No, and actually, waiting until you’re in crisis is actually one of the least effective times to start. If something has been bothering you for more than a few weeks in your relationship, your work, your sense of yourself, then that’s enough of a reason to reach out.

Most men who come to counselling aren’t falling apart. They’re functioning, but they know something could be better. That’s exactly the right time.

Not at all. A lot of the men I work with are coming to counselling for the first time. Most of us have been taught not to be vulnerable, so I consider a big deal when men take a healthy risk and reach out. The first session is mostly a conversation — I’m trying to understand what’s going on for you, and you’re figuring out whether this feels like a good fit. There’s no expectation that you arrive with everything figured out or know how to “do therapy.” Believe it or not, we laugh a lot in sessions and it can be “fun”!

No. Counselling is useful for anyone navigating something difficult: a relationship that’s stuck, a career transition, a sense that life isn’t as meaningful as it could be, or patterns you keep repeating that you can’t quite shift.

Healthy skepticism is fine. I invite and appreciate critical thinking. You don’t need to believe in the process before you try it. You just need to be willing to have an honest conversation. What doesn’t work is going through the motions without engaging. If you’re skeptical but genuinely curious, that’s a good starting point.

It’s counselling that takes seriously the specific ways that being a man shapes your experience — how you were taught to handle emotion, what “strength” was supposed to look like, what you’re allowed to need, and what happens when those rules stop working.

The framework I use is based on healthy masculinities, plural, because there’s no single right way to be a man. The goal isn’t to prescribe a new version of masculinity, but to expand the range of possibilities available to you, so you’re making choices rather than just following a script you inherited.

Narrative therapy is the primary framework I work from. The core idea is that the stories we’ve been told about ourselves, and then tell ourselves about ourselves (follow me?), have real impacts on our lives. Narrative therapy is a collaborative process of examining those stories, finding the parts that don’t fit, and building a more useful account of who you are and what you’re capable of.

For men specifically, narrative therapy is a good fit because it’s collaborative rather than diagnostic. You’re not a problem to be fixed. You’re a person with a history, and we’re looking at that history together. We’re here to dismantle what’s not working and build on your strengths to produce the kind of life you want to be living.

A few things stand out. First, I bring 25 years of clinical experience working specifically with men — in counselling rooms, in schools, in community settings, and in correctional facilities. I’ve also spent years facilitating workshops on healthy masculinity with educators and organizations across BC and Canada, which means I think about men’s experience at a systems level, not just an individual one.

Second, I’m a father of three boys and a basketball coach. That’s not a credential, it’s context. It means this work is personal for me, not just professional.

Third, I work from a narrative therapy and Buddhist psychology framework, which is less focused on symptom management and more focused on helping you build a life that actually fits who you are.

Fourth, I’m funny! This puts a lot of my clients at ease. Therapy doesn’t always have to feel like serious business.

No. Some men prefer working with a male counsellor because of shared experience or because certain topics feel easier to discuss with another man. Others prefer a female counsellor, or find that gender doesn’t factor into their decision at all. What matters most is whether the fit feels right — which is why we offer a free 15-minute consultation before you commit to anything.

My associate Adam Shillington is a male RCC with particular experience working with young men and teens. Zineb Kobi, our masters student, who is female, brings cultural competency and bilingual (French) capacity. Between the three of us, we can usually find the right fit for you. And if not us, I can recommend someone else who is the perfect fit.

All counselling is offered online, via secure video, on a platform called Jane. This means I work with men across BC — Vancouver, the Lower Mainland, the Sunshine Coast, and beyond — without the barrier of commute or geography. Online counselling is as effective as in-person for most concerns, and many men actually find it easier to open up from their own space. Plus, you don’t have to deal with traffic or parking!

I’m based on the Sunshine Coast of BC and work with clients across British Columbia online. I’ve spent years working in and around Vancouver, and I understand the specific pressures and context of life in the Lower Mainland.

We offer 90 minute sessions for greater depth.

• $250 for Brian
• $200 for Adam
• $120 for Zineb

Most extended health plans in BC cover sessions with a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC). Common providers — Pacific Blue Cross, Sun Life, Canada Life, and Green Shield — typically provide partial or full reimbursement. Check your plan’s mental health benefits before your first session. For your convenience, we are also able to do direct billing with some providers.

Zineb Kobi offers sessions at a reduced rate under clinical supervision — a good option if cost is a barrier.

It depends on what you’re working on. Some men come for 6–10 sessions around a specific issue and leave with what they needed. Others engage in longer-term work around deeper patterns. I don’t have a standard package — the length of the work is something we figure out together based on your goals, and we check in regularly to make sure it’s still useful.
What I can say is that I’m not interested in keeping you in counselling longer than necessary. The goal is for you to leave with something durable, not to create ongoing dependency. If we’re doing our job, you won’t need to be here forever!

Mostly, we talk and get to know each other. I’ll ask you what brought you in, what’s been going on, and what you’re hoping to get out of the process. You’ll get a sense of how I work and whether it feels like a fit. There’s no assessment checklist, no diagnosis at the end. Just a conversation that gives us both a clearer picture of where to start.

Yes. I offer a free 15-minute consultation by video or phone before you commit to anything. It’s a chance to ask questions, get a sense of how I work, and figure out whether this is the right fit — without any pressure or financial commitment.

Book your free 15-minute consultation

Even though men account for high rates of suicide and overdose, research consistently shows that men wait significantly longer than women to reach out for mental health support, often years. The reasons are well-documented: shame, socialization around self-reliance and stoicism, the belief that struggling means weakness, low numbers of male counsellors (I was the only one in my masters program cohort of 15), and a mental health system that hasn’t always been designed with men in mind.

None of that means men don’t need support. It means the barriers are higher, and part of my job is to make those barriers lower, through how I work, how I communicate, and how I structure the process.

We do this through humility, humour, and some appropriate self-disclosure as well.

It depends on why you’re coming. If you’re showing up purely to satisfy someone else, with no genuine interest in the process, it’s unlikely to be useful. But if part of you already knows something needs to shift — and your partner’s suggestion is more of a nudge than a mandate — then yes, that’s often a good reason to start.

A lot of men who initially come because their partner suggested it end up being glad they came, for reasons that have nothing to do with their partner.

Common areas include: relationship communication and conflict, anger and emotional regulation, parenting struggles, anxiety and burnout, life transitions (career, fatherhood, separation), grief and loss, addictions, identity and purpose, and the general sense that life isn’t adding up the way it was supposed to.

There’s no issue that’s too small or too specific. If it’s taking up space in your head, it’s worth a conversation.

My background is working with youth, but I’m a old guy now! So my associate Adam Shillington specializes in working with young men and teens around mental health and addictions. Adam trained under my supervision, has a background in crisis counselling, and is particularly skilled at creating a safe, non-judgmental space for younger men who may be coming to counselling for the first time.

Learn more about Adam

Ask Her is not counselling — it’s a structured online group program for men in intimate relationships who want to strengthen their connection with their partner. The focus is on developing the skill of asking powerful questions, with peer support from other men in a similar position.

It’s a good option if you want to work on your relationship but aren’t ready for one-on-one counselling, or if you want something more skills-focused and community-based alongside individual work.

Learn more about Ask Her

Yes. I offer couples counselling online for partners who want to improve communication, work through conflict, or reconnect. Couples counselling is different from individual counselling — sessions involve both partners, and the focus is on the relationship itself rather than one person’s individual experience. Narrative therapy is the foundation of couples work in my practice – changing the story not just of individuals, but the relationship itself.

Learn more about couples counselling