What is Informed Consent?

 Counsellor's Name:  Tara A. Hope, RCC, MACP.​

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Academic Qualifications: Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP), Bachelor of Education (BEd), Bachelor of Arts, Honours Psychology (BA hons.).

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Professional Membership: Tara is a long-time Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) in good standing with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors, License #11323.

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The Nature of the Counsellor’s Professional Practice: ADHD, Addiction Recovery, and Relationships are Tara’s specializations. Often the three overlap, but not necessarily so. People seek Tara’s help to gain perspective and sort through thoughts and feelings as they re-evaluate their experiences as part of a couple, as concerned parents, as adult children, or as persons in recovery. They want to be seen and heard by someone who has the experience and skill to help figure out next steps and feel more secure within themselves and their relationships. Tara works with adults aged 20 and up. Tara does NOT offer crisis services or work with clients experiencing untreated severe mental illness or active severe substance use.    

 

Therapeutic Orientation: Tara offers Emotion-Focused Therapy (including an understanding of the energy or physiological manifestation of emotions), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Interpersonal Therapy. She uses a strength-based, neuro-affirming perspective and encourages mindfulness practices (i.e., ways to increase self-awareness). The work is collaborative, individualized, and aimed at creating positive change and personal empowerment. Clients take an active role in therapy. Tara can offer very structured sessions using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Systematic Desensitization, or Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT – Tapping) as a Certified Master EFT Practitioner. Please specify if you prefer – or would like to try – any of these structured sessions.

 

Tara’s Communication Style: Warm, open, inclusive, accepting, direct, and honest.

 

A brief description of the benefits of clinical counselling: Benefits could include, for example, gaining personal insights, learning new ways to cope with or solve problems, developing new skills, and changing unwanted behaviours. With Tara you can also practice honest, open, healthy communication and be forthright with her about anything that comes up during therapy.

 

A brief description of the known or anticipated risks of clinical counselling: Results are not guaranteed in counselling. Often the process of unlearning limiting beliefs and letting go of draining emotions can take time and evoke strong emotions or difficult memories. If Tara is a good fit, establishing a strong therapeutic relationship with her will expand one’s capacity to do this work in a safe space. You may also gain changes in self-awareness, and different ways of relating to others. These “risks” can be very real and important positives!

 

Client’s Personal Information: All personal information collected is held in confidence in a secure location. The disclosure of any personal information to third parties (e.g., an insurance company, a physician, another counsellor) will not take place without the client’s written consent. In these cases, Tara typically writes a letter addressed to the client.  The client may then share their information with whomsoever they choose. Tara’s fee for such a letter is $25.  

 

Client’s Rights:•All information provided by the client to the counsellor will be kept confidential, subject to common law and statutory exceptions. The exceptions include but are not limited to the mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse, the possible reporting of risk of serious harm to self or other, or when so ordered by a court of law. •Clients have the right to refuse therapeutic modalities and to withdraw consent to counselling at any time during the counselling process.•Clients have the right to access their Clinical Records or obtain a copy of those records. A fee will be charged by the counsellor for the time it takes to gather the information. •If a client has a concern they are to address that concern directly to the counsellor. If the client is not satisfied that the RCC has addressed that concern, the client’s right to then file a written complaint against the RCC with the BCACC and contact information for that purpose (see paragraph 12 under Respect for the Dignity All Persons and Peoples in the BCACC Code of Ethical Conduct).

 

Fees and Cancellation Policy: Tara’s Fees are in keeping with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors rates. Current 2026 fees are $150/hour for individual counselling and $175-$200/hour for couples’ counselling. Fees are payable upon receipt of the service by e-transfer or credit card (credit card is available only through Tara’s Jane App). Clients can cancel appointments up to 12 hours before their appointment via Tara’s online booking Jane App: https://tarahopecounselling.janeapp.com. If a client needs to cancel on short notice due to an illness or family emergency, Tara has a generous cancellation policy and asks only that clients contact her via email or text. Only No Shows are charged Tara’s full fee.

 

This Consent Form: Both counsellor and client should have a copy of the signed consent form, with the counsellor keeping the original. The client’s copy will be on their Jane App account. By signing this document, you, the client, are declaring that you have read, understood, and agree to the nature of Tara Hope’s counselling practices, your rights and responsibilities as a client, and the limits of confidentiality.

 

*An online version of this form is available to be completed online at the time of booking through Tara's Jane App (click on any of the booking links throughout this website).