What problems do most men come to counselling for?

Most men seek therapy for anxiety, stress, burnout, relationship challenges, intrusive thoughts, anger or irritability, and feeling overwhelmed or stuck. Counselling helps men get clarity, tools, and direction when they feel overloaded or disconnected.

How do I know if I actually need counselling?

If your stress, anxiety, or emotional struggles have lasted longer than four weeks, are affecting your sleep, your relationships, or your work, counselling can help. You don’t need to hit a breaking point — early support leads to faster and more effective results.

Is men’s counselling different from regular counselling?

Yes. Men’s counselling focuses on direct guidance, practical strategies, and understanding how men uniquely experience stress, pressure, identity, and emotional expression. It is tailored to the way men process change and communicate.

How long does counselling usually take?

Most men experience meaningful change within 4 to 8 sessions. More complex issues such as trauma, OCD, or long-term patterns may require longer support. The first session always results in a clear plan and direction.

How does online counselling compare to in-person sessions?

Online counselling is equally effective and often preferred by men. It offers privacy, convenience, flexibility, and eliminates commuting. Many men find they open up more easily online.

What should I expect in my first therapy session?

Your first session focuses on what you’re dealing with, how it’s affecting you, and what specific outcomes you want. Together we build a clear plan for the next sessions. It’s a straightforward, pressure-free conversation.

How much does counselling cost in Vancouver?

Most Registered Clinical Counsellors in Vancouver charge between $150 and $180 per session. Gibson Mental Health’s rates fall within this standard range and are covered by most extended health plans.

Do you offer counselling for fathers or new dads?

Yes. Many men seek therapy during the transition into fatherhood due to fatigue, relationship strain, identity shifts, stress, and navigating new responsibilities. This is a very common and highly treatable stage of life.

Do benefits cover men’s counselling?

Most extended health insurance plans in British Columbia cover sessions with Registered Clinical Counsellors. This includes plans from Pacific Blue Cross, Canada Life, Sun Life, Manulife, and Green Shield.

How do I start counselling?

You can book your first session directly or request a free 15-minute intro call. Most men start with one session to gain clarity, understand the plan, and decide the best path forward.

Addiction Counselling - Gibson Mental Health

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01.

What to Expect

Addiction can carry a lot of shame, secrecy, and self-blame. Our counsellors strive to talk to you honestly about the patterns that feel difficult to control, whether they involve substances, gambling, gaming, pornography, sex, spending, internet use, or other compulsive behaviours. Whether your goal is abstinence, moderation, harm reduction, or simply understanding what is happening, our team will work to help you meet your goals without judgement.

Free intro session

02.

Clinical Approach

Addiction thrives in isolation, and tends to improve with connection. At the heart of our clinical approach is person centered counselling, and a focus on developing a strong therapeutic relationship. We follow the principles of recovery, harm reduction and strengths based counselling to help you improve.

Free intro session

03.

Expected Outcomes

Recovery looks different for each person. For some, progress means stopping a substance or behaviour entirely. For others, it begins with forming an honest connection with a counsellor about the secrecy and pain they've been experiencing. Over time, therapy can support longer-term change by helping you understand your patterns, reduce relapse risk, strengthen connection, and build a life with a diversity of interests and joy. We collaborate with clients to help define what outcomes suit them best and then work together to achieve that outcome.

Free intro session

Definition of Addiction

Addiction involves a pattern of substance use or behaviour that continues despite harm, distress, or difficulty stopping. It may involve alcohol, drugs, gambling, gaming, pornography, sex, shopping, spending, internet use, or other behaviours that start to feel compulsive. Addiction is not a sign that someone is weak, selfish, or a bad person. It is shaped by biology, stress, environment, trauma, mental health, relationships, reward, relief, and learned coping patterns. Over time, the substance or behaviour can become strongly connected to comfort, escape, stimulation, control, or survival. This can make stopping or cutting back feel much harder than simply “choosing differently.”

05 Symptoms of Addiction

Addiction symptoms can affect behaviour, emotions, relationships, health, finances, and daily responsibilities. You may notice cravings, urges, loss of control, needing more over time, unsuccessful attempts to cut back, or spending a lot of time doing, planning, hiding, recovering from, or thinking about the behaviour. Addiction can also involve secrecy, guilt, withdrawal from others, missed responsibilities, financial consequences, risky choices, or continuation despite harm. Some people use substances or behaviours to feel confident, numb pain, calm anxiety, escape boredom, avoid loneliness, feel in control, or get through the day.

06 Signs you may be Struggling with Addiction

You may be struggling with addiction if it feels like you have lost control over a reward-seeking behaviour. Maybe part of you wants to stop or cut back, but another part keeps returning to the substance or behaviour. You might notice promises to yourself that are hard to keep, secrecy, shame, conflict with others, financial stress, risky situations, or needing the behaviour to feel okay. Many people feel stuck in a cycle of urge, relief, regret, and trying again. If the pattern is affecting your health, relationships, work, school, finances, or self-respect, counselling may help.

07 Related Issues to Addiction

People who struggle with addiction may also experience anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, ADHD, chronic stress, grief, sleep problems, shame, loneliness, relationship difficulties, chronic pain, or financial stress. Often, the addictive behaviour is a maladaptive coping strategy for an underlying issue. Working with your counsellor can help you uncover that issue and there are four make it easier to change the addictive behaviour. For more information on these related concerns, visit the respective Service Pages below.

08 Resources for Addiction

Helpful addiction resources include the BC Alcohol and Drug Information and Referral Service, Here to Help BC, Toward the Heart, the BC Centre on Substance Use, CAMH, Gambling Support BC, RAAM clinics, family doctors, detox services, and local counsellors or addiction programs. If you are unsure whether addiction counselling is the right fit, booking a free consultation can be a helpful first step. If you are in immediate danger, at risk of overdose, experiencing severe withdrawal, or thinking about suicide, call 911 or 988 in Canada.

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counsellors

specializing counsellors

Miguel Garay

Student Counsellor

Chris Marks-Worling

Counsellor

Ben Malt

Head of Clinical Operations / RCC

Cameron Gibson

Founder / RCC

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take the first steps today.

Connect with a therapist in Vancouver who understands your needs and take the first step toward meaningful change today.

Free intro session

Identity Counselling

Identity counselling gives you space to explore who you are, who you have been, and who you are becoming. You may be navigating a life transition, grieving a former version of yourself, questioning your direction, or trying to build an identity that feels more honest and grounded. In sessions, you can expect a thoughtful, supportive process focused on reflection, clarity, meaning, and practical change. We help you make sense of what feels uncertain and begin shaping a life that feels more aligned.

Relationship Counselling

Relationship counselling offers a supportive space to better understand the patterns, conflicts, and emotional needs shaping your relationships. Whether you are attending individually, as a couple, or with family members, our counsellors help you explore what feels stuck and what you want to change. Sessions are compassionate and practical, with room for honesty, repair, and new ways of relating. Together, we can work toward stronger communication, clearer boundaries, and deeper more meaningful connection.

Coaching

Coaching is designed for people who are stable enough to move beyond symptom management and into focused personal growth. You might be functioning well, but still feel like there is another level of clarity, confidence, leadership, health, performance, or purpose available to you. In coaching, you can expect a structured, goal-focused process with practical takeaways, honest reflection, and accountability. We help you identify what matters, what is getting in the way, and what needs to happen next.

ADHD Counselling

ADHD is manageable, and you do not have to navigate it alone. We have a selection of counsellors right here in Vancovuer that can support you from first diagnosis through to longer-term symptom management. You can expect a non-judgemental, practical, and creative approach that helps you better understand your ADHD, reduce shame, and build applicable strategies for real life.

Low Cost Counselling

Low cost counselling is here for people who want support but are worried about the cost of therapy. You can expect a respectful, straightforward process where affordability is taken seriously. We offer low cost and sliding scale options, and we do not ask you to prove your financial situation. If money is the main thing stopping you from starting counselling, let us know. We will do what we can to help make therapy accessible.

High Performance Counselling

Our team have had the privilege of working with olympians and professional athletes, senior level executives and individuals with ambitious goals. High performance is a theme around our office personally, so you can expect a high level of attention and detail. You can expect the journey to begin with an assessment process where we collaborate to understand the area of focus and your problems with performance. A customized treatment process is then developed to target clinical work on your specific area of interest for improving performance. The experience is goal focused, measurable, and outcome driven.

OCD Counselling

OCD is an often debilitating and life consuming but treatable mental health concern. You do not need to try and cope with OCD alone. You can expect our OCD counsellors to be compassionate in their approach to working with clients, while providing a structured and methodical treatment modality. The counselling treatment for OCD is quite specific and personalized.

Trauma & PTSD Counselling

Trauma therapy begins with safety, trust, and choice. Our counsellors offer a steady, compassionate space where you can move at a pace that feels manageable. Whether you are struggling with PTSD, childhood trauma, relationship trauma, or distressing life experiences, counselling can help you feel less alone and more supported. Sessions focus on understanding how trauma may be affecting your body, emotions, relationships, and sense of self, while building skills that help you feel more grounded and in control.

Depression Counselling

Depression can make life feel heavy and difficult to navigate. Our counsellors offer a steady, compassionate space to talk through what has been happening and begin making sense of it. Whether you are experiencing diagnosed depression, grief, burnout, low mood, or situational depressive symptoms, counselling can help you feel less alone and more supported. Sessions move at a pace that fits your capacity, while gently helping you reconnect with stability, meaning, and hope. We offer depression counselling in Vancouver for anyone looking for in-person support, or virtually if you are anywhere else in BC. One in four people struggle with depression at some point in their lives, and whether you have a diagnosis of depression or are struggling with situational depressive symptoms, we are here to help.

Anxiety Counselling

All of the counsellors on our team support clients who struggle with Anxiety. You can expect a calm, well regulated counsellor who will provide a safe and welcoming place to start to face your anxiety. From the first session, you can expect a clear thought out process focused on reducing symptoms, building coping skills, and helping you move toward the parts of life anxiety has been interrupting. If you are looking for anxiety counselling in Vancouver, scroll to the bottom of the page to pick a counsellor that suits you.

Addiction Counselling

Men's Counselling

Research has shown on average it takes men six years to reach out for help regarding a mental health concern. We are glad you're here! Often men don't reach out or continue in counselling because the process isn't designed for them. We have taken that problem head on - our counsellors use a direct, supportive approach that focuses on clarity, tools, and momentum. Sessions are designed to help you understand what is happening, strengthen coping skills, add tools to help you function better, and take meaningful steps forward.