Addictions
Addictions Counselling
You don’t have to have decided anything before you get in touch. Our counsellors work with substance use and addiction the way they work with everything else — without judgment, at your pace, and with an understanding of where the pain underneath it usually comes from. Our counsellors are FNHA-registered and bill FNHA directly. Sessions run by video or phone anywhere in British Columbia, or in person in Chilliwack.
- No judgment, and no requirement to have decided anything
- Our counsellors are FNHA-registered, and we bill FNHA directly
- By video or phone anywhere in BC, or in person in Chilliwack
What this is
Counselling for substance use and addiction, for First Nations people across British Columbia. It is talking work: regular sessions with a counsellor who is trauma-informed and culturally safe, by video, by phone, or in person in Chilliwack.
Substance use rarely arrives on its own. It usually sits on top of something older — grief, trauma, the intergenerational weight of residential schools and the policies that followed. Our counsellors know that, and they don’t start from the assumption that the substance is the whole story.
Who it’s for
- Anyone whose drinking or using has become something they think about more than they want to.
- People who are not sure whether they have a problem, and would like somewhere to work that out.
- Family members carrying someone else’s addiction.
- People outside the Lower Mainland — we work by video and phone across the province.
Our approach
You don’t have to arrive with a goal. Abstinence, cutting back, or simply understanding what the using is doing for you — all of that is on the table, and the choice is yours. Our counsellors are trauma-informed and culturally safe, and they will not shame you.
We practise Two-Eyed Seeing — the traditional knowledge of the Stó:lō people held alongside modern clinical care, neither one asked to make room for the other.
What it costs
Our counsellors are FNHA-registered, and we bill FNHA directly — eligible members pay nothing out of pocket, and there’s no claim to file afterwards. If you’re covered by NIHB instead, or you’re not sure what you’re covered by, ask us. We’d rather check than have you go without.
Getting started
Send us a message or call. We’ll help you check your eligibility, match you with a counsellor, and book your first session.
FAQ
Common questions
Do I have to quit before I come?
No. You don’t have to have stopped, and you don’t have to have decided to stop. Counselling can be the place where you work out what you actually want. Come as you are.
Is this counselling, or is it a treatment programme?
It’s counselling — regular sessions with a counsellor, by video, phone, or in person. If what you need is something we don’t provide, we’ll say so and talk through the options with you rather than leave you to find them alone.
Will I be judged?
No. Our counsellors are trauma-informed and culturally safe. Substance use rarely arrives on its own — it usually sits on top of something older — and our counsellors understand the intergenerational weight that a lot of First Nations people are carrying underneath it.
Is addictions counselling covered?
For eligible First Nations members in BC, FNHA’s mental-health benefit may cover counselling sessions. Our counsellors are FNHA-registered and we bill FNHA directly, so eligible members pay nothing out of pocket. We’ll help you check your eligibility before you book.
Can I do this without anyone knowing?
Sessions run by video or phone anywhere in British Columbia, so you can attend from wherever you feel private. If a small community makes in-person care hard, virtual sessions exist for exactly that reason.
Get started
Book your first session
Tell us a little about what you’re looking for. We’ll help you check your eligibility, match you with a counsellor, and book your first session.
Call us at +1 604-983-4974 or fill out the form, and a representative will reach out.