Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve never done counselling before. What can I expect?
Above all else, I am here to provide a safe and non-judgmental space for you to share your thoughts, feelings, values, beliefs, and experiences. As we build our therapeutic relationship, we will work together to determine your goals for counselling and develop healthy strategies to carry forward into your everyday life.
Do you offer online and in-person counselling?
Yes, I offer both options! I can provide virtual counselling to folks across Canada using the Jane telehealth platform. Virtual counselling has many benefits, including providing more access to counselling services for low-income, rural, and disabled people. I also offer in-person counselling at my office in West End Halifax, Nova Scotia. Here are some photos of my counselling office:
Who typically seeks out counselling with Malory?
I provide individual counselling services to adults who are residents of the province of Nova Scotia (although I am able to work with some participants from other provinces as well). My typical therapy participants are women in life transitions, queer young adults (18+), university students, and those seeking deeper connection to self, others, and beyond. I welcome participants from all backgrounds and intersections.
What type of issues do you help address in counselling?
My counselling therapy addresses concerns related to:
- Women’s issues
- Healthy relationships
- Anxiety and depression
- Sexuality and gender
- Childhood emotional neglect
- Narcissistic abuse
- Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs)
- Relationship breakups
- Codependency
- Life transitions
- Queer issues and identities
- Boundaries and people-pleasing
- Neurodivergence
- Sexual violence
- Self-esteem and self-worth
- Emotional literacy
- Spirituality & existential concerns (climate change, late-stage capitalism, etc.)
- Stress management
To talk more about if we would be a good fit for counselling, visit my Contact page.
What fees do you charge?
Payment depends on the type of service provided and is due via e-Transfer or credit card at the end of each appointment. Fees are subject to change.
There are two fee structures depending on services requested:
| Type of Service | Fee | Duration | Included Services |
| Individual counselling | $160 | 50-mins | – Counselling therapy |
| WPATH assessment for gender-affirming care (NS) | $240 | 50-mins | – Psychosocial assessment – Letter of readiness |
Additional time is billed at $80 per 25-minute block if required or requested.
Is counselling therapy covered by my insurance?
Counselling services are not covered under the Nova Scotia provincial health plan (MSI) but may be covered under private insurance. Check with your health insurance provider to ensure they cover “counselling therapy” (sometimes called “psychotherapy”). I am able to direct bill for Medavie Blue Cross and TelusHealth plans. For other providers, I will issue you an official receipt which you can submit to your provider for reimbursement if eligible.
I am a university or college student. Are appointment fees covered?
Many student health plans cover counselling therapy. Some plans can be direct billed by the counsellor, while others require the student to submit a claim through an app or website. Click here to read more about student health plans and view a chart that outlines which universities and colleges cover counselling therapy in Nova Scotia.
What’s your cancellation policy?
Twenty-four (24) hours notice is required for cancellation. Otherwise, you will be charged a missed appointment fee of half the session ($80), which you must pay before scheduling another appointment.
What are some of Malory’s world views and perspectives?
Although many counsellors strive to leave their political biases at the door, I believe it is ethically prudent for counsellors to be upfront about the assumptions they bring into the therapeutic relationship. In my view, this empowers clients to have an informed choice when selecting a counsellor and minimizes the risk for oppression in counselling via microaggressions, retraumatization, etc.
Some of the values, beliefs, and perspectives that inform my worldview and my approach to counselling therapy include (but are not limited to):
- Intersectional and trans-inclusive radical feminism
- Sex neutrality and reproductive rights (pro choice)
- Non-pathologizing approach to trauma and mental health
- Informed consent model for gender-affirmative care
- Neurodiversity paradigm
- Self-diagnosis for ADHD/ASD/cPTSD is valid
- Critical of the DSM
- Anti-racism, anti-colourism
- Decolonization and Indigenous sovereignty
- Fat liberation, body liberation
- Anti-ableism, anti-sanism
- Anti-capitalism, anti-fascism
- The client (not the counsellor) is the expert on their life
- Self-compassion promotes healing
- Rest is resistance
- Therapy is a space of no pressure
Curious about some of the terms and ideas above? Give ’em a google!
How do I file a complaint or concern against a Registered Counselling Therapist?
In Nova Scotia, Registered Counselling Therapists (RCTs) are regulated by the Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists (NSCCT). RCTs are bound by the professional standards outlined in the Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. If you have a complaint or concern about unethical behaviour from an RCT in Nova Scotia, you are encouraged to file a complaint with NSCCT. You can view an infographic on how the complaint process works here.
Why “In the Margins?”
Lots of reasons! Here are some inspirations (although I’d be even more curious to hear about yours). In the margins . . .
sociology | those who are on the margins live outside socially accepted norms
feminist theory | the margin is “a space of radical openness” and “place of resistance’ (bell hooks, 1989)
economics | thinking at the margin is to imagine your next step forward