Vancouver Therapy Collective: Mid-Year Update Summer 2025

At the Vancouver Therapy Collective, we continue to work toward improving access to mental health care across British Columbia, with a focus on affordability and inclusivity. Below is a summary of recent developments as of mid-2025.

Expanding Access to Low-Cost Therapy

Since the beginning of the year, the number of practicum therapists on our team has increased from two to four, with the most recent student joining in July. These graduate-level counsellors work under clinical supervision and enable us to provide low-cost therapy to a larger number of clients across BC.

We’ve also added Chiharu Yanagawa to our team as an associate counsellor. Chiharu brings clinical experience and language capacity in Mandarin and Japanese, which has expanded the range of services we can offer.

Additional practicum therapists and associates are expected to join in the second half of the year. This growth supports our aim to make therapy more accessible and responsive to diverse client needs.

Operational Support and New Office Space

Two new volunteers have joined our operations team. Their involvement has helped improve administrative processes, including handling client inquiries and managing scheduling.

In June, we moved into a new office and in August we will add an additional office. These new spaces allow for an increased number of in-person sessions and provides a stable environment for both clients and clinicians. We continue to offer virtual sessions to ensure access remains flexible.

Expanding Reach Across the Province

We have begun building partnerships with community centres and grassroots organisations across BC to increase access to therapy in underserved areas. These efforts are aimed at addressing longstanding gaps in mental health care availability.

We’ve also launched targeted virtual therapy outreach to rural communities in BC where mental health resources are limited and we're working to close that gap.

In parallel, we’ve introduced internal training opportunities for practicum students and associates. These trainings focus on developing clinical skills, supporting diverse populations, and maintaining ethical and trauma-informed practice standards.

Free Counselling Availability

We have increased the number of free therapy sessions available for individuals who cannot afford to pay. These sessions are delivered by practicum therapists under supervision and are part of our commitment to reducing financial barriers to care for everyone.

Looking Ahead

We appreciate the continued support from clients, supervisors, volunteers, and partners. Our work for the remainder of 2025 will focus on scaling services, strengthening clinical training, and continuing outreach to communities across the province.