CMHA Kelowna is offering virtual counselling services to adults ages 25+, weekdays during the afternoon (excluding holidays). This service is available free of charge to individuals, couples, families, and caregivers of youth who are struggling. Those who are having difficulty coping with the challenges related to the COVID pandemic are also welcome to access these supports.
Our virtual services are team-based and can be accessed from the comfort of your own home via video chat or phone. We use the Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) model to help you identify strengths, resources, and goals, building on them to help you make the changes that are necessary to move towards your preferred self or preferred future.
SFBT is a single-session model (each session is complete therapy) that may include some short-term follow-up support. “Team-based” means that a counselling team, not a single counsellor, will follow clients.
Towards the end of each session, the counsellor will ask for a brief break to consult with their team. This keeps the team in the know about your care, and also gives the team time to provide feedback and strategies. Your counsellor will then conclude the session by sharing the team’s assessment with you.
We use a secure web-based platform for video calls. Though video sessions are preferred, we can also do phone sessions. Video sessions require that clients have access to secure internet, a computer or tablet with a microphone and speaker, and that a private space you can be free of noise and distractions during the call.
We are currently booking appointments out of our Foundry Kelowna location. Simply call (236) 420-2803 and ask for CMHA Kelowna Virtual Counselling. We will take some basic information (name, DOB, address, phone number, and email address) and a counselor will be in touch for some pre-screening and an overview of what to expect. The first session will include some pre-screening by an experienced counsellor. This ensures that the client is receiving the right service at the right time.
CMHA Kelowna’s Virtual Clinical Counselling program is supported by the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund and the Central Okanagan Foundation, the Province of BC and the Community Action Initiative.