Online counselling on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands
Our founder lives in the Cowichan Valley and went to school on Pender Island. Sessions are by video or phone, so the ferry schedule doesn’t get a vote.
A counsellor who lives here
Davis Wiggs started Desert Solace and now lives in the Cowichan Valley. He went to middle and high school on Pender Island and took a water taxi to get there, so he knows what island life asks of people: long trips for anything specialised, and small communities where privacy is hard to come by.
Davis is a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor (RTC) with ACCT, with extra training in sex addiction and financial disorders. He sees adults 19 and over, individually and as couples.
No office to visit, on purpose
If you’ve seen a Duncan or Nanaimo address for us online, it’s out of date: we don’t see anyone in person. Every session happens by video or phone. We’re updating our directory listings so the old addresses stop showing up.
That’s a choice, not a shortcut. On the Island, the nearest counsellor who works with your particular problem can be a ferry or a long drive away. Online, you choose by fit instead of by postal code.
Why online works on the Island
- No ferries, no highway. From Port Hardy to Sooke, or Salt Spring to Gabriola, the session is the same.
- Privacy in a small place. Talk from your kitchen, your truck, or a quiet trail with headphones. Nobody sees you walk into an office.
- Patchy internet is fine. If video drops, your counsellor calls and carries on by phone. Some people choose phone from the start.
Research comparing video and in-person counselling finds the results are about the same for most common concerns. More on how online counselling works.
What Islanders bring to Davis
- Addiction: drinking, drugs, and the quieter habits. See addiction counselling.
- Porn, gambling and spending that’s become a secret. See gambling and spending counselling.
- Couples and affairs, including polyamorous and non-monogamous relationships. See couples counselling.
- Men who’ve kept it in for years. See counselling for men.
Davis’s times are Tuesday to Thursday evenings and Saturdays. The rest of the team sees Island clients too: Jasneet for family pressure and abuse recovery in English, Punjabi or Hindi, Madison for big emotions and chronic illness, and Chantelle at a low fee.
Island help when you need it now
Desert Solace isn’t an emergency service. If you need help right away:
- 9‑1‑1 if you or someone else is in immediate danger
- 9‑8‑8 call or text, for anyone thinking about suicide, 24/7
- Vancouver Island Crisis Line, 1‑888‑494‑3888 24/7 emotional support for the Island, the Gulf Islands and nearby coastal communities
- KUU-US Crisis Line, 1‑800‑588‑8717 24/7, culturally safe support for Indigenous people in BC
- Foundry centres in Victoria, Campbell River, the Comox Valley and Port Hardy, and the Foundry BC app: free support for young people aged 12 to 24
Our crisis page has the full list.
Whose land this is
Davis lives and works on the territory of the Quw’utsun people.
Common questions
Can I see Davis in person in Duncan?
No. All sessions are online or by phone, for everyone.
Do you work with people on the Gulf Islands and the north Island?
Yes. Anywhere in BC, as long as you’re in the province at the time of the session.
Does my benefits plan cover online sessions?
If it covers counselling by an RTC, online sessions are covered the same way. See fees and insurance.
What if the power or internet goes out in a storm?
Your counsellor will call you. If that fails too, you won’t be charged for time lost on our side.
Skip the ferry
Book a free consultation by video or phone, from wherever you are on the Island.
Next you’ll pick a time in Jane, our secure booking system. It asks for your name, email and phone.
Not an emergency service. If you’re not safe right now, call or text 9‑8‑8.