Notice: For general interest only; may contain inaccuracies. Not a diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, or professional, clinical, or legal advice. Reading this creates no counsellor-client relationship. By reading this page, you agree to these terms. Full disclaimer. In an emergency, call 911.
Individual Counselling in Vancouver — whatever you’ve been carrying, you can set it down here
Anxiety that won’t switch off. A low mood that has dimmed everything. Something from the past you’ve never told anyone. Trouble focusing, sleeping, or just feeling like yourself. You don’t have to white-knuckle through it alone.
Book your free 20-minute call
No forms. Just say “I saw your website.”
Does this sound like you?
- Your mind races, or you feel on edge for no clear reason.
- You’ve lost interest in things that used to matter to you.
- Something from your past still has a grip on the present.
- You’re burned out, exhausted, or stretched far too thin.
- You’re adjusting to a new country, role, or chapter and feel unmoored.
How therapy helps
We work at your pace, in English or Farsi, using approaches with real evidence behind them — CBT, EMDR, and trauma-focused work — matched to what you’re actually facing. As an Iranian-Canadian counsellor with frontline and humanitarian experience, I understand both the clinical side and the cultural weight you may be carrying. When it fits, neurofeedback is available as an optional add-on to help your progress along — never required.
You don’t have to be sure. You just have to start.
A free, confidential 20-minute call. No pressure, no commitment — just a real conversation.
Book your free call
Call now — 6047210604
جلسات فردی به زبان فارسی نیز ارائه میشود. به فارسی ادامه دهید ←
What Individual Therapy Actually Addresses
Individual therapy at my practice is not a generic process. Each person comes with a different history, a different neurological profile, and a different set of needs. Depending on what you bring, sessions may focus on processing past trauma using EMDR, regulating the nervous system through neurofeedback, working through anxiety or depression with evidence-based cognitive approaches, or simply having a dedicated space to think out loud with someone who listens without agenda.
Common presentations include: anxiety and panic — persistent worry, social anxiety, panic attacks, or the low-grade tension that never fully lifts. Depression — not just sadness but the flatness, fatigue, and disconnection that make it hard to feel present in your own life. PTSD and trauma — intrusive memories, hypervigilance, emotional shutdown, and the ways past experiences keep shaping the present. ADHD — difficulty with focus, time, emotional regulation, and the shame that accumulates around chronic underperformance. Life transitions — career changes, immigration, relationship endings, grief, or any period when the identity you had no longer fits. See: EMDR Therapy Vancouver | ADHD Therapy Vancouver | Trauma Therapist Vancouver.
The Approaches Used in Individual Therapy
I draw on a range of evidence-based modalities and integrate them based on your presentation: EMDR for trauma and PTSD. CBT for anxiety, depression, and patterns of thought that maintain distress. Somatic therapy for the body-held dimensions of trauma and stress. Internal Family Systems (IFS) for self-criticism and the protective parts that drive unhelpful patterns. Neurofeedback for neurological dysregulation underlying ADHD, anxiety, trauma, or sleep. This is an integrative practice — the approach is built around your needs, not the other way around.
Ready to talk it through? Call or text 604-721-0604 — the first 20 minutes are free, with Samuel directly.
Individual Therapy in Farsi
I offer individual therapy in English and Farsi. For many clients — particularly those navigating immigration stress, political trauma, bicultural identity, or family conflict within an Iranian-Canadian context — working in Farsi is not just a comfort, it is clinically important. Language shapes how we store and access emotional experience. See: Farsi Therapist Vancouver | Counselling for the Iranian-Canadian Community.
3
countries · frontline trauma
Therapy+
neurofeedback, one practice
Who you’re talking to
I’m Samuel Ezzatilord, PhD, RCC, CCC, LMCC. Over 25 years I’ve worked with anxiety, depression, trauma, and hard life change — from Red Crescent refugee camps and veterans’ clinics to community mental health here in Vancouver. Whatever you’ve been carrying alone, I won’t be shocked by it, and I won’t rush you.
As an Iranian-Canadian clinician working in both English and Farsi, I understand the weight of آبرو, the pull between cultures, and how hard it can be to say “I need help” out loud. We go at your pace, find what’s really driving things, and work through it together.
My full story →
Fees may be covered, depending on eligibility, by ICBC, CVAP, FNHA, IFHP, RCMP, VAC, and most other insurers, and direct billing is available.
And no — your problem doesn’t need to be a crisis to belong here.
Why people choose this practice
The same clinician BC’s community mental-health system trusts with its hardest cases — available to you directly as a private therapist in Vancouver, in English or Farsi.
Doctorate-level depth, a therapist’s ear
PhD, with credentials verified by the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC) and the US Federation of State Medical Boards.
Trauma experience no classroom teaches
Twelve years with the Red Crescent in refugee camps across three countries, then five years with Veterans Affairs Canada. Whatever you’re carrying — he has already seen its edges.
Therapy plus neurofeedback, one practice
A doctoral-level clinician combining psychotherapy with brain training — for when talking alone hasn’t been enough.
No gatekeepers
No receptionist, no intake forms before a human hears you. You call, he answers. First 20 minutes free.
What happens when you call?
1You call or text.Samuel answers personally. No secretary, no forms, no gatekeeping.
2You talk — 20 minutes, free.Ask anything: fees, insurance coverage, whether therapy or neurofeedback fits you. Confidential within the limits of BC law and professional ethics.
3You decide.Book a first session — or don’t. Either way, you leave the call with clarity and zero obligation.
Frequently Asked Questions — Individual Therapy
How do I know if I need therapy?
A useful rule of thumb: if something is affecting your daily functioning, your relationships, your sleep or your sense of self, and it has persisted for more than a few weeks, it is worth talking to someone. You do not need to be in crisis, and you do not need a diagnosis. Most of Samuel’s individual clients are capable people who have been carrying too much for too long and want it to be lighter.
How long does individual therapy take?
It depends on what you bring. Focused work on a specific issue — a phobia, a recent trauma, a life transition, a burnout — is often effective in 8 to 16 sessions. Deeper work on patterns rooted in early experience or complex trauma typically takes longer, with sessions spaced out as things stabilise. Samuel reviews progress with you openly every few sessions rather than keeping you coming indefinitely.
Do you offer online individual therapy?
Yes. Samuel offers secure video sessions for clients anywhere in British Columbia; for most presentations online therapy is as effective as in-person, and many clients prefer it. In-person sessions are in downtown Vancouver, with evening and weekend times available. Many clients mix the two.
Which approaches does Samuel use in individual therapy?
The approach follows the problem, not the other way round: EMDR for trauma and intrusive memories, Internal Family Systems (IFS) for self-criticism and the parts of you at war with each other, CBT for anxiety, low mood and unhelpful thinking loops, schema therapy for lifelong patterns, and neurofeedback training alongside counselling for attention, sleep and a nervous system that will not settle. Samuel Ezzatilord, PhD, RCC, CCC, LMCC, chooses the combination with you after the first conversation.
Is individual counselling covered by extended health benefits in BC?
Usually, yes. Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) sessions are covered by most extended health plans and can be direct-billed. Fees may be covered, depending on eligibility, by ICBC, CVAP, FNHA, IFHP, RCMP, VAC, and most other insurers, and direct billing is available. Samuel confirms your specific coverage on the free 20-minute call so there are no surprises.
Do I need a diagnosis or a doctor’s referral to start?
No. You can book directly, and most people start with a counselling assessment of what is happening in their life rather than a label. If a formal diagnosis or a medication review would help, Samuel coordinates with your family doctor or a psychiatrist.
What happens in the first session?
Mostly listening. Samuel hears what brought you, what you have tried, and what a good outcome would look like for you. He gives you an honest first read of the pattern he sees and suggests an approach; you decide whether it fits. There is no intake form to fill in beforehand and no homework unless you want it.
Is what I say confidential?
Yes. Nothing leaves the practice without your written consent — not to your employer, your insurer, your family doctor or your family — with the narrow legal exceptions every counsellor in BC must observe (risk of serious harm, a child at risk, a court order), which Samuel explains at the start. For clients from close-knit communities, including Vancouver’s Iranian community, discretion about who is attending is treated as part of confidentiality.
Is individual therapy available in Farsi?
Yes. Every service — counselling, EMDR, IFS, CBT and neurofeedback training — is offered in Farsi as well as English, with an understanding of the pressures many Iranian-Canadian clients carry: family obligation, آبرو, migration, and the habit of holding everything together. جلسات به فارسی برگزار میشود.
How do I start?
With a free 20-minute phone call — no receptionist, no forms, no obligation. Call or WhatsApp 604-721-0604, or text a single line and Samuel will call you back within a day. You say what is happening; he tells you honestly whether he is the right fit and, if not, points you somewhere better.
More questions about individual counselling in Vancouver
Can individual therapy help with anxiety?
Can therapy help with depression when I can’t ‘just push through’?
Yes. Depression removes the motivation that pushing through requires, so willpower is the wrong tool. Counselling works on the loop of low energy, withdrawal and self-criticism, with practical steps small enough to actually happen, and neurofeedback training as an option when the flatness has a physiological edge. Samuel wrote about it in
Depression Counselling in Vancouver: the motivation paradox.
Do you treat trauma and PTSD?
Yes — trauma and PTSD (EMDR) is one of Samuel’s three headline specialties. Twenty-five years of trauma-informed practice, including refugee-camp work with the International Red Crescent, veterans’ programs and hospital care in BC, shape how he paces the work. See
Trauma therapist in Vancouver and
EMDR therapy.
What is the difference between EMDR and talk therapy?
Talk therapy works through understanding and new habits; EMDR processes specific distressing memories directly, using bilateral stimulation while you hold the memory in mind, so it stops firing as if it were happening now. They are complementary: many clients do both. Samuel decides with you which comes first.
What is IFS and who is it for?
Internal Family Systems treats the mind as made of parts — the critic, the perfectionist, the one who shuts down — with a calm core Self that can lead them. It suits people who know what they should do and cannot make themselves do it, and people at war with themselves. See the
IFS page.
What is schema therapy?
A longer-form approach for lifelong patterns — the belief that you will always be abandoned, never be good enough, must please everyone — that started early and keep repeating in adult relationships and work. See
Schema therapy in Vancouver.
Can therapy help with burnout and work stress?
Yes. Burnout is not laziness or weakness; it is a nervous system that has been in output mode too long. The work is part practical (boundaries, recovery, what you can actually change at work) and part deeper (the perfectionism or fear that made stopping impossible). Neurofeedback training helps some clients whose sleep and focus have collapsed.
Can you help with insomnia and poor sleep?
Yes. Sleep problems usually sit on top of anxiety, trauma or an over-alert nervous system, and Samuel’s background in the physiology of sleep and medication means the whole picture is addressed — including whether a medication or timing issue is part of it, in coordination with your doctor. Neurofeedback training is often part of the plan.
Do you help with anger and emotional outbursts?
Yes. Anger is usually the visible end of something that started long before the words came out — a threat response, exhaustion or old shame. Counselling maps the build-up and gives you leverage earlier in the sequence. See
Anger Management Counselling in Vancouver.
Can therapy help with grief?
Yes, including grief that does not fit the usual timeline — a death far away, a parent in another country, a loss nobody around you acknowledges. Samuel works with grief as something to be carried well rather than got over, and with the immigrant experience of grieving at a distance.
Do you work with adults with ADHD?
Can I get individual therapy for a relationship problem if my partner won’t come?
Yes. Individual work on a relationship you are inside of is common in this practice, and when one person changes their move in the pattern, the pattern changes. See the
couples and family therapy page for how the couples work runs if your partner joins later.
Do you help people recovering from a narcissistic or controlling relationship?
Can therapy help with self-esteem, perfectionism and a harsh inner critic?
Yes — it is much of what IFS and schema therapy are for. The critic is treated as a part with a protective job, usually formed early, and softens when it is understood rather than fought.
What is neurofeedback training and how does it fit with counselling?
Neurofeedback training gives your brain real-time feedback on its own activity — a film that brightens or a game that advances when your attention or calm is in the target range — so it practises holding that state. Sessions are about 30 minutes, quiet and non-invasive. Samuel offers it alongside counselling, never as a stand-alone cure, for attention, sleep and an over-alert nervous system. See
Neurofeedback therapy in Vancouver.
How often should I come — weekly or every two weeks?
Weekly at the start, while new patterns are fragile; every two weeks once things are steadier; then check-ins for some clients. Coming less often at the beginning usually means each session is spent catching up rather than changing anything.
How will I know therapy is working?
You will notice it in ordinary moments before you notice it in session — a shorter recovery after a bad day, a conversation you did not avoid, sleeping through. Samuel also checks progress against what you said you wanted at the start, every few sessions, and adjusts or ends the work honestly.
What if I don’t click with Samuel?
Say so — he would rather hear it. Fit matters more than method in counselling outcomes, and the free 20-minute call exists partly so you can judge it before committing. If it is not right, he will tell you and point you toward someone better suited.
Is there a difference between a counsellor, a psychologist and a psychiatrist?
In BC, a psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can prescribe; a registered psychologist holds a doctorate and can do formal assessments; a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) provides psychotherapy and is covered by most extended health plans. Samuel is an RCC with a PhD, CCC and LMCC, and he coordinates with your doctor or psychiatrist when that is the right next step.
Can I do therapy while on medication?
Yes. Counselling, EMDR, IFS and neurofeedback training all work alongside antidepressants, anxiety medication or ADHD medication. Samuel understands how those medications work and how they interact with sleep and mood, so the two can be discussed together, in coordination with the prescriber.
Can ICBC pay for counselling after a car accident?
Yes. If anxiety, sleep problems, driving fear or low mood began or worsened after a motor-vehicle collision, ICBC covers counselling on an active claim without a referral, and Samuel bills ICBC directly. See
ICBC counselling in Vancouver.
What is CVAP, and does it cover counselling?
The Crime Victim Assistance Program funds counselling for people affected by a crime in BC — assault, threats, some forms of abuse. Samuel is an approved provider. See
CVAP counselling in Vancouver.
Do you see First Nations clients through FNHA, or newcomers through IFHP?
Yes. First Nations clients may be covered through the First Nations Health Authority, and eligible newcomers and refugees through the Interim Federal Health Program; Samuel bills both directly. His refugee-camp background makes the newcomer work familiar territory.
Do you offer evening or weekend sessions?
Yes. Evening and weekend appointments are available, in person in downtown Vancouver or by video, because most people cannot leave work at 2 p.m. Ask on the free call for the times that suit you.
Do you see clients outside downtown Vancouver — North Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey?
Yes. Clients come from across the Lower Mainland to the downtown Vancouver office, and secure video sessions are available anywhere in British Columbia. Neurofeedback training is in person only.
Do men come to therapy here?
Yes, in large numbers — often for anger, work stress, sleep, or a relationship they are trying to save. Samuel’s style is direct and practical, without jargon, and the free call is a low-stakes way to see whether it suits you.
Is therapy for the Iranian-Canadian experience different?
Sometimes in content, not in quality of care. Migration grief, family obligation, honour, raising children between two cultures, and the habit of not talking about difficulty all shape the work, and Samuel names them without judgment. Sessions are in Farsi or English, and confidentiality within a small community is treated seriously. See
Iranian mental health in Canada.
What if I have tried therapy before and it didn’t help?
That is worth talking through on the free call, because the reason matters — wrong timing, unstructured talking without a method, or simply not the right fit. Samuel will ask what happened and tell you plainly whether a different, more targeted approach is likely to go differently.
Is this the right place if I’m in crisis?
If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department. Counselling is not an emergency service. If you are safe now and struggling, the free call is a good first step and Samuel will help you find the right level of care.
What makes this practice different from a clinic?
There is no waitlist, no call centre and no intake form. Samuel Ezzatilord, PhD, RCC, CCC, LMCC, keeps a small caseload on purpose, answers his own phone, and offers counselling and neurofeedback training under one roof, in English and Farsi. Read more on the
About page, then call or WhatsApp 604-721-0604.
Does adding counselling to an antidepressant work better than medication alone?
Often, yes. For acute depression the Canadian CANMAT 2023 guideline finds that combining a psychological treatment with medication is more effective than either on its own, and neurofeedback training slots into that combined plan without interfering with it. Samuel does not prescribe or adjust medication; that stays between you and your prescriber, and with your permission he coordinates so the plan is shared rather than fragmented. More on this in
High-Functioning Depression in Vancouver. Fees may be covered, depending on eligibility, by ICBC, CVAP, FNHA, IFHP, RCMP, VAC, and most other insurers, and direct billing is available. The first 20-minute phone call is free: 604-721-0604.
I’ve been out of work for months and my depression is getting worse — can therapy help if the problem is unemployment?
Unemployment and depression feed each other: losing a job strips away daily structure, professional identity and social contact, roughly doubling the risk of clinical depression (Paul & Moser 2009, meta-analysis of 237 studies). Depression, in turn, drains the energy needed to search effectively. In sessions Samuel uses behavioural activation to rebuild your daily structure and CBT to challenge the “no one will hire me” thinking — so you feel better
and search more effectively. A Cochrane review (Uphoff 2020, 53 studies) confirms psychological interventions improve mental health outcomes for unemployed adults. Read more:
depression after job loss. Fees are covered by ICBC, CVAP, FNHA, IFHP, RCMP, VAC, and most extended-health plans, with direct billing available. The first 20-minute phone call is free: 604-721-0604.
How can I tell whether I am burned out or clinically depressed?
Burnout is job-shaped: it eases when you genuinely step away, you can still enjoy other parts of life, and the story is “my workload is impossible.” Depression is pervasive: nothing feels good anywhere, self-blame is global, sleep and appetite shift, and vacation feels grey too. The two overlap and untreated burnout can slide into depression, so sorting it out early matters — Samuel does exactly this differential work in the first sessions. Read more:
Burnout or Depression? How to Tell the Difference.
Will a stress leave from work fix my burnout on its own?
Rest is necessary but rarely sufficient. Without changing the conditions and beliefs that produced the burnout — workload, boundaries, recovery habits, the drive to over-function — most people relapse within months of returning. Leave can be paired with counselling that changes what you return to, and neurofeedback can support the sleep and stress-recovery side. Fees may be covered, depending on eligibility, by ICBC, CVAP, FNHA, IFHP, RCMP, VAC, and most other insurers, and direct billing is available.
Can counselling actually stop me from overthinking everything?
Yes — and the research is strong. A 2025 meta-analysis of 55 randomised controlled trials found that cognitive-behavioural therapy reduces repetitive negative thinking (rumination plus worry) with a moderate-to-large effect, and targeted rumination-focused CBT nearly doubles the benefit. Samuel uses CBT techniques designed specifically for the overthinking loop, IFS to identify the inner parts that keep replaying and rehearsing, and neurofeedback to quiet the default-mode network — the brain circuit that fires during self-referential replay. The number of sessions needed varies from person to person. Fees may be covered, depending on eligibility, by ICBC, CVAP, FNHA, IFHP, RCMP, VAC, and most other insurers, and direct billing is available. New article:
Why Can’t I Stop Overthinking? The Brain Science Behind RuminationDoes ICBC cover counselling for anxiety and overthinking that started after a car accident?
Yes. Anxiety, intrusive replaying of the crash, and difficulty “turning off” your brain at night are among the most common psychological injuries after a motor-vehicle accident, and ICBC covers counselling for all of them under your accident claim — with no doctor referral required. If the overthinking began after a crime, CVAP provides similar coverage. Samuel direct-bills both, so you do not have to submit the claim yourself. Fees may be covered, depending on eligibility, by ICBC, CVAP, FNHA, IFHP, RCMP, VAC, and most other insurers, and direct billing is available. More:
Why Can’t I Stop Overthinking? The Brain Science Behind RuminationIs imposter syndrome a real mental health condition?
The impostor phenomenon is not a formal DSM-5 diagnosis, but it is one of the most widely studied patterns in clinical psychology — a 2025 meta-analysis in
BMC Psychology found that roughly 62 percent of professionals experience it at clinically significant levels. Samuel uses schema therapy and Internal Family Systems to help clients across British Columbia stop dismissing their own competence and break the cycle of over-preparation, self-doubt, and fear of being “found out.” Fees may be covered, depending on eligibility, by ICBC, CVAP, FNHA, IFHP, RCMP, VAC, and most other insurers, and direct billing is available.
Read more about imposter syndrome counselling in Vancouver.
Can counselling actually help with imposter syndrome?
Yes. A 2024 scoping review in
Frontiers in Psychology found that multi-session counselling combining cognitive restructuring with supportive elements produced the most consistent improvements. Samuel integrates CBT to challenge the automatic thoughts that sustain the imposter belief, schema therapy to address the core defectiveness schema, and IFS to unburden the inner critic that keeps clients vigilant against imagined exposure. Fees may be covered, depending on eligibility, by ICBC, CVAP, FNHA, IFHP, RCMP, VAC, and most other insurers, and direct billing is available.
Learn how imposter syndrome counselling works.
Can therapy help with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in Vancouver?
Yes. Vancouver’s long, dark winters make SAD one of the most common mood problems clients bring to individual therapy. Samuel uses CBT-SAD — a form of cognitive-behavioural therapy shown in a 2015
American Journal of Psychiatry trial to match light therapy for immediate relief and outperform it at preventing relapse the following winter — alongside neurofeedback training for the circadian disruption that keeps the body stuck in a low-energy winter pattern. For immigrants who moved from sunny climates, the seasonal shift often layers on top of existing immigration grief, and both are addressed together. Fees may be covered, depending on eligibility, by ICBC, CVAP, FNHA, IFHP, RCMP, VAC, and most other insurers, and direct billing is available.
Seasonal Affective Disorder Counselling in Vancouver
Can ICBC or CVAP cover counselling if my mood gets worse every winter after a car accident?
Yes. When a motor-vehicle accident triggers or worsens a mood disorder that follows a seasonal pattern — darker months pulling you back into the crash-related anxiety and low energy — ICBC covers the counselling on your active claim, including CBT and neurofeedback training for the seasonal component, with no doctor referral required. If a crime was involved, CVAP provides similar coverage. Samuel direct-bills both, so you do not have to submit the claim yourself. Fees may be covered, depending on eligibility, by ICBC, CVAP, FNHA, IFHP, RCMP, VAC, and most other insurers, and direct billing is available.
Seasonal Affective Disorder Counselling in Vancouver
Why do I keep having horrible thoughts I don’t want?
Unwanted intrusive thoughts — violent images, taboo impulses, “what if” fears that feel nothing like you — are reported by roughly 90 % of the general population (Rachman & de Silva, 1978). They become a problem not because they exist, but because you give them meaning: “I must be dangerous if I think this.” Trying to push them away paradoxically makes them louder (Wegner’s ironic process theory). In counselling, Samuel uses ERP and cognitive approaches to break the suppress–rebound loop so the thoughts lose their charge. Fees may be covered, depending on eligibility, by ICBC, CVAP, FNHA, IFHP, RCMP, VAC, and most other insurers, and direct billing is available.
Intrusive Thoughts & OCD Counselling in Vancouver
Can ICBC or CVAP cover counselling for intrusive thoughts that started after a car accident or crime?
Yes. Intrusive replaying of the event, frightening “what if” thoughts, and images you cannot switch off are among the most common psychological injuries after a motor-vehicle accident or crime. ICBC covers counselling on your active accident claim with no doctor referral required, and CVAP funds counselling for people affected by a crime in BC. Samuel uses EMDR to process the traumatic memory and CBT to address the intrusive-thought loop, and direct-bills both programs so you do not have to submit the claim yourself.
Intrusive Thoughts & OCD Counselling in Vancouver
سلب مسئولیت: محتوای این صفحه صرفاً جنبه آموزشی و اطلاعرسانی دارد و جایگزین مشاوره، تشخیص یا درمان حرفهای نیست. برای هرگونه تصمیم مربوط به سلامت روان، با یک متخصص واجد صلاحیت مشورت کنید.
Disclaimer: This page is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult a qualified professional for any mental-health decisions.
نوشته شده با همکاری تحریریه تخصصی · Written with expert editorial assistance
Individual Counselling with a Private Therapist in Vancouver
I offer individual counselling in downtown Vancouver and online across BC. Whether you’re looking for short-term counselling for a specific challenge or longer-term therapy for deeper patterns, sessions are one-on-one, confidential, and matched to your pace — in English or Farsi. Individual counselling is covered by ICBC, FNHA, CVAP, VAC, RCMP and most extended health plans, with direct billing available.
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Therapy that understands the Iranian-Canadian experience
