FAQs

You can schedule an appointment directly through our online booking system or by contacting our virtual adminstrator. We match you or your child with a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), Registered Social Worker (RSW), or clinical intern based on your specific therapeutic goals and location preference.

Your initial appointment is an Intake Session focused on reviewing confidentiality, discussing your concerns, and setting collaborative goals. For child therapy, parents typically attend the Intake Session without their child to share concerns, ask questions and to find out how the counsellor will work with your child, you can decide if you think the counsellor will be a good fit for your child before work with your child begins.

No, a doctor’s referral is not required to begin counselling at Achieve Balance Counselling. You can self-refer and book immediately. However, clients using extended health insurance should check if their specific plan requires a doctor’s note for claims reimbursement.

Yes, we provide in-person counselling at our offices on Waterton Crescent in Abbotsford and Extrom Road in Chilliwack. We also provide secure, confidential telehealth and virtual therapy sessions to clients across all of British Columbia.

Play Therapy and Sand Tray therapy provide evidence-based expressive outlets for children to process trauma, manage anxiety, and develop emotional regulation and do not require them to sit and just talk to an adult for their entire session. Because young nervous systems often lack the vocabulary to describe complex distress, play serves as their natural language of communication.

Our Animal-Assisted Play Therapy incorporates our therapy dog, Willow, to support grounding, emotional safety, and nervous system co-regulation. Willow participates under strict animal-welfare standards, and her involvement is optional and requires explicit client consent.

Parental/caregiver involvement varies by age and clinical goals. For young children, parents/caregivers participate in collaborative check-ins and parenting strategies. For teens and older youth, sessions are typically one-on-one to foster confidentiality, with structured updates arranged as agreed upon. If children are worried about attending by themselves, their parent/caregiver may attend sessions while the child starts to build belief in their ability to attend by themselves.

Our session fees depend on clinician credentials, ranging from Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCC) and Registered Social Workers (RSW) to affordable low-cost sessions with Master’s-level clinical interns. You can view individual clinician rates and book directly through our Online Booking Calendar.

At this time, we do not bill extended benefits providers directly. We accept e-transfers and issue a receipt, which you can provide to your extended benefits provider for reimbursement. Coverage varies by plan, so we encourage you to verify whether your benefits cover RCC or RSW designations prior to attending.

Yes, our qualified clinicians are approved service providers for the BC Autism Funding Unit (for both under-6 and 6–18 programs). Some clinicians are currently approved by the Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP), and some others are in the process of applying, although the wait for approval by CVAP is currently fairly lengthy. Our administrative support team assists with invoicing and documentation.

Yes, we currently accept and direct-bill Variety Children’s Charity, CKNW, Chilliwack Children’s Foundation, and many different online and independent schools. 

Therapeutic rapport is essential for effective counselling. We invite you to review “Our Team” page to explore individual specialties—including neuro-affirming care, attachment, and trauma modalities—or contact our virtual administrator for guidance.

We require 24 hours’ notice for any session cancellations or rescheduling. This policy ensures that waitlisted clients can access open session times. Cancellations made with less than 24 hours’ notice may incur full fee payment.