FAQ
Frequently Asked QuestionsWhere are you located?
My home base is located in Delta, BC Canada. Delta is located on the shared, traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the scəw̓aθən (Tsawwassen), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), and other Coast Salish Peoples.
What is your educational and work background?
I graduated from high school in 1994, then went straight to the University of British Columbia to complete a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. Like most young people, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I spent 1 year at Glasgow University in my undergrad. I also used this time to travel around Europe, mostly by myself. Travel is, in and of itself, a great education. After 18 months of working a job that paid great, but induced massive amounts of anxiety (customer service), I spent 4 months in Australia.
I spent the next year (2001) completing my Bachelor of Education (UBC) in Secondary English. I spent the next 8 years as a teacher (mostly Middle Years), then decided to pursue a Masters of Education in Counselling Psychology (2008) at the University of Victoria. I have been a high school counsellor since 2010 and will do so until I retire in 2033. I truly enjoy working with young people.
Lastly, I graduated from the University of Alberta’s Graduate Certificate in Sexual Health (2023). For 3 years, I was the District Lead for Sexual Health for the Delta School District. While my focus is back in mental health, I truly believe that in order to have good overall health, there needs to be homeostasis in physical, mental and sexual health.
What areas do you serve?
I do all of my counselling sessions via Zoom. Zoom calls allow me to serve anyone, anywhere (but not anytime!)
What are your fees for counselling?
My fees are in line with the standards of practice for Canadian counsellors at $150.00 CDN (inlcudes GST) per 50 minutes. Please note that my services are not able to be claimed by extended benefits at this time.
Is there a limit to how many counselling sessions I can book?
Yes. Twelve sessions should typically be enough for a client to make significant strides in their healing, reframing and personal/spiritual development. Good therapists teach their clients the skills they need to facilitate their own growth, rather than making the client dependent on the therapist. There are, of course, exceptions to this; I work on a case by case basis.
Why can't I claim your services on my extended benefits?
Long story short: it’s due to a lack of supervisor. I am the senior counsellor in my workplace and there is no one qualified to supervise the hours I need to recertify as RCC/CCACC, etc. I tried in 2023 and the process was arduous…too much for the small amount of clients I can accept each month. I am happy to refer you to another counsellor with whom you can claim service on extended benefits.
What is your cancellation policy?
Appointments that are cancelled with less than 48 hours of notice will be charged a flat fee of $150. This is to be fair to other individuals and families wanting to book appointments and due to the fact that I have an extremely limited number of available appointments each week.
What are the limits to confidentiality?
All information shared with my therapist is confidential and no information will be released without my consent.
There are specific and limited exceptions to this confidentiality, which include the following:
- When there is risk of imminent danger to myself, my child or to another person, the therapist is ethically bound to take necessary steps to prevent such danger.
- When there is suspicion that a child or elder is being neglected or abused or is at risk of such abuse, the therapist is legally required to take steps to protect the child or elder, and to inform the proper authorities.
- When a valid court order is issued for counselling records, the therapist is bound by law to comply with such requests.
I may request to review my file, including case notes and reports at any time.
What types of payments do you accept?
Kristy Abel to Help Counselling accepts the following as appropriate forms of payment for services: e-transfers or Paypal to kristyabeltohelp@gmail.com, prior to scheduled appointment.
What happens if I am late for my appointment?
If you arrive late for a scheduled appointment, only the remainder of the session will be available. If I run late with a prior appointment, you will still receive the full session.
Can we connect via social media?
Unfortunately, I am not able to accept or follow clients on the various social media platforms. You, however, are free to like: Kristy Abel to Help on Facebook or follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok and/or Youtube.