If finances are a barrier to counselling we offer two reduced-rate counselling options:
1) Work with a Student Intern. When you work with an intern you come for ten consecutive weekly sessions at a rate of $40+GST per session. Students are in the final stages of their Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology and under the supervision of one of Lavender’s Registered Counsellors.
2) Work with a Fellow. When you work with a Fellow you have the flexibility to come in at a frequency that works for you. Sessions are at a rate of $90+GST. Fellows have completed all of their requirements for certification but are completing their final thesis project.
These reduced rate sessions are open to both new and current clients.
For new clients, reduced rate counselling may provide you a first-glance at what counselling is like and a cost-effective way to see whether you find counselling helpful. For existing clients, if you need more support from a therapist than you can currently afford, you can take a break from your work with your primary counsellor and do some reduced-rate counselling to ensure you continue with your work. If you’d like, and only with your written consent, your reduced-rate counsellor can keep your primary counsellor up to date, so it can be a more seamless transition if and when you return to working together. Similarly, if you wish, and only with your written consent, your primary counsellor can provide some background to your reduced-rate counsellor. However, there are advantages to just being there in the moment, without any background or context to the work you’ve been doing, so we encourage you to talk your decision over with your counsellor.