Indigenous Peoples
At Boreal Therapy Collective, we honour and respect the cultural heritage, traditions, and healing practices of Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island and throughout the world. We acknowledge the historical and ongoing impacts of colonization, including the devastating legacy of residential schools. Through eurocentric diagnoses, a disregard for traditional healing practices, power imbalances, and limited access and inequity, Indigenous peoples have been placed at a fundamental disadvantage when seeking mental health care.
While we are a team consisting of primarily white settlers, we are working to decolonize mental health care by increasing access to services and supports, acknowledging the history of colonial trauma, collaborating with Indigenous people and communities, and showing up each day with a yearning for knowledge and a commitment to unlearning harmful colonial practices.
Please read on to review federally funded counselling/therapy services and the mental health practitioners that can offer these services.
Working Within A Colonial System
We want to begin by acknowledging that the system is broken. While the Government of Canada offers 22 hours of counselling/therapy for Indigenous peoples per year (through Non-Insured Health Benefits - NIHB), this support is limited to those with Indian Status (a term itself that is synonymous with colonial harm). What’s more, NIHB is quite specific in the mental health practitioners it will approve to offer counselling/therapy, further limiting access to care. The approved providers are:
Registered Clinical Social Workers
Registered Psychiatric Nurses
Registered Psychologists
While there are many Registered Social Workers, Registered Nurses, and Registered Provisional Psychologists capable of providing outstanding mental health care, government gatekeeping prevents these providers from offering support via NIHB.
In addition to NIHB, the Government of Canada offers up to 60 hours of counselling/therapy for Indigenous people (and their family members) who have been impacted by residential schools, day schools, and missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Once again, mental health practitioners must be Registered Clinical Social Workers, Registered Psychiatric Nurses, or Registered Psychologists.
For Indigenous children and youth aged 17 and under, mental health care can be accessed through Jordan’s Principle. Ironically, care through Jordan’s Principle can be offered by any mental health practitioner, including Registered Social Workers, Registered Nurses, and Registered Provisional Psychologists, and unregulated mental health providers. Unfortunately, while Jordan’s Principle was once incredibly accessible, there is now a several-month wait for application approval.
Approved Mental Health Practitioners
Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) Providers:
Amy Parsons
Lyndsy Stevenson
Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program Providers:
D’Arcy Arseneau
Lyndsy Stevenson
Indian Day Schools Health Support Program Providers:
D’Arcy Arseneau
Lyndsy Stevenson
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Health Support Program Providers:
D’Arcy Arseneau
Lyndsy Stevenson
McMurray Metis Local 1935 Providers:
Kim Cardinal
Jordan’s Principle Providers:
Amy Parsons
D’Arcy Arseneau
Darleen Davis
Dayirai Kapfunde (virtual only)
Kenneth Guye (virtual only)
Kim Cardinal
Lyndsy Stevenson
Samantha LeBlanc
Sarah Callin
Note: Most programs require prior approval from the Government of Canada after the first appointment has been completed. We will help you complete your prior approval request.
A Holistic Approach to Mental Health Care
At Boreal Therapy Collective, our mental health therapists move beyond traditional therapy by actively advocating for the social support and resources you need to thrive. We don’t believe in treating symptoms in isolation and recognize the interconnectedness of mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. We collaborate with communities, healthcare providers, educational institutions, government organizations, and other key stakeholders to maintain important connections and pride ourselves on being advocates first.
Therapy for Indigenous Peoples in Fort McMurray
How to Start Therapy
Beginning therapy with Boreal Therapy Collective is easy and requires no referral. You can book your initial assessment here.
Understanding Length of Therapy and Treatment
If utilizing any of the programs noted above, your first appointment will be 120-minutes long (this will allow us time to complete necessary prior approval for the Government of Canada). All future appointments will be 60-minutes long. If using another benefit provider or paying upfront for service, your first appointment will be 90-minutes long. For all future appointments, you can choose to book for 1 hour or 90-minutes.
During your first appointment, your therapist will ask you questions to better understand you and your areas of struggle. Following the first appointment, you can rebook future appointments. Most people will have a therapy session every two weeks, and we recommend this for optimal care. Effective therapy typically takes somewhere between six to twelve appointments (for some more, others less). Many choose to continue therapy once formal treatment is complete. This is referred to as maintenance. People who do this typically have an appointment once every six to eight weeks. This is not a requirement and is a matter of personal choice.
Therapy for Indigenous Peoples at Boreal Therapy Collective
Where We Are Located
We’re located at 8530 Manning Avenue, Unit 104. You’ll find us in the Service Canada building (on the side of the building that faces the Clearwater River). To check out our space, click here.
Parking is located at the front and back of the building. The front parking lot is closer to us but tends to fill up quickly. There is also an empty dirt lot adjacent to our office that many use for parking. If you park at the back (where Service Canada is located), you can walk around the building to reach our office. To learn more about parking, click here.
Importantly, you do not need to be in town for treatment. We offer in-person and virtual therapy and our therapists are happy to provide whatever option works best for you.
Therapy for Indigenous Peoples at Boreal Therapy Collective
Rates & Benefit Coverage
If accessing therapy through NIHB, Big Stone Cree Nation Health Benefits, the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program, the Federal Indian Day Schools Health Support Program, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Health Support Program, Jordan’s Principle, or McMurray Metis Local 1935, therapy will be at no cost to you.
In all other cases, initial assessments are billed at a rate of $330.00 for a 90-minute appointment. Follow-up sessions are billed at a rate of $220.00/hour or $330.00/90-minutes (you can choose your preferred appointment length when booking).
Our social workers offer direct billing to 25+ benefit providers. Many benefit providers will cover a portion or the whole amount of your therapy session. With your consent, we will always direct bill your benefit provider first. Please note that our Registered Psychiatric Nurses are typically ineligible for direct billing.
If we are unable to direct bill, you can pay via email money transfer or credit card. You will be given a receipt once payment has been collected. For more information on benefit coverage, click here.
Please note that we will always work with you to make services financially accessible.
