Individual Therapy

We look forward to working with you as an individual who is motivated to make positive changes in your life. Once we determine that your therapeutic needs and our approach are a good fit, we will determine a course of therapy. This will include frequency of sessions, projected length of therapy as well as establishing the goals you wish to accomplish. At our Vancouver counselling service our goal is to put your mind at ease about what to expect and how we can best support you to heal.

Individual sessions are normally 50 minutes long, however, occasionally longer sessions are recommended, especially if frequency is limited.

All of the therapists at the Good Life Therapy Centre are excellent clinicians with a strong dedication to helping you have a better life. Once you inform of us of your reasons for seeking therapy, we will match you with a therapist who has expertise in the area of your difficulty.

Couples Therapy

  • With the divorce and separation rates as high as they currently are, we believe that working on your relationship in therapy can, in all likelihood, prevent a premature end to your marriage. But not all couples know for sure if their relationship is worth saving. For that reason, attending marriage counselling can feel scary. Whether you want to improve your marriage, make a decision about staying together or learn how to separate without bitterness and ongoing conflict, couples therapy provides the best opportunity for personal growth, clarity and change.
  • The initial couples counselling sessions will be twice as long as individual sessions. This will provide sufficient time for both you and your partner to express your views on the issues bringing you to therapy, and allow time for assessment and teaching tools for change.
  • Following couples counselling sessions in our Vancouver offices will be 75 minutes in length. During our work we explore the goals you wish to meet as a couple, and help you develop the individual and interpersonal skills necessary to meet those goals.

Fees: The cost of hourly therapy varies from one therapist to the next.  Those clinicians who are more experienced will have a higher hourly rate than those with less experience.  Some extended health plans cover Registered Clinical Counsellors up to a maximum each year. Please check with your provided to see if you are covered.

Telephone/Skype Counselling

There are times and circumstances wherein your therapist may determine that telephone/skype counselling is a necessary and/or desired option for your therapy. Telephone/skype counselling is available to clients who are seeking counselling but:

  • Live a distance from Vancouver or are on extended vacation
  • Have moved away before completing their therapeutic work
  • Have health issues that preclude traveling
  • Have work or other commitments that prevent coming to the office

How Long Can I Expect to be in Therapy?

The length and frequency of your sessions will be determined by the seriousness of the problems you are experiencing. You can expect to be in therapy for as long as it takes to resolve your issues — for shock trauma (such as car accidents, falls, surgeries, etc.) this could be a few months. For early childhood issues or developmental trauma, therapy can be longer, often several years. For couples who have been together for many years and have developed entrenched unhealthy patterns between them, or have a great deal of unresolved trauma or loss, therapy can take many months or years.

Having said that,  you will begin to feel positive effects after your first session and this will continue throughout your treatment.

Clinical Consultation

As a therapist who has specialized in the field of addiction and trauma for over 25 years, Sue Diamond Potts offers clinical consultation to other professionals in the field. Whether you are working in an agency setting or in private practice, she can assist you in your work with clients who have complicated addiction and trauma histories.

In addition, as an assistant to Dr. Ellyn Bader @ the Couples Institute, she also provides clinical consultation to therapists working with couples in the Bader-Pearson developmental model of Couples Therapy. This consultation is offered both on an individual basis and in a monthly group supervision setting.

Training & Workshops

Sue Diamond Potts provides an annual 9-month training to therapists in the Bader-Pearson Developmental Model of Couples Therapy – both a Level 1 Introductory course and follow up Level 2 advanced supervision/training class. In addition, she holds a monthly supervision group for those practitioners who want more intensive consultation on the couples they are working with.  For more information or to sign up for the next training, please go to “therapist training”.

If you are ready to create positive change in your life, click here to request an appointment with one of our therapists.