Our Individual Counselling Services

Step 1: Making Your First Connection

Taking the first step toward healing can feel overwhelming, and we understand that reaching out for support requires courage. At Turning Tides Counselling & Life Coaching, we've designed our initial contact process to be as warm and welcoming as possible. Whether you're seeking support for trauma, navigating life transitions, or working through difficult emotions, we're here to walk alongside you.

Our compassionate individual counselling services serving Vancouver, British Columbia begin with a simple, no-pressure conversation. You're not committing to anything yet. You're simply exploring whether our approach feels right for you.

How to Get Started

Option 1: Book Your Free 20-Minute Consultation

The easiest way to begin is by scheduling a complimentary 20-minute consultation with Kotone Frankowski, Registered Therapeutic Counsellour. This brief conversation allows you to:

• Share what brings you to counselling right now
• Ask any questions about the therapeutic process
• Learn about our trauma informed approaches and how they might support your healing
• Get a sense of whether we're a good fit for your needs
• Understand what to expect from your first full session

There's no obligation. No pressure. Just a genuine conversation about how we might support you.

Book your consultation online: https://www.colib.io/booking/turning-tides-coaching-counselling

Option 2: Send Us an Email

Prefer to reach out in writing first? That's completely okay. Many clients find it easier to share their initial thoughts through email. Send us a message at info@turningtidestoday.com and let us know a bit about what you're looking for. We'll respond within one business day with information about next steps.

Option 3: Give Us a Call

If you'd like to speak with someone directly, you can reach us at (778) 321-6058. We're available Monday through Wednesday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. If we're with a client, please leave a message and we'll return your call as soon as possible.

What to Expect After You Reach Out

Once you've made contact, here's what happens next:

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to know exactly what I want to work on before I contact you?

Not at all. Many people reach out feeling uncertain or overwhelmed. That's completely normal. Our initial conversations help clarify what support might be most helpful for you right now.

What if I'm nervous about talking to someone for the first time?

Feeling nervous is incredibly common, and it's actually a sign that you're taking this step seriously. Kotone specializes in creating safe, gentle spaces for people who have experienced trauma or feel vulnerable. You can share as much or as little as feels comfortable during your first contact.

Can I choose between online and in-person sessions?

Currently, all our individual counselling sessions are offered online throughout British Columbia. This allows us to support clients across Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island, the Fraser Valley, Interior BC, and beyond. Online sessions provide flexibility, comfort, and accessibility while maintaining the same depth of therapeutic connection.

How quickly can I get an appointment?

We typically have availability within one to two weeks. If you're experiencing a crisis, please let us know when you contact us, and we'll do our best to accommodate you sooner or connect you with immediate support resources.

What about cost and insurance?

Individual counselling sessions are affordable and accessible. Coverage may be available based on your individual policy with providers including Canada Life, Green Shield Canada, Manulife, SunLife, and Pacific Blue Cross. We'll discuss fees and payment options during your initial contact, and sliding scale options are available for those who qualify.

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

Past experiences with therapy that didn't feel helpful can make reaching out again feel daunting. Our approach is different. We use trauma informed care grounded in evidence based practices including Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic approaches, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Every person's healing journey is unique, and we tailor our approach to what works for you.

Is my information kept confidential?

Absolutely. Everything you share is held in strict confidence, following professional ethical guidelines and British Columbia privacy laws. We'll discuss the details of confidentiality during your first session so you feel completely secure.

You're Not Alone in This

Turning Tides Counselling & Life Coaching's supportive counselling services available in Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond, and across British Columbia are here to help you navigate whatever challenges you're facing. Whether you're dealing with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD), relationship difficulties, anxiety, low self esteem, or major life transitions, you deserve compassionate, skilled support.

Reaching out is the hardest part. Once you do, we'll be right there with you, every step of the way.

Ready to Take the First Step?

Choose the option that feels most comfortable for you:

• Book online: Schedule your free 20-minute consultation
• Email us: info@turningtidestoday.com
• Call us: (778) 321-6058

We look forward to hearing from you and supporting you on your healing journey.

Step 2: Your First Sessions and Getting to Know Each Other

The beginning of your counselling journey is about creating connection, understanding your story, and building a foundation for healing. During your first few sessions, we'll work together to explore what brought you here and what you hope to achieve through our work together.

What Happens in Your Initial Sessions

Your first sessions are designed to be welcoming and collaborative. This is your time to share your story at your own pace, in a space that honours your experiences and respects your healing journey.

During these early sessions, we'll explore:

• Your current challenges and what's bringing you to counselling right now
• Your personal history and experiences that have shaped who you are today
• Your strengths and resources that you can draw upon in your healing
• What you hope to gain from counselling and what healing looks like for you
• How trauma may be affecting your daily life, relationships, and sense of self
• Your support systems and what's already working well in your life

Understanding Your Unique Journey

As we get to know each other, I use a gentle and conversational approach to understand your experiences. This isn't about filling out forms or answering rigid questions. Instead, we'll have meaningful conversations that help me understand:

• How you're experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, or trauma responses
• What patterns you've noticed in your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours
• How your past experiences are influencing your present life
• What coping strategies you've tried and what's been helpful or unhelpful
• Your emotional landscape and how you relate to difficult feelings

I may invite you to reflect on certain aspects of your experience through guided discussions and check-ins. These conversations help us both understand where you are now and where you'd like to go. Everything we discuss is collaborative. You're always in control of what you share and when.

Setting Goals Together

Goal setting in therapy is a collaborative and evolving process. Unlike traditional goal setting, we approach this with flexibility and compassion, recognizing that healing isn't linear.

We'll work together to identify:

• What matters most to you in your life right now
• Small, achievable steps that feel manageable and meaningful
• Your personal values and how to align your life with what's important to you
• Areas of growth you'd like to explore in our sessions
• Signs of progress that are meaningful to you, not just symptom reduction

Your goals might include things like managing overwhelming emotions, healing from past trauma, improving relationships, building self-esteem, or navigating life transitions. Whatever matters to you matters in our work together.

What to Bring and How to Prepare

Preparing for your first sessions doesn't require extensive homework. Simply showing up as you are is enough. However, some clients find it helpful to:

Common Questions About Getting Started

How long are the sessions?Each session is 50 minutes, giving us focused time to explore your experiences and work toward your goals.

Do I have to share everything right away?Absolutely not. You share what feels right at your own pace. Building trust takes time, and I respect your process completely.

What if I don't know what my goals are yet?That's completely normal and okay. Many clients begin counselling feeling uncertain about what they need. We'll discover your goals together through our conversations.

Will you diagnose me?Our focus is on understanding your experiences and supporting your healing, not on labelling you. While I may use clinical language when helpful or required for insurance, our work together centres on your humanity, not a diagnosis.

What if I get emotional during sessions?Emotions are welcome here. Crying, anger, sadness, and all feelings are valid parts of the healing process. I'll support you through whatever arises.

How will I know if therapy is working?We'll regularly check in together about how you're feeling and what's shifting for you. Progress looks different for everyone. It might be feeling calmer, relating differently to difficult emotions, or noticing changes in your relationships.

Our Therapeutic Approach

At Turning Tides Counselling & Life Coaching, our trauma informed approach means we understand how past experiences shape present struggles. We integrate multiple evidence-based methods tailored to your unique needs, always beginning with Internal Family Systems (IFS) as a foundational framework for understanding your inner world.

Our approach draws from:

• Internal Family Systems (IFS) to help you understand and heal different parts of yourself
• Somatic approaches that honour the wisdom of your body in healing trauma
• Polyvagal informed practices to help regulate your nervous system
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for practical tools to shift unhelpful thought patterns
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help you live according to your values
• Attachment based therapy to heal relational wounds and build secure connections
• Compassion focused approaches to develop kindness toward yourself
• Mindfulness practices to cultivate present moment awareness
• Strength based perspectives that recognize your resilience and resources
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills for emotional regulation and distress tolerance

You don't need to understand these approaches before we begin. I'll explain everything in plain language and we'll discover together what works best for you.

Between Session Support

Your healing doesn't stop when our session ends. I offer email support between sessions for brief questions or reflections. This ongoing connection helps you feel supported throughout your journey, not just during our scheduled time together.

Confidentiality and Safety

Everything you share in counselling is confidential and protected. I follow strict professional and legal guidelines to ensure your privacy. The only exceptions are situations involving risk of harm to yourself or others, or if required by law. We'll discuss confidentiality fully in our first session so you feel completely safe.

Ready to Begin?

Starting counselling is a brave and meaningful step toward healing and growth. Our compassionate individual counselling services serving Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, and communities throughout British Columbia are here to support you.

If you'd like to discuss whether we're a good fit before booking, I offer a free 20-minute consultation where we can talk about your needs and answer any questions you have.

Book your first session or free consultation today:

Schedule Your Session

Turning Tides Counselling & Life Coaching's individual counselling available in Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island, the Fraser Valley, Interior BC, and across British Columbia is ready to walk alongside you in your healing journey.

Step 3: Active Therapy & Ongoing Support

Once we've established our therapeutic relationship and identified your goals together, we move into the heart of our work. Our specialized individual counselling serving Vancouver and communities throughout British Columbia focuses on sustainable healing and meaningful growth. Each session builds on the last, creating momentum toward the changes you want to see in your life.

What Happens During Your Sessions

Every 50-minute session is designed around your unique needs and healing journey. We begin where you are. Some days that means processing difficult emotions that arose during the week. Other days we celebrate progress and explore new territory. Turning Tides Counselling & Life Coaching's trauma informed approach available across British Columbia ensures you always feel safe and supported.

Your sessions typically include:

• Opening reflection where you share what's present for you today, what's been happening since we last met, and what feels most important to address
• Therapeutic exploration using approaches tailored to your specific situation, drawing from Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic experiencing, polyvagal informed practices, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), attachment based therapy, compassion focused therapy, mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT), relational therapy, strengths based approaches, and dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)
• Skill building and practice where we work together on techniques you can use in your daily life to manage stress, regulate emotions, and navigate challenges
• Integration and planning as we close each session, reflecting on insights gained and identifying supportive practices for the week ahead

Therapeutic Techniques We Use Together

Internal Family Systems (IFS) informed work helps you understand the different parts of yourself, especially those that developed to protect you from pain or trauma. This approach is particularly powerful for healing Complex PTSD and understanding why you react the way you do in certain situations.

Somatic and body based practices recognize that trauma and stress live in your body, not just your mind. We pay attention to physical sensations, tension patterns, and nervous system responses. You'll learn to befriend your body's signals rather than fight against them.

Polyvagal informed understanding helps explain why you sometimes feel stuck in fight, flight, or freeze responses. This knowledge alone can be incredibly validating and helps us work with your nervous system rather than against it.

We also integrate cognitive and mindfulness approaches to help you notice thought patterns that no longer serve you, develop present moment awareness, and cultivate self compassion. The specific combination of techniques we use depends entirely on what resonates with you and what your healing journey requires.

Between Session Support & Practice

Healing doesn't only happen in our sessions. The real transformation occurs in how you show up in your daily life. That's why our comprehensive counselling services covering Vancouver, Surrey, Richmond, and communities throughout Metro Vancouver include supportive practices you can use between our meetings.

Reflective practices might include journaling prompts, noticing exercises, or simply paying attention to patterns in your thoughts and feelings. These aren't assignments or homework in the traditional sense. Think of them as invitations to deepen your self awareness and practice new skills in real world situations.

Skill practice opportunities give you chances to try out coping strategies, communication techniques, or grounding exercises we've explored together. You decide what feels manageable and meaningful for you.

Email support between sessions is available when you need to share a reflection, ask a question, or simply feel connected to the therapeutic process. While I can't provide crisis support via email, I'm here to offer encouragement and brief guidance as you navigate your week.

Resource sharing happens organically as we work together. I might suggest a particular book, article, podcast, or community resource that aligns with what you're working through. These are always optional and offered as potential supports, never requirements.

Tracking Your Progress Together

We monitor your growth through ongoing conversations and reflections rather than formal evaluations. Turning Tides Counselling & Life Coaching's personalized mental health services available throughout British Columbia emphasize collaborative healing where you remain the expert on your own experience.

Every few sessions, we pause to reflect together:

• What's shifting for you?
• What feels different in your daily life?
• Are we focusing on what matters most to you?
• What's working well in our sessions?
• What might we adjust or explore differently?

This collaborative approach ensures our work stays aligned with your goals and values. You might notice you're sleeping better, feeling less overwhelmed, communicating more effectively in relationships, or simply experiencing more moments of peace. These real life changes matter far more than any checklist or score.

Progress looks different for everyone. For some, it's finally feeling safe enough to talk about painful experiences. For others, it's learning to set boundaries or recognize your own needs. There's no single path or timeline. Your healing unfolds at exactly the pace that's right for you.

Adjusting Our Approach as You Grow

As you change and grow, our therapeutic focus naturally evolves. What felt urgent in month one might resolve, making space for deeper work. New insights often lead to new questions. Our flexible individual therapy serving Victoria, Nanaimo, Kelowna, Kamloops, and communities across Vancouver Island and Interior BC adapts to meet you wherever you are in your journey.

Some clients work intensively for several months, then transition to less frequent sessions as they integrate their learning. Others maintain consistent weekly sessions for extended periods. Many return for additional support during life transitions or challenging times, even after completing an initial course of therapy. Your path is yours to choose.

Building Lasting Change

The ultimate goal isn't just feeling better during our sessions. It's developing the awareness, skills, and self compassion to navigate life's challenges with greater ease and resilience. Turning Tides Counselling & Life Coaching's trauma informed individual counselling available across British Columbia equips you with tools that last long after our work together ends.

You'll learn to recognize your patterns, understand your triggers, and respond to yourself with kindness rather than criticism. You'll develop healthier ways of relating to others and advocating for your needs. Most importantly, you'll reconnect with parts of yourself that may have been buried under pain, fear, or survival strategies.

This is collaborative work. I bring my training, experience, and commitment to your healing. You bring your courage, honesty, and willingness to explore. Together, we create the conditions for meaningful, sustainable change.

Ready to begin this journey? Book your first session through our secure online platform and take the next step toward the life you deserve.

Book Your Session Now

Coverage for counselling services may be available through your extended health benefits, depending on your individual policy. We're recognized by major insurance providers including Canada Life, Green Shield Canada, Manulife, SunLife, and Pacific Blue Cross.

Step 4: Completion and Ongoing Support

You've reached an important milestone. This step focuses on recognizing your progress, planning for the future, and ensuring you have the support you need as you move forward independently.

Evaluating Your Progress

As we approach completion of your individual counselling journey, we take time to reflect on how far you've come. Together, we'll review the goals you set at the beginning and celebrate the shifts you've made in how you think, feel, and respond to life's challenges.

You might notice changes like:

• Greater ease in managing emotions that once felt overwhelming
• Clearer thinking when facing difficult situations
• Stronger sense of who you are and what matters to you
• Improved relationships and communication with people close to you
• More confidence in your ability to handle life's transitions
• A deeper understanding of your own patterns and strengths

These changes didn't happen overnight. They're the result of your commitment to showing up, being honest, and doing the work week after week.

Signs You're Ready for Completion

Readiness for completion looks different for everyone. There's no single timeline. Some people benefit from counselling for several months, while others work with us for longer. What matters is that you feel equipped to move forward.

You might be ready when you find yourself:

• Using the tools and strategies we've explored without needing to think about them
• Handling setbacks with more resilience and self-compassion
• Feeling clearer about your values and life direction
• Noticing that sessions feel less urgent and more reflective
• Experiencing longer stretches of emotional stability
• Trusting your own judgment and inner wisdom more

The decision to complete counselling is collaborative. We'll discuss whether now feels like the right time, and we'll honour your sense of readiness.

Your Maintenance Plan

Healing isn't something that ends when counselling ends. It continues as you live your life and apply what you've learned. We'll create a personalized maintenance plan together.

Your plan might include:

• Daily practices that keep you grounded, such as mindfulness, journaling, or movement
• Weekly or monthly check-ins with yourself to notice how you're managing and what you might need
• Strategies for difficult moments when old patterns try to resurface
• Connection to community through our support groups or book club if that feels helpful
• Resources you can return to whenever you need reminders or guidance
• Permission to reach out if you hit a rough patch and need support again

Think of this plan as your personal toolkit. You've built it together with us, and now it belongs to you.

Ongoing Support Options

Completing individual counselling doesn't mean you're on your own. Our trauma informed counselling services serving all of British Columbia include several ways to stay connected and supported.

Many people find that combining individual work with group support creates a sustainable foundation for long-term wellbeing. Others prefer to move forward independently and return only when needed. Both approaches are valid.

Celebrating Your Growth

Take a moment to acknowledge what you've accomplished. You came to counselling carrying pain, confusion, or weight that felt too heavy to bear alone. You showed up consistently. You were vulnerable. You tried new ways of thinking and being even when it felt uncomfortable. You chose yourself and your healing.

That takes courage.

The shifts you've made are real. They're yours. And they'll continue to unfold as you move forward.

What Happens Next

In our final sessions together, we'll:

• Review the key insights and breakthroughs you've had
• Solidify your maintenance plan and make sure it feels realistic for you
• Discuss how to recognize early warning signs if you're struggling
• Talk about what support options feel right for you going forward
• Create closure in a way that honours the work you've done

Ending counselling is a transition like any other. It's okay to feel a mix of emotions about it. Relief, gratitude, sadness, and uncertainty can all be present at the same time. We'll make space for all of it.

You're Never Truly Alone

Turning Tides' counselling and life coaching services available across British Columbia are here for you beyond the formal end of your sessions. Whether you need a refresher, face a new challenge, or simply want to reconnect, reaching out is always an option.

Life will continue to bring changes and challenges. That's part of being human. But you're not facing it with the same tools you had before. You've learned. You've grown. You've discovered strengths you didn't know you had.

Hold onto that.

Ready to Move Forward?

If you're ready to begin Step 4 or want to discuss what completion and ongoing support might look like for you, we're here to help.

Book your session today through our online booking platform:

https://www.colib.io/booking/turning-tides-coaching-counselling

You can also reach out directly to discuss your next steps. We're honoured to have been part of your healing journey, and we're here to support whatever comes next.