Services
Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) Counselling
Wellness Talks Health Centre is a Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) direct billing counselling clinic. We provide trauma-informed, culturally sensitive counselling for veterans, RCMP members, and their families navigating PTSD, operational stress injuries, transition to civilian life, and the impact of service on relationships and identity.
How Wellness Talks Can Help
Transitioning out of military service, living with operational stress injuries, or carrying the emotional weight of trauma can deeply impact mental health, relationships, identity, and daily functioning. At Wellness Talks Health Centre, we provide culturally sensitive, trauma-informed counselling for veterans, RCMP members, and their families navigating these experiences.
As a Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) direct billing counselling clinic, we aim to make accessing therapy as seamless and supportive as possible. Our team understands that many veterans face challenges related to PTSD, anxiety, depression, emotional numbness, hypervigilance, anger, grief, chronic stress, relationship strain, sleep difficulties, and adjusting to civilian life.
We recognise that asking for support is not always easy. Our approach is collaborative, respectful, and paced according to your comfort level. Whether you are processing military trauma, burnout, loss of identity after service, or the impact your experiences have had on your family and relationships, we are here to support you without judgment.
Our counsellors use evidence-based approaches including EMDR, trauma-focused CBT, Somatic Experiencing, Narrative Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and attachment-based counselling. Sessions are tailored to your goals, your nervous system, and your lived experience.
We take a culturally responsive and inclusive approach and support veterans from diverse backgrounds, including Indigenous, South Asian, newcomer, and LGBTQ2S+ communities. Esha Shoker offers sessions in English, Punjabi, and Hindi.
You do not have to carry everything on your own. Healing, reconnection, and stability are possible with the right support.
How it Works
Your first session is a chance to tell us what has been happening and what you want to be different. Your counsellor will listen carefully, ask thoughtful questions, and — together with you — shape the work from there.
Sessions are available in 50, 70, or 90 minute options, depending on your needs and whether you are attending individually or with a partner or family. Most clients see their counsellor weekly or bi-weekly at first, with spacing lengthening as things settle. Pacing is collaborative: you are never pushed beyond what your nervous system can hold.
Between sessions, your counsellor may suggest simple practices to try at home — journalling prompts, conversations to have, grounding exercises, or readings. Nothing is mandatory; everything is offered.
Specialized Support Includes
- PTSD & Operational Stress Injuries
- Military & Service-Related Trauma
- Anxiety & Panic
- Depression & Emotional Numbness
- Anger & Emotional Regulation
- Transition to Civilian Life
- Relationship & Family Stress
- Burnout & Chronic Stress
- Grief & Loss
- Identity & Purpose Exploration
Why it Works — Evidence-Based Approaches
We use therapies with strong research backing — chosen to fit you, not the other way around. Your counsellor will explain the rationale for what they suggest, and adjust based on what moves the needle for you.
- EMDR
- Trauma-Focused CBT
- Somatic Experiencing
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Narrative Therapy
- Attachment-Based Therapy
What to Expect
Sessions are held at our Downtown Vancouver clinic — Unit #604, 402 West Pender Street — a five-minute walk from Waterfront Station. The space is designed to feel calm, inclusive, and unhurried.
We accept direct billing from most major extended health plans (Pacific Blue Cross, Sun Life, Canada Life, Manulife, Green Shield, and more). Rates are visible inside Jane App before you book.
Not sure which counsellor is right for you? Book a free 15-minute consultation and we will help you find the right fit.
Location & Virtual Options
Available in-person at our Downtown Vancouver clinic (402 West Pender Street, a 5-minute walk from Waterfront Station) or via secure video across British Columbia.
Clients frequently travel from Gastown, Yaletown, Coal Harbour, Mount Pleasant, Kitsilano, and Burnaby, with virtual sessions reaching clients across Richmond, Coquitlam, Langley, Abbotsford, and the Fraser Valley.
Virtual sessions are held at the same rate as in-person work and are eligible for direct billing where your plan allows.
Ready to Begin?
Book a session with a counsellor who fits your needs. Sessions are available in person in Downtown Vancouver and virtually throughout BC.
Meet the counsellors for this service
Esha Shoker
MACP, RCC · Founder & Clinical Director
Esha is the Founder and Clinical Director of Wellness Talks Health Centre. With 9+ years of clinical practice and 16+ years in the behavioural sciences, she supports adults, couples, and families with anxiety, burnout, chronic pain, ICBC trauma, relationship conflict, cultural identity, and major life transitions. Sessions in English, Punjabi, and Hindi.
- English
- Punjabi
- Hindi
Lynsey Dobbie
MACP, RCC · Senior Counsellor
Lynsey is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with 10+ years of experience in psychology and relational communication. She supports individuals, couples, and families navigating relationship conflict, anxiety, attachment wounds, fertility and postpartum transitions, perimenopause, grief, family stress, and major life changes.
- English
Erin Cullinane
MACP, RCC, RPT(Q) · Counsellor — RCC (BC) & RPT(Q) (Ontario)
Erin is a Registered Clinical Counsellor supporting adults, teens, and youth with anxiety, stress, burnout, perfectionism, people-pleasing, self-criticism, emotional regulation, and life transitions. Her approach is calm, collaborative, and non-judgmental.
- English