Starting counselling, for many of us, is a freaky enough proposition: why add to the stress by keeping the counselling process secret? Writing about counselling and its myriad facets is at the heart of my articles, fuelled by a drive to make information about counselling transparent and accessible. I write about other things psychology-related too, to mix things up.

The Counselling Life

How To Choose a Clinical Supervisor

For therapists searching for a clinical supervisor, this can be hard! Let’s look at factors to help clarify the process.

10 Things I’ve Been Grateful For in 2023

Megan decides that it’s time for another end-of-year reflection.

Putting In a Solid C- Effort

Tackling perfectionism with a distinctly underwhelming approach.

I Updated My Website Photos and Discovered How Old I Really Am

Me getting vulnerable about why seeing myself as old, or at least older, has been difficult, but maybe a little interesting too.

Go Slow

Can slowness ease anxiety? This counsellor thinks so.

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3 Hours and a Jumble of Yarn

Life lessons learned from a jumble of yarn.

Is In-Person Counselling Dead?

The rise of virtual therapy leaves an old-time counsellor continuing to contemplate the future of in-person counselling.

Why I Hate Gratitude Lists (But I’m Writing One Anyway)

An article in contradictions: being challenged by gratitude lists’ tricky bits, but seeing their value just the same. Megan also reveals her 2022 list.

When A Client Dies

An unexpected client death leaves this counsellor trying to process a loss, so very difficult to comprehend.

What is a Vacation Anyways?

A therapist’s personal account and reckoning about the meaning of vacations.

Finding a Therapist, Version 2.0

I revisit this topic 12 years later and in the process learn that teaching others how to find a therapist and finding one myself are two very different experiences.

Do Counsellors Have It All Together?

Counsellors have their own life issues: it’s part of being human. What does this mean for counselling clients?

The Hard of Hearing Therapist

This counsellor officially opens up about her hearing loss for the first time.

Why Is My Therapist Taking Time Off Again?!

Reasons for counsellor absences with some possible benefits for clients too.

Why Do Therapists Become Therapists?

Why counsellors get into the profession, including the qualities that can help them be of service to clients.

Walking To Nowhere

A reluctant, self-confessed exercise-hater takes another kick at the can with a boring-as-hell exercise plan.

My Screen Time Is Up By 246%

This counsellor is shocked when her previous standard of of minimal screen time is blown wide open.

The Delusion of Productivity

A sobering reflection on how lofty personal expectations during COVID-19 have yielded some very human results.

Living In A Box

My reflections on coping with COVID-19 self-confinement.

Reflections On Twenty Years in Social Work

A social worker is surprised to find herself ‘suddenly’ mid-career.

The Dilemma of Dual: Dual Relationships in Counselling

An in-depth look at the situation of dual relationships in a counselling context.

The Counsellor’s Door is Closed, And They’re Not Counselling. What Gives?

October 2017 In The Counselling Life

A light-hearted take on what counsellors get up to when their counselling door is closed and they’re not counselling.

So You Want To Be a Counsellor?

Pathways to becoming a counsellor in British Columbia.

What’s Up Doc? Psychologists and Psychiatrists Are Not The Same!

May 2017 In The Counselling Life

An attempt to clarify the differences between psychologists and psychiatrists.

Social Work: Who and What?

March 2017 In The Counselling Life

Touching on basic information about social work and social workers that might be relevant to the public, with apologies to social work historians and academics.

The Sanctity of the Counselling Receipt

January 2017 In The Counselling Life

The ins and outs of the counselling receipt.

Counsellors: Are They The Real Deal?

Is wondering about your counsellor’s life outside the therapy office just a question of curiosity? At the heart of this question are some deeper ones.

Counselling Confidentiality: An In-Depth Look

Digging deep into the topic of confidentiality in counselling.

The Therapist Floats

August 2015 In The Counselling Life

Guest writer and counsellor Susie Merz reflects on her experience in a therapeutic flotation tank.

Why Your Counsellor Is Not Your Friend

Understanding boundaries in the therapeutic relationship.

Counsellors Are People Too

April 2014 In The Counselling Life

If in addition to the clinical benefit you receive from therapy, you connect with your counsellor on a human level, odds are that counselling will be a more positive experience for you.

Why Hire a Social Worker?

March 2014 In The Counselling Life

The glory of the social work profession. Yes, really!

The Psychology of Missed Appointments

July 2013 In The Counselling Life

Cancelling an appointment should be a straightforward process and is always better than just not showing up.

Cracking the Code: A Guide to Understanding Counselling Credentials (Or, What Do All Those Letters Behind Their Names Mean, Anyway?)

November 2012 In The Counselling Life

Lost in the acronyms? Read here to find out what the letters behind your counsellor’s name really mean.

Change!? Why Change?

Dealing with an unanticipated office change and meditating on the reality of impermanence.

Therapist Burnout (And Why it Matters to Clients)

June 2012 In The Counselling Life

Why it is in clients’ best interest to understand what counsellor burnout looks like so that steps can be taken to avoid it in the therapy relationship.

Counselling vs. Psychotherapy: What’s The Diff?

February 2012 In The Counselling Life

Understanding differences and similarities between ‘counselling’ and ‘psychotherapy.’

Counselling the Counsellor

June 2011 In The Counselling Life

The counsellor sits on the client couch and learns a thing or two.