Find a Therapist in British Columbia

Welcome to the British Columbia therapist directory at GoodTherapy.org. Our directory is the fastest and safest way to find a good counselor or therapist in British Columbia cities. We only include professional therapists, counselors, and psychologists whose work accords, in attitude and orientation, to the elements of good therapy. Find a therapist or counselor in your British Columbia zip code, or click on the links below to see the counselors in your city. If you are looking for telehealth therapy you can click here to see all British Columbia telehealth therapists.

Mental Health Matters in British Columbia

In British Columbia, 17% of residents (800,000) have a mental health or substance abuse issue. Roughly half of these people (434,500) have been diagnosed with a mood disorder. Stress is also a concern in the province. In 2017, 879,900 British Columbians said they had high stress levels most of the time.

Out of all the Canadian provinces, British Columbia has the highest rate of opioid-related deaths. In 2017, 1399 people died from overdose, creating a death rate of 29 per 100,000 residents. The national death rate was less than half that: 10.9 deaths per 100,000. Opioid deaths have caused the life expectancy in British Columbia to go down for the first time in decades.

Suicide is also serious problem in British Columbia. In 2016, the province saw 599 suicides, which is a rate of 12.6 per 100,000 people. Hanging was the most common method, followed by poisoning and firearms. Nearly three in four suicide cases involved men. 

Youth in British Columbia are less likely to receive adequate mental health care. An estimated 84,000 youth in British Columbia have a mental health diagnosis, but over two-thirds of them do not receive necessary treatment. Youth with substance abuse issues also face limited treatment options.

Individuals with depression may also have a hard time getting help. A study in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry found 47% of residents who seek treatment for depression get inadequate levels of care. In terms of therapy specifically, only 13% of treatment-seekers received at least four psychotherapy sessions.

The government of British Columbia is working to create more treatment access for residents. It currently spends around $1.5 billion per year to fund mental health and addiction programs. One such program is the Adult Bounce Back program, which helps 5,000 adults a year with mild or moderate depression. The province also plans to create 120 new community-based positions for child and youth clinicians by 2020, which could improve access for an extra 7,000 young residents.

References:

  1. B.C.’s mental health and substance use strategy 2017-2020 [PDF]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.health.gov.bc.ca/library/publications/year/2017/mental-health-substance-use-strategy.pdf
  2. Facts and figures. (n.d.). Canadian Mental Health Association. Retrieved from https://cmha.bc.ca/impact/facts-and-figures
  3. Health characteristics, annual estimates. (n.d.). Statistics Canada. Retrieved from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1310009601&pickMembers%5B0%5D=1.11&pickMembers%5B1%5D=2.1&pickMembers%5B2%5D=3.1
  4. Meuse, M. (2016, July 18). Half of depression patients receive inadequate care in B.C., says UBC study. CBC News. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/inadequate-deperession-care-1.3683673
  5. Opioid death toll in Canada nearly 4,000 last year, new data show. (2018, June 19). The Canadian Press. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/opioid-death-toll-marketing-1.4712419
  6. Suicide deaths in BC 2006-2016 [PDF]. (n.d.) Coroners Service. Retrieved from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/birth-adoption-death-marriage-and-divorce/deaths/coroners-service/statistical/suicide.pdf
  7. Weeks, C. (2018, October 23). Opioid overdose  deaths push down life expectancy in B.C. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-opioid-overdoses-lead-to-fall-in-life-expectancy-in-bc-threatens
 

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