How online counselling works
If you’ve never done this before, here’s exactly what happens, from booking to the end of your first session. Short version: you need a phone or laptop and somewhere private to talk.
From booking to your first session
Free consultation
A short call by video or phone. You say a little about what’s going on; your counsellor says how they work. No pressure to book.
Intake form in Jane
A short form online. It includes your consent to online sessions and a few questions about you.
Your first session
50 to 60 minutes by video or phone. Details below, minute by minute.
The next few sessions
You set goals together. Most people meet every week or two to start, then less often.
If it’s not the right fit
Tell your counsellor or email us. We’ll help you switch to someone else on the team.
Your first session, roughly minute by minute
Roughly how the first hour goes, from what our counsellors told us. Every counsellor is a little different, and nothing here is a script.
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Five minutes before
Find your spot
The video link is in your booking email. Close the door, or park somewhere quiet. Water, tissues, headphones if the walls are thin. You don’t need to prepare anything.
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Minute 0
Hello, and a little small talk
Your counsellor checks they can see and hear you. If the video won’t behave, you switch to a phone call.
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Minute 3
The housekeeping
What stays private, the rare times it can’t, and where you are today, so they know where to send help if you ever need it.
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Minute 8
What’s brought you here
Say as much or as little as you like. You don’t have to tell your whole life story in one hour, and there are no perfect answers.
From Davis
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Minute 18
Who’s in your world
Who you live with, who you’d call at 2 a.m., who you’d never tell you’re in therapy. If you’ve come about trauma or abuse, you can say it exists without saying what it was.
From Jasneet
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Minute 28
What’s helped before
Your strengths, what’s got you through hard times, and what you’d like to be different in six months, even if the answer is “I don’t know, I just want to feel less like this.”
From Davis and Jasneet
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Minute 38
A gentle safety check
Counsellors ask everyone about thoughts of suicide, now or in the past. It’s routine, not a judgment. If it’s relevant, you’ll make a safety plan together.
From Madison
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Minute 45
Something small to try
One thing you can actually do before next time, and a check on how the session felt. You’re allowed to say something sat wrong.
From Jasneet
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Minute 50
Questions, and what’s next
Ask anything about how this works. Booking again is up to you. The aim is to leave feeling heard, and clearer about what comes next.
From Davis and Madison
What you need
- A phone, tablet or laptop with a camera and microphone. Or just a phone, for a phone session.
- Somewhere you can talk without being overheard: a room with a door, a parked car with the engine off, a quiet corner at work.
- Headphones, if the walls are thin.
- About 60 minutes where nobody needs you.
How you join
You book in Jane, our secure booking system. Jane sends a confirmation email with a private video link for your time. At the time of your session, open the link in your browser. There’s nothing to download on a computer. On a phone, open the link in your browser or use the free Jane app.
Jane will ask for your name, email and phone number when you book. That’s all you need to start.
Phone instead of video
If the internet is patchy where you live, or seeing yourself on screen is too much, ask for a phone session. Your counsellor calls you at your appointment time. If being on camera is what’s putting you off, start by phone. Our page on counselling for men talks first-timers through it. Phone counselling is a real option: in one large trial for depression, it worked about as well as in person by the end of treatment, and people were more likely to stick with it.
Camera off is fine
Some people find it easier to talk without being seen, especially at first. You can keep your camera off for part or all of a session. Your counsellor may ask to see you for a minute at the start, just to say hello.
If the connection drops
It happens, especially in rural BC. If the video freezes or cuts out, your counsellor will try to reconnect, then call the phone number you gave Jane and carry on by phone. You won’t be charged for time lost to a dropped connection on our side.
Couples sessions online
Sit together in front of one screen, in a room with a door. Put phones away. If the kids are home, a later slot can help. Either of you can ask for a pause, and one partner can step out for a minute if needed. If you live apart, you can each join from your own device.
Research on couples counselling by video is still early, so we won’t promise it’s identical to sitting in a room. Many couples find it easier to show up for. More on online couples counselling, including after an affair.
Is online counselling as good as in person?
For most common concerns, yes, about the same. A large review of 47 studies found little difference between video and in-person counselling. Phone sessions hold up well too. The biggest factor is the fit between you and your counsellor, which is why we start with a short first conversation. Read about the four counsellors and pick the one who sounds right.
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Research comparing video and in-person counselling finds the results are about the same.
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Phone sessions are a real option. In one large trial for depression, phone counselling worked about as well as in person by the end of treatment, and people were more likely to stick with it.
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Online help for gambling seems to work better with a real counsellor involved. The research is still limited.
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The relationship with your counsellor matters most, and it can form online. That’s why the free consultation exists.
2023 review of the therapeutic alliance by video (opens in a new tab)
Common questions
Do I need to download anything?
Usually not. Jane’s video link opens in your browser.
Can I do a session from my car?
Yes, if you’re parked with the engine off. Some people take their session in a parked car.
What if I’m out of the province?
Sessions are for people in BC at the time of the session. Tell your counsellor if you’ll be travelling and they’ll explain the options.
How long are sessions, and how often?
Usually 50 to 60 minutes, every week or two to start. Some counsellors offer 90-minute sessions; fees and insurance lists each one. You don’t sign up for a set number and you can stop any time.
What if I’m in crisis between sessions?
We’re not an emergency service and can’t always reply quickly. Call or text 9‑8‑8 any time, or call 9‑1‑1 if you’re in danger. Our BC crisis lines page has more numbers.
Can I switch counsellors?
Yes. Tell your counsellor or email us and we’ll help you move to someone else on the team. No hard feelings.
The first step is a short, free conversation
No pressure to book more. Just a chance to see if it feels right.
Next you’ll pick a time in Jane, our secure booking system. It asks for your name, email and phone.