Start The Conversation

Access to counselling should not be limited by financial barriers. The Start the Conversation Program at Your Counselling Ltd. was created to help individuals and families access professional mental health support when cost, circumstances, or life transitions make traditional counselling difficult to obtain.

Through this program, members of the community can access reduced-fee counselling services provided by trained clinicians within our team, while maintaining the same standards of professionalism, confidentiality, and clinical care that define all services at Your Counselling. The program offers up to 12 subsidized sessions per calendar year, helping clients build stability, develop coping strategies, and move forward with the support of a qualified therapist.

To make the program sustainable and accessible to more people, services are offered through a tiered model, allowing clients to access counselling at different fee levels depending on therapist experience and program availability. Each tier provides thoughtful, supportive care focused on helping individuals navigate challenges such as stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, life transitions, grief, and other mental health concerns.

Whether you are seeking support for the first time or returning to counselling after a break, the goal of the Start the Conversation Program is simple: to make meaningful mental health support more accessible to the community.

After completing a brief intake and review with our Client Care Team, clients will be matched with the most appropriate tier and therapist to begin their counselling journey. It all starts with a conversation.

Tier 1 operates annually from September through April and is delivered by Master’s-level counselling students and therapist interns completing advanced clinical training. These clinicians provide counselling services under close supervision and ongoing case consultation with the Program Supervisor and Clinical Director, ensuring strong clinical oversight, ethical practice, and high standards of care. This tier offers the lowest cost access point within the program and is designed to expand community access while supporting the development of emerging mental health professionals.

Tier 2 provides services from early-career or new associate therapists who are building their clinical practice within the Your Counselling team. These clinicians bring graduate-level education and professional training while offering services at a moderately reduced rate, creating an accessible middle tier for clients who may prefer working with a registered therapist while still benefiting from reduced program fees.

Tier 3 is delivered by experienced Your Counselling (YC) therapists, including fully registered clinicians with established clinical expertise. This tier provides the same program eligibility and access to subsidized sessions, while offering clients the option to work with a more experienced therapist at a reduced but higher program fee compared to other tiers. This structure ensures that individuals seeking affordable counselling can still access highly skilled professionals when appropriate.

Together, these tiers allow the Start the Conversation Program to balance accessibility, clinical quality, and sustainability, ensuring that more members of the community can receive the support they need while maintaining strong professional oversight and standards of care.