Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve never done counselling therapy 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 therapy and develop healthy strategies to carry forward into your everyday life.
Do you offer online and in-person counselling therapy?
Yes, I offer both options! I can provide virtual counselling therapy to folks across Canada using the Jane telehealth platform. Virtual counselling therapy has many benefits, including providing more access to counselling therapy services for low-income, rural, and disabled people. I also offer in-person counselling therapy at my office in West End Halifax, Nova Scotia. Here are some photos of my office:
Who typically seeks out counselling therapy with Malory?
I provide individual counselling therapy 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 participants are women in life transitions, queer adults (18+), university students, and those seeking deeper connection to self, others, and beyond. I welcome participants from all backgrounds and social locations.
What type of issues do you help address in counselling therapy?
My counselling therapy is focused on concerns related to:
- Women’s issues
- Anxiety
- Stress management
- Boundaries and people-pleasing (fawning)
- Emotional literacy
- Childhood emotional neglect
- Narcissistic abuse
- Healthy relationships
- Relationship breakups
- Sexuality and gender
- Queer issues and identities
- Neurodivergence
- Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs)
- Self-worth
- Life transitions
- Meaning and purpose
To talk more about if we would be a good fit for counselling therapy, 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 therapy | $180 | 50-mins | – Counselling therapy |
| WPATH assessment for gender-affirming care (NS) | $270 | 50-mins | – Psychosocial assessment – Letter of readiness |
Additional time is billed at $90 per 25-minute block if required or requested.
Is counselling therapy covered by my insurance? Do you direct bill?
Counselling therapy services are not covered under the Nova Scotia provincial health plan (MSI) but may be covered under private insurance. Before attending counselling therapy, check with your health insurance provider to determine if you are covered for “counselling therapy” (also called “psychotherapy” in certain provinces).
I am able to direct bill for Medavie Blue Cross and TelusHealth plans (Manulife, Canada Life, Sunlife, Chambers of Commerce, etc.). 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 counselling therapist, 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 ($90), which you must pay before scheduling another appointment.
What are some of Malory’s world views and perspectives?
Although many counselling therapists 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 counselling therapist and minimizes the risk of oppression in counselling therapy through unconscious bias, unintentional 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 feminism
- Social constructionism
- Anti-oppressive and decolonizing approach to counselling therapy
- Non-pathologizing approach to trauma and mental health
- Informed consent model for gender-affirmative care
- Neurodiversity paradigm
- Collaboration (non-expert stance)
- Self-compassion promotes change and healing
- Rest is resistance
- Counselling 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