Real Life Counselling • Vancouver, BC

Counselling in Vancouver, Built Around Real Life

Online counselling for individuals and couples across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, delivered by a Registered Clinical Counsellor (BCACC) and a hand-picked team. No commute across the bridge, no waiting room, no waitlist. Most people begin within a week.

Registered Clinical Counsellors (BCACC)Covered by most extended health plansEvening & weekend availability

Who we help in Vancouver

Support that fits a city that never slows down

  • Professionals carrying career pressure and burnout
  • Couples who feel more like roommates than partners
  • Anyone priced out, stretched thin, or quietly exhausted
  • Newcomers building a life far from home
  • People who have been meaning to start therapy for years

Real Life Counselling is a virtual counselling practice founded in 2009, serving Vancouver and all of British Columbia. Sessions are held online by secure video with a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) or registered team therapist, are covered by most extended health plans, and most clients begin within a week.

Therapy for the Vancouver version of hard

Vancouver life has its own particular weight. The cost of simply existing here. Careers that demand everything in a city where everyone seems to be performing effortlessness. Rain that settles in for months. Relationships stretched between demanding jobs, small condos, and the feeling that everyone else on the seawall has it figured out.

Counselling gives you a place where none of that has to be performed. Our therapists work with anxiety, depression, burnout, relationship strain, life transitions, and the quiet accumulation of stress that builds when you hold it together for too long. Sessions are online, which in this city is not a compromise: it means no Broadway traffic, no downtown parking, and therapy that actually fits between the demands of your real life.

What we help with

Eight of the most common reasons Vancouverites reach out. If yours is not here, ask; the team covers more ground than one page can.

Anxiety

Racing thoughts, constant what-ifs, a body that will not settle. Practical, research-backed tools to quiet the noise.

Stress & Burnout

When work has taken more than it gives back and rest stops working. Recover capacity and protect it.

Depression

Low mood, low motivation, the grey that outlasts the weather. Support to find footing again.

Couples & Relationships

Communication breakdowns, distance, recurring fights. Including EFT, one of the most researched couples approaches.

Life Transitions

New city, new role, new baby, breakup, loss. Support through the seasons that change everything.

Career & Performance Pressure

High-stakes roles, imposter feelings, the cost of always being on. For professionals across every industry.

Newcomer & Settlement Stress

Building a life in a new country while carrying the one you left. Culturally aware support.

Grief & Loss

Loss does not follow a schedule. A steady place to carry it, at your pace.

Couples counselling in Vancouver

Vancouver is hard on couples in specific ways: two demanding careers, housing pressure that keeps everything tight, and schedules that turn partners into logistics coordinators. Many couples tell us the same thing: nothing is wrong exactly, but they feel “fine but disconnected.”

Our couples work includes Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), an attachment-based approach in which research shows 70 to 75 percent of couples move from distress to recovery. Both partners join by video from wherever they are, together or apart. If you are in the downtown core, our Yaletown counselling page speaks to that neighbourhood specifically.

YOUR THERAPIST TEAM

Registered, experienced, and matched to you

Real Life Counselling was founded in 2009 by Ashley Kreze, a Registered Clinical Counsellor (BCACC) and Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO) with more than 17 years of clinical experience. Every new client is matched with a therapist based on fit, not just availability, and we track outcomes with Greenspace so progress is measured, not assumed.

Sessions are covered under “Counselling” with an RCC on most BC extended health plans, and we provide receipts for reimbursement.

RCC & RP registeredFounded 2009Outcomes measuredFit guarantee
Online counselling session with a Registered Clinical Counsellor serving Vancouver, BC

Starting is three steps

1

Reach out

Fill out the short start form or book a free 15-minute consultation. Tell us what is going on in your own words.

2

Get matched

A real person reads your intake and matches you with the Vancouver-serving therapist whose approach fits what you need.

3

Begin within a week

Secure video sessions from home, the office, or wherever you are in BC. Evenings and weekends available.

Serving every Vancouver neighbourhood

Because sessions are online, where you live is never a barrier. We work with clients across the city and the Lower Mainland, including:

Yaletown
Kitsilano
Mount Pleasant
West End
Downtown
Gastown
Coal Harbour
Fairview
False Creek
Olympic Village
Commercial Drive
East Vancouver
South Granville
Cambie Village
Point Grey
Dunbar
Marpole
Shaughnessy

Vancouver counselling FAQs

How much does counselling cost in Vancouver?
Counselling in Vancouver typically costs between $130 and $250 per session. Real Life Counselling sessions with a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) are covered under “Counselling” on most BC extended health plans, and we provide receipts for reimbursement. A free 15-minute consultation is available before you commit to anything.
Is counselling covered by MSP in BC?
No, BC’s Medical Services Plan does not typically cover counselling with an RCC. However, most extended health plans through employers do cover Registered Clinical Counsellors, and Real Life Counselling provides receipts for reimbursement. Check your plan for “Counselling” or “Registered Clinical Counsellor” coverage.
Does video counselling work as well as in-person?
Yes. Research consistently shows that video counselling produces outcomes comparable to in-person therapy for most concerns, including anxiety, depression, and couples work. Real Life Counselling has delivered video counselling to Vancouver clients since long before it was common, over a secure, PHIPA-compliant platform.
How quickly can I start counselling in Vancouver?
Most Real Life Counselling clients in Vancouver begin within a week of reaching out. There is no waitlist: you complete a short intake, get matched with a therapist based on fit, and book your first session, with evening and weekend times available.
What is the difference between an RCC and a psychologist in BC?
A Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) holds a master’s degree and is registered with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors, providing counselling and psychotherapy. A registered psychologist holds a doctorate and can also conduct formal psychological assessments. For talk therapy for anxiety, depression, stress, relationships, and life challenges, an RCC provides the same evidence-based counselling, typically at a lower session cost.
Do you offer couples therapy in Vancouver?
Yes. Real Life Counselling offers couples counselling across Vancouver, including Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), an attachment-based approach in which research shows 70 to 75 percent of couples move from distress to recovery. Both partners join by secure video, together or from separate locations.
Do I need a doctor’s referral to start counselling?
No referral is needed to start counselling with Real Life Counselling in Vancouver. You can reach out directly and begin within about a week. Some extended health plans ask for a referral for reimbursement, so check your specific plan, but most do not.
Which areas of Vancouver do you serve?
All of them. Because sessions are online, Real Life Counselling serves every Vancouver neighbourhood, from Yaletown and the West End to Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, Commercial Drive, and beyond, plus the entire Lower Mainland and all of British Columbia.

Vancouver, you don’t have to hold it all alone.

The longest part of starting therapy is usually the part before you reach out. Once you do, it gets easier. Most people begin within a week.