Serving Vancouver Island
Indigenous Counselling on Vancouver Island, BC
Ch’íyáqtel Wellness doesn’t have an office on Vancouver Island — our centre is in Chilliwack, on Stó:lō territory, on the other side of the Salish Sea from Victoria and Nanaimo. Getting here in person means a highway drive to a BC Ferries terminal, a crossing of its own, and more driving once you’re off the boat — a trip we don’t ask anyone to make for a counselling appointment. Every session with someone on the Island happens by video or phone instead, reaching people on the territory of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations around Victoria, and Snuneymuxw First Nation around Nanaimo. Our counsellors are FNHA-registered and bill FNHA directly, so we’ll help you check your eligibility before you book anything.
How we work in Vancouver Island
We don’t have an office in Vancouver Island. Our centre is at 46770 Bailey Rd in Chilliwack, and counsellors see people across Vancouver Island by video or phone. It’s the same session, wherever you are.
Book a virtual sessionWhose territory this is
Nations & territory
- Songhees Nation and Esquimalt Nation — the Lekwungen-speaking peoples whose territory includes Victoria
- Snuneymuxw First Nation — whose territory includes Nanaimo and the surrounding watershed
Who it’s for
Who we see here
- First Nations people across Vancouver Island
- Songhees, Esquimalt & Snuneymuxw members
- On or off reserve
- Victoria, Nanaimo & everywhere between
- Anyone who wants a video or phone option
If you need help right now
Support in this region
Vancouver Island Crisis Line
24/7 crisis line support across Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, part of the BC Crisis Line Network. Call 1-888-494-3888.
KUU-US Crisis Line
A First Nations and Aboriginal crisis line for all of BC, staffed by Indigenous crisis responders, 24 hours a day. Call 1-800-588-8717.
Hope for Wellness Helpline
National, 24/7 phone and online chat support for Indigenous people across Canada, in English and French. Call 1-855-242-3310, or chat at hopeforwellness.ca.
9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline
Canada-wide crisis support by phone or text, 24/7. Dial or text 988.
Getting care from here
How we reach you
We don’t have a location on Vancouver Island, and reaching Chilliwack isn’t just a drive — it’s a drive to the ferry terminal, a BC Ferries crossing (about an hour and thirty-five minutes each way on the Tsawwassen–Swartz Bay route), and more driving once you’re off the boat. That’s not a reasonable ask for a regular counselling session. Every session with a Vancouver Island client happens by video or phone, with the same FNHA-registered counsellors and the same care as an in-person appointment. If an in-person session ever matters more than the distance, Bailey Rd is still open to you.
What this is
Counselling for people on Vancouver Island from counsellors based across the water in Chilliwack, on Stó:lō territory — we’re upfront that we’re not down the street, or even a bridge away. Vancouver Island falls within Island Health’s catchment, separate from the Fraser Health region our Chilliwack centre sits in, and reaching it means a highway drive to a BC Ferries terminal and a crossing of the Salish Sea before any drive on the Island itself. Video and phone sessions are how we actually meet that distance: no ferry to catch, no schedule to plan a session around, the same FNHA-registered counsellor either way.
Our approach
We practise Two-Eyed Seeing — traditional Indigenous knowledge held alongside modern clinical care, neither one asked to make room for the other. Meeting by video or phone doesn’t change that; it’s the same counsellors and the same approach you’d get sitting across from someone in person.
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 and we’ll check with you.
Getting started
Send us a message or call. Tell us you’re on Vancouver Island, and we’ll help you check your eligibility, match you with a counsellor, and book your first video or phone session.
What you can book
Counselling available in Vancouver Island
- Indigenous counsellingCulturally safe care, by video or phone.
- FNHA & NIHB counsellingRegistered providers who bill FNHA directly.
- Trauma & intergenerational traumaTrauma-informed, at your pace.
- Addictions counsellingSubstance use support without judgement.
- Youth & family counsellingFor young people and whole families.
Common questions
Questions about this region
Do you have an office in Victoria, Nanaimo, or anywhere else on Vancouver Island?
No. Our centre is at 46770 Bailey Rd in Chilliwack, on Stó:lō territory, reached from the Island by a highway drive and a BC Ferries crossing. Everyone we see on Vancouver Island meets with a counsellor by video or phone — it’s the identical session to an in-person one, just without the ferry.
Is counselling covered by FNHA if I live on Vancouver Island?
For eligible First Nations members in BC, FNHA’s mental-health benefit may cover counselling sessions regardless of where on Vancouver Island you live. Our counsellors are FNHA-registered and bill FNHA directly. We’ll help you check your eligibility before your first session.
Whose territory is Vancouver Island?
Victoria sits on the territory of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, the Lekwungen-speaking peoples. Nanaimo sits on the territory of Snuneymuxw First Nation. Vancouver Island is home to many more Nations beyond these two; we name the ones closest to where most people reaching us live.
What if I need help right now?
If you’re in crisis, the Vancouver Island Crisis Line (1-888-494-3888) is available 24/7 across the Island and the Gulf Islands. The KUU-US Crisis Line (1-800-588-8717) and the Hope for Wellness Helpline (1-855-242-3310) are Indigenous-specific and available BC-wide and nationally. You can also dial or text 988 anywhere in Canada.
Why don’t you just open an office on the Island?
We’re a small, home-territory practice based in Chilliwack, and the ferry crossing means an office on the Island would only ever serve people near it. Video and phone care reaches Victoria, Nanaimo, and everywhere between at once, with the same counsellors either way.
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