Comprehensive FAQ Guide

This FAQ is designed to answer common questions about counselling, queer-affirming and centered therapy, LGBTQ+ mental health, clinical supervision, consulting, training, and presentation services in Vancouver, BC.

1. How do I find the right therapist in Vancouver?

The best therapist is someone whose approach, experience, and values align with your needs. Many people look for a therapist who are knowledgeable about their identities, relationships, mental health, workplace stress, culture, and life transitions.

Reading the descriptions of therapists and the modalities they use can feel confusing and overwhelming. Research shows that what is most important to a good therapy experience, is the fit between the therapist and client. Having a free consultation with a few therapists will help you get a sense of who stands out as a better fit. Even then, you can expect it to take a few sessions till you feel that you and your therapist are developing a shared way of understanding and speaking about the problems you want to work on.

Secondly the fit of the therapeutic approach for the therapist is important. And so ask the therapist what they like about the modality they are using, how they use it, and how it may be applied in general to the problem you bring.

It's also ok to ask about the education, professional background and practice experiences, and this has led them to becoming the therapist they are today.

2. Are you a queer therapist in Vancouver?

Yes. Meera Dhebar identifies as queer and cisgender, and 1st generation woman from India. Meera is well known for her work with LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities and provides queer-affirming and queer centered counselling in Vancouver, BC. Meera's office is located in downtown Vancouver, and she also offers remote sessions.

3. Do I have to be LGBTQ+ to work with you?

No. Her counselling and clinical supervision is available to people of all identities, backgrounds, and life experiences. Clients who are not LGBTQ+ will seek out Meera for her focus on social justice and experience working with individuals, relationships, couples and families. They also appreciate her decades of experience as a social worker.

4. What is LGBTQ+ centered therapy? How is this different from LGBTQ+ affirming therapy?

In this type of therapy the importance of identity, community, relationships, and belonging is centered, while creating a respectful and supportive therapeutic space. Meera Dhebar has spent extensive time learning and training in narrative therapy, and also in what is known as affirming therapy. But in LGBTQ+ centered therapy she intentionally integrates what is important about the lived experiences of being a LGBTQ+ person, and holding intersectional identities as BIPOC, experiences of migration, language, culture, and abilities. Meera’s approach is based on research, training, and practice, and her clients appreciate this depth to her work in counselling, clinical supervision, and clinical consultation.

5. What issues can therapy help with?

Therapy is meant to create a space to talk through how we are approaching relationships, issues, problems, concerns, to reflect on past hurts and trauma, and to consider new perspectives and new ways of being.

Common concerns include anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, substance use, burnout, grief, relationships, identity exploration, life transitions, and emotional wellbeing.

6. Do you provide therapy for anxiety?

Yes. Therapy can help people understand patterns of anxiety, build coping strategies, and reconnect with what matters most to them.

7. Do you help with burnout and workplace stress?

Yes. Many professionals seek support for burnout, compassion fatigue, workplace conflict, and leadership challenges. Meera may work with professionals as a clinical supervisor with a focus on their work, or as a counsellor with a focus on personal well being as a result of their work.

8. Can therapy help with depression?

Yes. Therapy can provide support, understanding, and practical ways of approaching emotional challenges and periods of low mood.

9. Do you work with young adults?

Yes. Many emerging adults seek counselling around identity, relationships, education, career decisions, and life transitions.

10. Do you provide relationship counselling?

Yes. Relationship counselling can help improve communication, connection, trust, and conflict resolution.

11. Do you work with couples?

Yes. Couples therapy supports partners in navigating challenges while strengthening understanding and connection. Meera has worked with all sorts of couples, partners and relationships, celebrating the normative and non-normative ways of connection.

12. Do you provide family counselling?

Yes. Family counselling can support healthier communication and stronger relationships among family members.

13. What is narrative therapy?

Narrative therapy helps people separate themselves from problems and reconnect with their strengths, values, and preferred stories.

14. Do you work with BIPOC clients?

Yes. Counselling is informed by an understanding of culture, identity, power, and lived experience.

15. Do you work with trans and non-binary clients?

Yes. Meera has extensive experience working with gender-diverse, trans, non-binary, and questioning individuals. Her questions will help you navigate the important changes transition brings, the joy, euphoria, and connection.

16. Can therapy help me explore my identity?

Yes. Many clients seek support around identity, belonging, culture, gender, sexuality, and personal growth.

17. What can I expect during my first session?

In the first session Meera works to get to know you outside of the problem. She will ask about who supports you in your health and wellbeing, the meaningful relationships you hold, and the aspects of your life that bring you joy and connection. This foundation then supports how the problem comes to be defined and understood. It also provides some time and space to build the therpeutic relationship, to create trust, and the safer space needed to talk through the problem and the challenges it brings.

18. Do you offer virtual counselling?

Yes. Meera uses Jane app and its privacy protected integrated technology for virtual appointments.

19. How often should I attend therapy?

Frequency varies based on goals, availability, resources and personal circumstances. This can be discussed together. Meera generally prefers a commitment of 6-8 sessions to ensure there is continuity and flow, this often ensures better clinical outcomes of the therapy process.

20. How do I know if therapy is working?

This is an important question, you are spending your time and money on working through problems and challenges. Instead of the concept of something ‘working’ with a very specific outcome, Meera instead asks you to reflect on what is feeling different – a small and unique outcome from how you usually respond and react to the problem. She believes that smaller shifts will over time lead to larger and more meaningful changes.

Clients often notice changes in perspective, coping, relationships, confidence, wellbeing, and alignment with their values.

21. Do you provide clinical supervision?

Yes. Clinical supervision is available for counsellors, therapists, social workers, individually or as a team.

22. Who is clinical supervision for?

Supervision supports early-career clinicians, experienced practitioners, and professionals seeking reflective and ethics based practice.

23. What happens in clinical supervision?

Discussion may include cases, clients, ethics, professional identity, skill development, anti-oppressive practice, and self-reflection.

24. Can supervision help me become a better therapist?

Yes. Supervision supports growth, accountability, confidence, and clinical effectiveness. And ethically all therapists should be engaging with a clinical sueprvisor, their peers and a community of practice.

25. Do you offer supervision for social workers?

Yes. Social workers are welcome to inquire about supervision services.

26. Do you offer supervision for private practice therapists?

Yes. Private practice clinicians often seek support around cases, boundaries, sustainability, and professional development.

27. Do you provide DEI consulting?

Yes. Consulting services support organizations interested in equity, inclusion, belonging, and culture change.

28. What kinds of organizations do you work with?

Consulting and training may support community organizations, educational institutions, healthcare settings, and workplaces.

29. What training topics do you offer?

Topics include LGBTQ+ inclusion, queer mental health, anti-oppressive practice, intersectionality, and inclusive leadership.

30. Can training be customized?

Yes. Training is tailored to the needs and goals of each group or organization.

31. Do you offer keynote speaking engagements?

Yes. Speaking engagements, panels, workshops, and conference presentations are available.

32. What topics do you speak about?

Mental health, LGBTQ+ communities, social justice, leadership, inclusion, professional practice, and wellbeing.

33. Why do people look for a queer therapist?

Many people want a therapist who understands LGBTQ+ experiences without requiring extensive explanation or education. Unfortunately this often stems from negative experiences with a therapist who was not comfortable talking about sexuality and gender, power and privilege, and general identity-based concerns of how society and community is responding.

34. What makes a therapist queer affirming?

A queer-affirming therapist affirms LGBTQ+ identities and its connection to wellbeing.

35. How do I get started?

Reach out through the contact page to schedule a conversation about counselling, supervision, consulting, or training.