Questions I answer often
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General Counselling FAQs
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A: A consultation call usually takes 15-20 minutes and it helps us get a sense of whether we’d work well together. I’ll ask about what’s bringing you to therapy, share a little about how I typically approach the things you shared about, and leave time for you to ask questions about therapy. There’s no obligation to book after a consult call, and if it doesn’t feel like a good fit I’m happy to provide you with referrals for other therapists.
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A: The first session is mainly about me getting to know you. We’ll talk about what’s brought you to therapy, any changes you’d like to make, and I’ll ask some questions to get an understanding of what life looks like for you. We’ll also cover some practical things like confidentiality, how sessions work, and what to expect going forward.
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A: The relationship between a client and therapist is one of the biggest factors in whether therapy is helpful, so this is a really important question. I'd encourage you to pay attention to how you feel after your consultation call and first session. Do you feel heard? Does the space feel safe enough to be honest? It can take time to build trust with a new therapist (very normal) but if it’s still not feeling right a few sessions in, I’m happy to help you find someone who will fit your needs better.
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A: Not at all. Some people come to therapy in the middle of a crisis. Others come because something feels off but they can't quite name it. Some come simply because they want to understand themselves better or break patterns that aren't serving them. All of those are valid reasons.
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A: I reserve a number of sliding scale spots for transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse clients (including couples where one and/or both of you are trans). Please feel free to ask if cost is a concern.
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I require 48 hours of notice to cancel an appointment, appointments cancelled within the 48 hour window will be charged a cancellation fee.
Location & Accessibility FAQs
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A: It’s located in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood of Vancouver, at 175 East Broadway (suite 208).
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A: Street parking is available on the surrounding side streets however ongoing construction on Broadway can make parking harder to find. This can make commutes a bit longer, so it's worth factoring in some extra time to get there.
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A: The 9 and 99 buses run along Broadway. If you're coming by SkyTrain, Main Street–Science World Station (Expo/Millennium Line) and Broadway–City Hall Station (Canada Line) are both about a 15-minute walk.
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A: Buzz at the front entrance and I'll let you in (you’ll receive the buzzer code once you book your appointment). Take the elevator or stairs (21 of them) to the second floor and head to Suite 208. Have a seat in the waiting room and I'll come out to meet you when it’s time for your appointment!
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A: Yes, there's an all-gender bathroom that is wheelchair accessible on the second floor, shared with other offices in the building. The key code for this will be shared via email when you book an appointment.
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A: Yes, my office is accessible by elevator.
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A: Of course! Please reach out via email ahead of your appointment at info@micdeanecounselling.com and I'll do my best to accommodate. This might include things like seating preferences, scent sensitivity, lighting, or anything else that would help you feel more comfortable in the space.
LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy FAQs
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A: LGBTQ+ affirming therapy means working with a counsellor who recognizes that queer and trans people face a unique set of experiences: minority stress, internalized shame, family rejection, discrimination, and navigating a world that wasn't designed for us. These experiences have real impacts on mental health and relationships, and affirming therapy addresses them directly rather than treating them as background noise.
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A: Everyone will have a different answer to this question. The most important thing is that you feel seen, heard, and respected in the therapy space. For some queer clients, having a queer therapist can mean less explaining about their experience and a shorter road to feeling understood. That being said, I know lots of great therapists who aren’t part of the LGBTQ+ community but provide excellent care for queer and trans folks. I identify as a queer person, and that informs how I work. But it doesn’t mean that I expect our experience will be the same because of that, just that you’re not starting from zero when you walk in. It also depends on the issues you’re coming to therapy for.
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A: LGBTQ+ people experience significantly higher rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges than the general population and it’s not because of their identity. Its because of the chronic stress of living in a world that has historically stigmatized, pathologized, and excluded them. This is what minority stress theory describes: the cumulative toll of discrimination, family rejection, hypervigilance, and internalized shame on a person's mental and physical health.
Understanding this distinction matters. The problem is never being queer or trans, it's the weight of what queer and trans people have been made to carry. Good therapy helps you set some of that weight down.
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A: Yes. Internalized shame is what happens when the messages the world sends about who you are get absorbed so deeply that they start to feel like your own voice. It shows up as self-doubt, self-criticism, difficulty trusting your own desires, and a persistent sense of not being good enough or being too much. Therapy helps you trace those messages back to where they actually came from (the culture, the family, the systems, etc.) rather than treating them as truths about you.
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A: Absolutely. You don't need a label, a clear identity, or certainty about who you are to walk through the door. Questions about sexuality and gender identity are welcome here, without any pressure to land anywhere in particular. Therapy can be a useful space to explore those questions with someone who won't push you toward a predetermined answer.
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A: While I primarily work with queer and trans folks, I am also open to working with people who identify as heterosexual and cisgender if they need help with ADHD, substance use, relationships and couples work. LGBTQ+ people are the clients I find myself most often working with.