Book Your Free 15-Minute Consult! 

Your New Client Appointment: What Happens When You Book

Your new client appointment at Thrive Downtown begins with the three short fields above: your name, email and phone number. That is genuinely all we ask at this stage. You do not need to explain your history, name a diagnosis or know which kind of therapy you want. Once the form is in, you pick a therapist and a time that suits you, and your first real conversation is a free 15 minute consult.

This guide walks you through each step of a new client appointment so nothing about booking feels mysterious. Starting counselling can stir up hope and nerves at once, and both make sense. Our mission is to remind you that you make sense, you are not broken, and that connection heals. That spirit starts with how we welcome you.

Step 1: Send the short form

The new client appointment form above asks only for the basics so we can reach you. Keeping it brief is deliberate. Many people find the hardest part of starting therapy is simply reaching out, and a long intake questionnaire can become one more reason to put it off. You will have plenty of time to share your story with your therapist, at a pace that feels right to you.

Step 2: Choose your therapist and a time

After you submit the form, you choose the therapist you would like to meet and a time that works for your week. If you already know who you want to see, you can go straight to them. If you are still deciding, the team section below this guide and our full Thrive team page introduce each counsellor, how they work and who they tend to support.

Step 3: Have your free 15 minute consult

Your free 15 minute consult is a brief, low-pressure conversation with the therapist you chose. It is a chance to say a little about what is bringing you in, ask your questions and notice how it feels to talk with this person. The details of how you will connect are confirmed as part of booking.

Step 4: Decide what comes next

If it feels like a good fit, you can book a first full session. If you are unsure after your free 15 minute consult, you are free to take some time, meet another therapist or ask us for help with matching. The consult is free precisely so that you can make this choice without feeling locked in.

How the Free 15 Minute Consult Works

Think of the free 15 minute consult as a short meeting to see whether you and a therapist are a good match before you commit to anything. Research on counselling suggests that the quality of the relationship between client and therapist is one of the strongest predictors of how helpful therapy feels, so this first conversation matters more than its length might suggest.

What the consult is for

• Fit: getting a feel for the therapist’s personality, pace and style.
• Clarity: naming, in a sentence or two, what you would like help with.
• Questions: asking about their approach, their experience with your concern and how sessions usually run.

What the consult is not

A free 15 minute consult is not a therapy session, an assessment or a diagnosis. You do not need to go into painful details, and your therapist will usually keep things at a gentle, overview level. If something feels too big to say yet, you can simply say that it is hard to talk about. That is useful information too.

Questions you might ask during your free 15 minute consult

• How do you usually work with people facing what I described?
• Which approaches do you draw on, and what might a typical session look like?
• How do we set goals together, and how will we know whether it is helping?
• Do you offer in-person sessions, online sessions or both?
• What should I know about fees and receipts for my health plan?

Questions your therapist may ask

• What made you decide to reach out now?
• What would you like to be different in your life?
• Have you seen a counsellor before, and what helped or did not help?

It is completely okay to finish the consult knowing this therapist is not the right person for you. Saying so is not rude; it is simply part of finding care that fits.

Choosing a Therapist or Being Matched for Your New Client Appointment

There are two ways to find the right person for your new client appointment, and both lead to the same free 15 minute consult. Some people like to browse and choose. Others would rather describe what they need and let someone who knows the team make a recommendation. Neither path is better, so pick the one that takes the least energy for you today.

Choosing your own therapist

If you like to do your own research, spend some time on the our team page. Thrive therapists are diverse in identities, views, values, world origins and backgrounds, and they practise together as a group that supports one another. As you read, notice:

• Who they describe supporting, such as individuals, couples, neurodivergent adults, queer clients or first responders.
• The approaches they list, for example EMDR, Internal Family Systems, Emotion-Focused Therapy or CBT. Our types of therapy guide explains many of these in plain language.
• Their professional designation, and whether they see clients in person, online or both.
• Your gut response. A quiet sense of “I could talk to this person” is worth paying attention to.

Letting us match you

If choosing feels overwhelming, use the matching form on our contact us page instead. There you can describe what you are looking for, mention any preference for who you would like to work with and tick optional boxes about how you tend to think and feel. Someone from Thrive then follows up with a recommendation suited to your situation, and your new client appointment starts from there.

Common Reasons People Reach Out

People book counselling for all kinds of reasons, and you do not need a crisis or a label to deserve support. Some of the concerns Thrive therapists work with include:

• Stress, anxiety and burnout that have started to affect sleep, work or relationships. Our individual therapy page describes this work.
• Relationship strain, whether you come alone or with a partner through couples counselling.
• Neurodivergence, including ADHD and autism, with support that works with your brain rather than against it.
• Trauma and painful memories, where approaches such as EMDR may be part of the plan.
• Addictions and compulsive patterns, explored with curiosity rather than shame.
• Identity and belonging, including LGBTQIA+ affirming counselling.
• High-stress work, such as first responders and others in demanding occupations.

If what you are facing is not on this list, it still belongs in counselling. Bring it to your free 15 minute consult and your therapist can talk with you about how they might help.

Preparing for Your First Session

Once your first full session is booked, a little preparation can help you feel more settled walking in, or logging on. None of this is required. Some people like to arrive with notes, while others prefer to see what comes up in the moment. Both approaches are perfectly fine.

A few days before your new client appointment

• Jot down what brings you in. A few words or bullet points is plenty: situations, feelings, patterns or questions.
• Think about your hopes. What would you notice in daily life if counselling were helping?
• Check your coverage. If you plan to use an extended health plan, confirm what it covers for counselling.
• Plan the logistics. Map your route downtown, or test your camera, microphone and connection if you are meeting online.
• Note anything important. Medications, other care providers or past therapy experiences you want to mention.

What the first session often includes

Your first session is usually a mix of getting to know each other and getting oriented. Your therapist will typically talk through consent and confidentiality, ask about what brings you in and some of your background, and invite your questions. Toward the end, you will likely begin shaping a collaborative plan based on your goals rather than a script.

Thrive describes its way of working through the Thrive Formula, a flexible map rather than a fixed program:

• Regulate: helping your nervous system settle so you can step out of fight, flight or collapse and feel resourced and safe enough for deeper work.
• Reveal: gently exploring how you adapted to stress and trauma, using approaches such as EMDR, Internal Family Systems, Emotion-Focused Therapy, CBT and more.
• Reclaim: turning insight into practical, lasting change, such as clearer needs, healthier boundaries and acting from who you really are.

If you feel nervous

Nerves before a first session are very common, even for people who have been in therapy before. You set the pace. You can tell your therapist you feel anxious, ask to slow down or say that you are not ready to talk about something yet. A good therapist will welcome that honesty and adjust with you.

In Person at 470 Granville St or Online

You can attend your new client appointment and later sessions in person downtown, online by secure video, or a mix of both depending on your week. Clients often decide based on schedule, commute, energy and where they feel most at ease speaking openly.

Visiting the centre

• Address: Thrive Downtown Counselling Centre, 470 Granville St., Vancouver, BC.
• Suites: Thrive is in Suites 518 and 901, so check with your therapist which suite your sessions are in.
• After hours: use buzzer #0518 for Suite 518 or buzzer #0901 for Suite 901.
• Transit: the building is steps from Granville SkyTrain Station on the Expo Line and a short walk from Waterfront Station, which serves the Canada Line, Expo Line, SeaBus and West Coast Express. TransLink offers trip planning.
• The rooms: sessions take place in spacious, one-of-a-kind therapy rooms designed to feel calm and grounded.

Read more on our in-person counselling page.

Meeting online by secure video

Online sessions take place on Zoom by secure video. To get the most from them:

• Choose a private spot where you will not be overheard, even a parked car if home is busy.
• Use headphones so your side of the conversation stays private.
• Log on a few minutes early to check your sound and picture.

Our online therapists page explains more about working with a Thrive counsellor from home.

Fees, Insurance and Payment Basics

Session fees at Thrive vary by service and type of counselling. Rather than list figures here that could go out of date, current rates are shown when you book your new client appointment and on our contact page, so you can see the fee before you commit to a session. If cost is a barrier, low-cost counselling with supervised intern counsellors is also available. If anything is unclear, ask during your free 15 minute consult.

Using an extended health plan

Many extended health plans reimburse counselling provided by registered counsellors, but plans differ widely, so it is worth checking yours before your first session. Designations you may see on our team include Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), through the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors, and Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC), through the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.

Helpful questions to ask your insurer:

• Which counselling designations does my plan reimburse?
• How much coverage do I have each year, and is there a limit per session?
• Do I need a doctor’s referral to be reimbursed?

Privacy and Confidentiality Basics

Reaching out for counselling is personal, and it is reasonable to want to know how your information is handled. What you enter when you request a new client appointment travels in encrypted form and is treated as confidential from the moment it arrives.

Confidentiality in counselling

What you share in counselling stays confidential. Registered counsellors in BC follow professional codes of ethics and privacy law, and there are a few limits to confidentiality that your therapist will explain at the start. In general, these include situations where someone is at serious risk of harm, where a child may need protection, or where records are ordered by a court.

Your choices

• You decide what to share and when to share it.
• You can ask how session notes are kept and who can see them.
• Your therapist will ask for your consent before sharing information with anyone else, such as your doctor, apart from the limited situations above.

If You Need Support Right Now

This new client appointment page is for scheduling counselling, not urgent help. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911 in an emergency.

• 988 Suicide Crisis Helpline: call or text 988, 24 hours a day. Learn more at 988.ca.
• BC mental health support line: call 310-6789, with no area code needed.
• 1-800-SUICIDE: call 1-800-784-2433 anywhere in BC.
• Crisis Centre of BC: find resources and support at crisiscentre.bc.ca.

Once you are safe, we would be glad to help you set up ongoing support.

New Client Appointment FAQ

Do I need a referral to book a new client appointment?

You do not need a doctor’s referral to start counselling at Thrive. The short form above is all it takes. Some health plans ask for a referral before they reimburse counselling, so check your plan if that matters to you.

What if I am not sure what kind of therapy I need?

That is very common. Describe what is going on in plain words during your consult, and your therapist can explain how they might help. Our frequently asked questions page also covers many common questions about getting started.

Can my partner and I book together?

Thrive offers couples counselling. When you choose a therapist, look for someone who lists couples work, or use the matching form and mention that you are looking for support as a couple.

What if the first therapist is not the right fit?

You can book a free 15 minute consult with someone else, or ask us to match you. Changing therapists is a normal part of finding the right support, and our therapists understand that fit matters.

Do I have to continue after the free 15 minute consult?

No. The free 15 minute consult is there to help you decide, and you are welcome to take time to think it over. Thrive has supported clients since 2013, and you can learn more on our about us page.

Ready to Book Your Free 15 Minute Consult?

When you are ready, scroll back to the form at the top of this page, add your name, email and phone number to request your new client appointment, then choose a therapist and a time. If you would rather be matched, visit our contact us page. You can also call 604-227-0297 or email connect@thrivedowntown.com. Whatever you are carrying, you do not have to sort it out alone.