Telephone Counselling Sessions
Telephone counselling sessions in Kelowna and West Kelowna are now available by some counsellors. Reach out and ask our counsellors if they provide telephone counselling. Most at OVCS are willing to provide phone or virtual counselling at your request. We do believe that in some cases virtual or phone counselling may not be appropriate or an option for some people.
Individuals that may benefit from Phone Counselling
There are some individuals that may benefit from phone counselling based on their unique situations. Some of these individuals may be as follows:
Remote, Small Cities or Towns
- Individuals that live in a remote area with little to no access to in-person counselling sessions
- The counsellor in your local community is someone you know and don’t feel comfortable seeing them
- You value your discretion and don’t want people to be aware that you are going to counselling
- Possibly your community or area doesn’t have a local counsellor so you would have to travel out of the area to see a counsellor
- A person may not have the financial means to travel to another area for counselling due to the cost
Barriers to Receiving In-Person Counselling and Care
- Possibly an individual may find it to overwhelming to do an in-person session for multiple reasons
- You have difficulty leaving your home and are concerned that you may have a panic attack while trying to get to your appointment
- It is far too stressful and challenging for you to attend a new office you’ve never been before
- Over the phone sessions feel easier, less scary and allow for you to feel more comfortable sharing your feelings
- Your family or friends don’t know your attending counselling because of the stigma attached to mental health issues so you don’t have to go to an office to have an appointment
- When you’re talking over the telephone, it seems easier to share your feelings and concentrate on what you want to say
Disability or Mobility Issues
- Coming into the office after a MVA may not be possible because you can’t get out of bed due to recovery from a serious injury
- Any physical disability or injury makes it difficult for you to get to your in-person counselling appointment
- The counselling office isn’t accessible for individuals with mobility or disabilities ie. lack of elevator, no wheelchair accessible rooms
- If you have a physical disability that can’t be managed well by coming into an office
Other People That May Find Telephone Counselling Helpful
- If you have difficulty finding childcare for your children when you need counselling
- You have a busy work and personal life and phone counselling is more convenient
- You have someone you care for at home and can’t leave that person alone
- Accessibility to counselling is easier, and quicker to get an appointment over the telephone
- Getting to an appointment isn’t easy for you because of your work schedule
- It’s nice to not have to drive somewhere, find and have to pay for parking or to worry about traffic
- You’re planning on relocating and it’s easier to access a counsellor by telephone instead of going into the office
We offer counselling services in various languages such as English, and Polish in (PST) Pacific Standard Time.
The fee for telephone counselling is the same as in-person counselling sessions. All counselling sessions done online or by telephone must be pre-paid by Credit Card or by etransfer prior to your counselling session. Our counselling booking system Jane can store your credit card information on file for future counselling appointments. We use a 1-800 number for your counselling appointment so you will not incur any long-distance fees within Canada. We offer services only within Canada at this time.
Should you have difficulty with you telephone session, and can’t hear your counsellor please allow us to call you back or contact us by phone or email, if you don’t hear anything back from us. Sometimes difficulties with a phone line or challenges hearing an individual can happen. Please ensure that you monitor your email for any follow-up from us.
To get the most out of your telephone session, find a quiet space with no distractions to speak with your counsellor. Any loud noises by pets, children or other people can be distracting and interfere with your ability to focus on your session.
Some individuals are not great candidates for telephone counselling, if you are suicidal or at risk of physical harm please contact 911 for support. Our services are not meant for people who are in acute distress or in urgent medical situations. We aren’t equipped for severe mental health concerns so please contact 911 for more appropriate supports and urgent care.
Want To Get Started
Most of our counsellors offer telephone or virtual counselling. Should this appeal to you, please contact our administrative assistant at admin@ovcs.ca for more information and to be contacted by a counsellor.
