights you shared, practices we discussed, or resources that might support your week ahead.
• Email support means you can reach out between sessions if something important comes up or if you want to check in about a practice you're exploring. This isn't a crisis line, but it's a way to stay connected to your healing work.
• Access to our CPTSD support group provides community with others who understand complex trauma. Meeting weekly, this group offers both psychoeducation and the profound healing that comes from being truly seen and heard by others on similar journeys.
• Our therapy book club offers an affordable way to deepen your healing through guided reading and discussion. You'll explore books focused on trauma recovery, emotional healing, and personal growth alongside others who are on their own journeys.

Tracking Your Progress

Healing isn't always linear, and progress isn't always obvious. That's why we build in regular moments to reflect on what's shifting.

Rather than formal assessments, we have ongoing conversations about how you're feeling. We might notice together that you're sleeping better, that you're responding to conflict differently, or that you feel more at home in your own body. Sometimes progress shows up as increased self-compassion or a clearer sense of what you actually want from your life.

We'll also check in regularly about whether our approach is working for you. If something isn't landing right, we'll adjust. Your feedback shapes your therapy. You're not a passive recipient of treatment. You're an active collaborator in your own healing.

What Makes This Work

The research is clear about what creates lasting change in therapy. It's not the specific technique. It's the quality of the relationship, your genuine commitment to the process, and the consistency of showing up for yourself week after week.

Our trauma informed care approach means we're always mindful of your sense of safety, your autonomy, and your inherent strength. We're not here to tell you what's wrong with you or what you need to fix. We're here to support you in reconnecting with your own wisdom and resilience.

Every person heals differently. Your timeline is your own. Some shifts happen quickly. Others unfold slowly over months. What matters is that you're moving toward a life that feels more aligned with who you actually are.

Ready to Begin?

Our trauma informed counselling services are available across British Columbia, with online sessions that fit your schedule. Whether you're navigating complex trauma, working through relationship challenges, or discovering your life's direction, we're here to support your journey.

Book your first session through our online platform. You can also reach out with any questions about how we work or what to expect.

Book Your Session Now

Step 4: Maintaining Your Progress and Moving Forward

You've reached an important milestone. The work you've done through cognitive behavioural therapy has equipped you with real tools, genuine insights, and a deeper understanding of yourself. Step 4 is about ensuring this progress continues long after our sessions together.

Evaluating Your Progress

As we approach completion, we'll take time to reflect on where you started and where you are now. This isn't about clinical measurements or formal testing. Instead, we'll have conversations about the changes you've noticed in your daily life.

• How have your thought patterns shifted?
• What situations feel more manageable now?
• How has your confidence grown?
• What relationships have improved?
• Where do you notice more peace or clarity?

These reflections matter far more than any score or rating. They're the real measure of your healing.

Signs You May Be Ready for Completion

There's no single timeline for therapy. Everyone's journey is different. However, you might be ready to transition from regular sessions when you notice:

• You're using the CBT tools independently and they're working well for you
• You feel more confident managing difficult emotions without immediate support
• Your relationships are stronger and communication feels easier
• You've achieved the goals you set at the beginning of therapy
• You understand your patterns and can catch unhelpful thoughts before they spiral
• You feel a genuine sense of hope about your future

Completion doesn't mean you've 'fixed' everything. It means you have the skills and understanding to continue your growth independently.

Your Maintenance Strategy

The most important part of Step 4 is planning how you'll maintain your progress. We'll create a personalised maintenance plan together that includes:

Ongoing Support Options

Completing regular therapy doesn't mean you're on your own. Our trauma informed counselling services serving across British Columbia offer several ways to stay connected and supported.

Occasional Check-In Sessions

Many clients find it helpful to schedule a session every few months, especially during challenging times or major life transitions. These aren't regular therapy. They're moments to reconnect, refocus, and ensure you're staying on track.

Between-Session Email Support

If something comes up between sessions, you can reach out via email. We're here to offer guidance, perspective, or simply to remind you of the tools you already have.

CPTSD Support Groups and Therapy Book Clubs

Our community-based groups continue to meet regularly. These affordable options let you stay connected with others who understand your journey. The shared experiences and ongoing discussions about healing create a safety net of support that extends far beyond individual sessions.

Access to Resources

You'll always have access to the materials, worksheets, and reflections we've created together. These become your personal toolkit for ongoing growth.

What Happens If You Need Support Again

Life is unpredictable. Sometimes new challenges emerge. Sometimes old patterns resurface during stressful periods. This is completely normal and doesn't erase the progress you've made.

If you find yourself struggling, reaching out is a sign of strength, not failure. Our counselling services available across British Columbia are here whenever you need them. Whether you need a few sessions to work through something specific or want to return to regular therapy, we'll welcome you back without judgment.

Celebrating Your Achievement

Take a moment to truly acknowledge what you've accomplished. You showed up. You were honest about your struggles. You learned new ways of thinking and responding. You built skills that will serve you for the rest of your life.

This is significant. This matters.

The insights you've gained, the patterns you've recognised, the compassion you've developed for yourself – these are yours to keep. They're part of who you are now.

Ready to Book Your Next Step?

Whether you're ready to complete your current therapy journey or want to schedule a check-in session down the road, we're here to support you. Our online booking platform makes it easy to find a time that works for you.

Book your session now

You can also reach out directly if you have questions about maintenance planning, ongoing support options, or anything else related to your continued growth.

Email: info@turningtidestoday.com

Phone: 778-321-6058

Your journey toward greater peace, clearer thinking, and deeper self-understanding doesn't end here. It evolves. And we're honoured to have been part of this chapter of your story.