Let Us Answer Some Of The Most Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What makes trauma therapy different than counselling?
A. All of the work our team does technically falls under “counselling” - but much of the work we do is trauma-specific. Trauma therapists have specialized skills, knowledge and expertise in assessing, understanding, and treating the impacts of chronic stress and trauma on the brain and body. In addition to talk therapy, we integrate a different neurobiologically based trauma therapy techniques that can help eople who feel stuck or who are not satisfied with the progress they’ve made with other approaches. 
Trauma therapy goes beyond symptom reduction as this approach aims to address the roots of long-standing problem areas, leaving people with a greater sense of freedom and flexibility.

Q. How long does therapy usually take?
A. In general, most people notice some improvement in a few sessions. More meaningful changes usually come after a few months of regular sessions (or intensive session). Pace depends various factors, including but not limited to: problem areas being addressed, what the person wants to get out of therapy, as well as a person’s motivation and commitment to work on issues outside of the counselling room and in between sessions. After experiencing the benefits of trauma therapy and counselling, any people choose to continue with therapy but with less frequent sessions. 

Q. I am new to this - what can I expect from my experience with Tidal Trauma Centre? 
The first three steps include:
1. We will help pair you with some counsellors we believe are well suited to help you overcome the problems you’re seeking help with. We encourage new clients to schedule free consultation calls with one or more of our counsellors, as this allows people to get a sense of the fit between themselves and the counsellor. If someone isn’t feeling totally comfortable with and confident in a counsellor they’ve been paired with, we recommend a consultation with another counsellor. Whether on our team or not, our intake team will assist you in finding a therapist who available immediately and has the skills and training to provide you with the best counselling experience possible.
2. You’ll meet with your counsellor for your first session, whether online or in-person at our office in Surrey (Cloverdale). It’s our job to introduce you to counselling, and give you a clear sense of what to expect in the coming sessions, as well as your rights and responsibilities as a counselling client. You will work together with your counsellor to establish goals individual to your unique difficulties, dreams and desires. Your counsellor will establish a treatment plan detailing what kinds of therapies will be used in counselling to help reach your goals. 
3. Your counsellor will collaborate with you to work towards your goals. Therapy will involve reflecting on your progress, so your counsellor can identify what is helping and what might need to be added or changed to optimize your results. 

If you are ever dissatisfied with your counselling experience, we encourage you to speak to your counsellor directly about it.
In cases where a client may not want to address the issue with their counsellor, we ask them to contact our team at feedback@tidaltrauma.com so we can resolve your concerns and make sure you get exactly what you need out of therapy.

Q. I’ve been to therapy but if I didn’t like it or it didn’t work for me, why should I try again?
A. Our therapists frequently work with people who have been disappointed, confused or frustrated by their previous therapy experiences. As trauma therapists, we lean into this so we can discover what went wrong and how to ensure you have a better experience this time. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for people to have negative experiences of therapy. Even though we try to safeguard our profession with high educational and ethical standards, people frequently report disappointing and sometimes harmful experiences of therapy. We hope, however, that previous experiences do not diminish your willingness to try again with a trained expert. A trained trauma-informed therapist will understand not only how to not repeat the damages of previous experiences, but also how to repair them and make sure they don’t interfere with your progress.

Q. Does Tidal Trauma Centre provide in-person trauma therapy and counselling?
A. Yes, we work with children, youth, families, couples and adults in-person at our counselling office in Surrey (Cloverdale BC). Our office is centrally located near the intersection of Highway 10 and Highway 15, making it easily accessible from Langley, Delta, White Rock and Vancouver.

Q. Does Tidal Trauma Centre provide online trauma therapy and counselling?
A. Yes, most of our team have experience in delivering trauma therapy and counselling online. We use JaneApp’s online appointments feature which easy to use but also secure and HIPAA compliant.

Q. Does Tidal Trauma Centre provide therapy for children in Surrey?
A. Yes, but only a few therapists on our team specialize in counselling children and their families, currently: Allison Wong and Philip Henein. For any additional referrals, we recommend Treehouse Trauma Centre in Fort Langley for clients in the Fraser Valley and A. Weiser & Associates in Maple Ridge for the TriCities area.

Q. Does Tidal Trauma Centre provide family counselling or therapy for families in Surrey?
A. Yes, several of our therapists work with families of youth as they find this more effective than only doing therapy with the youth. Our trauma therapists who specialize in family counselling with youth are currently: Camilla Bjurling, Ikjyot Rehal, Allison Wong, Hameda Nyamekye, Audrey Carriere and Philip Henein. These counsellors also work with families with adult children and extended families.

Q. Does Tidal Trauma Centre provide couples counselling or marriage therapy?
A. Yes, several of our therapists work with couples, using various evidence based therapies (see below for more information.) Currently these therapist are offering services for couples: Ikjyot Rehal, Allison Wong, Philip Henein, John Zak, Kamyani Bansal

Q. Does Tidal Trauma Centre provide counselling in languages other than English?
A. Yes, we currently have counsellors offering therapy in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Arabic, Asante (Twi) and French, in addition to all counsellors working in English.

Q. What are the cultural backgrounds of the counsellors at Tidal Trauma Centre?
A. Just like the communities we work in, our counsellors represent a variety of cultural and ancestral backgrounds. Some are caucasian, and first and second generation immigrants, Black therapists, Asian therapists, South Asian therapists, and Mixed Race therapists. Our team has different religious backgrounds such as Christian Therapists, Sikh Therapists and Secular Therapists (atheist, nonreligious or religious neutral counsellors). Many of our counsellors have lived experience and professional expertise in biculturalism, immigration, growing up second generation, intergenerational trauma, racial trauma, religious trauma, oppression, prejudice, and being a newcomer to Canada. A therapist who respects and acknowledges your cultural background and personal values can create a more inclusive and effective experience of therapy.

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

• Observed Experiential Integration (OEI)

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• Narrative Therapy

• Psychodynamic Therapy

• Lifespan Integration (LI)

• Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Solution-Focused Therapy

Q. What counselling approaches and therapy types are used by our in-person team in Surrey, and online?
A. Most, if not all therapy approaches can be provide both in-persona and online.
Counsellors at Tidal Trauma Centre use a number of effective therapy approaches including:

Q. What counselling approaches and therapy types are used by our couples counsellors in relationship therapy? Are our couples counsellors trained in evidence-based therapies?
A. Our couples counsellors are trained in some of the most researched and proven methods for restoring relationship satisfaction, such as Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), the Gottman Method, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). These evidence-based apporaches are effective for many relationships in couples counselling and marriage therapy. 

Q. What is Emotionally-focused therapy (EFT) for Couples Counselling
A. Emotionally-focused therapy (EFT) explores and addresses the underlying emotions and attachment dynamics that motivate difficult behaviours and conflicts. EFT works quickly to establish a deeper emotional connection between partners and the co-creation of safety. 

Q. What is Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for Couples Counselling
A. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) supports healthier relationships by helping couples identify innacurate and problematic ways of thinking and behaving, and replacing these with more adaptive ways of responding that nurture rather than erode relationships.

Q. What is The Gottman Method for Couples Counselling
A. The Gottman Method helps couples identify problematic ways of responding to their partners that have been holding their relationship back. With compassion and understanding, the Gottman method helps couples develop effective strategies for communication and how to use conflict as opportunities for growth rather than destruction. 

Our couples counsellors may also integrate interventions from other trauma therapy and counselling approaches such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Somatic Experiencing (SE) to enhance the process and work through specific challenges or experiences that come up in the therapeutic process.

Q. What are the fees for counselling sessions?
Our session fees are as follows:

Consultation Calls (phone or video): $0
We wouldn’t buy a vehicle without a test drive, and we don’t think you should pay a counsellor before getting the opportunity to connect with them over the phone and getting a sense of whether they feel like the right fit for you. We don’t believe in good counselling, we believe in great counselling and effective therapy - and the best results come when you feel comfortable with and confident in your therapist. 

If you’re ready to book a session after your consultation call, the costs are as follows:

Individuals:

Regular Sessions, in person or online:
50 minute individual session: $150 

75 minute individual session: $225

Counselling Intensives (longer, goal-directed processing sessions): starting at $400 
Read more about counselling intensives by clicking HERE

Please note we are required to collect GST and thus a 5% tax is added to each payment.

Q. Do any of your counsellors offer sliding scale counselling or trauma therapy?
A. Yes, several of our therapists offer sliding-scale rates for counselling and trauma. Please fill out a new client form with a request for sliding scale to find out which of our counsellors are currently accepting clients for therapy at a reduced-rate.

Q. Do your counsellors accept payments from 3rd party providers such as CVAP, FNHA, etc?
A. Yes, several of our trauma therapists work with outside agencies and 3rd party payments, currently including:

Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP): Camilla Bjurling, John Zack, Allison Wong, and Audrey Carriere
Ministry of Child and Family Development / Social Development (MCFD/SD): Camilla Bjurling and Allison Wong
First Nations Health Authority (FNHA): Camilla Bjurling

Q. Do you accept extended benefits for counselling and trauma therapy?
A. Many insurance providers such as Blue Cross, SunLife, ManuLife and Great West Life cover counselling with a Registered Clinical Counsellor, Canadian Certified Counsellors, Registered Social Workers and/or Registered Psychologists. Please check with your provider to clarify the specific details of your coverage.

If your insurance covers Registered Psychologists, but not RCC’s or CCC’s —please let us know and we will help you request an extension of benefits from your provider.

We are not equipped to do any direct billing at this time. Receipts containing the information needed for reimbursement are digitally provided at the end of each session and can be submitted to your provider by the client based on the requirements of your specific coverage.

Want To Know More?

We have extensive pages written about the specifics of trauma therapy, EMDR therapy, online therapy, couples therapy, our team of therapists, our office spaces, why you should work with us, and much more across our website.
Explore our webpages or send us your specific questions at info@tidaltrauma.com to get the information you need to make a confident decision for your future. If you are ready to begin your healing journey, contact us today to arrange a free consultation.