Client Guidelines
Mental Health & Somatic Practitioner Services
This agreement is created with care, intention, and a shared commitment to a supportive and respectful relationship. While these services are offered at no cost, they are deeply valuable, and this space is held with thoughtfulness for both your experience and the needs of the wider community.
We enter this work together with the understanding that this support is here to walk alongside you for a period of time, with the intention of helping you build tools, strengthen your voice, and deepen your connection to yourself and others. It is not meant to be a long-term or indefinite form of care, but rather a meaningful step within a broader journey of support, healing, and community.
Purpose of Care
Somatic, Mental Health, and Coaching modalities together make up our Professionals Support Program. Its aim is to provide options to meet an individual where they are at to support them across emotional, physiological, and goal-oriented domains. Mental health modalities address cognitive, emotional, and behavioral patterns to support stability and psychological well-being; Somatic modalities focus on the body’s role in processing stress, trauma, and regulation through awareness of physical sensations, movement, and nervous system responses; and Coaching modalities emphasize forward-focused growth, goal setting, accountability, and skill development. These approaches enable individuals to journey through processing and regulating past and present experiences and/or build clarity, capacity, and actionable strategies for meaningful change.
These programs are here to support a client whether they are looking for stabilization, reflection, or growth, while also helping them build confidence in their own capacity to navigate life beyond sessions.
By working together the hope is for strengthened coping skills, improved self-advocacy, and increased connection to other forms of support – whether that be community, medical care, peer support, or trusted people in your life. We believe deeply in the importance of not carrying things alone, and in building spaces where grief and life experiences can be held in connection with others.
Roles and Responsibilities
As a Client, you are the expert in your own life. You are invited to show up as you are, engaging as openly as you can, and to share what feels important at your own pace. Growth can sometimes feel uncomfortable, and part of this process may include trying new approaches, practicing skills between sessions, and exploring different ways of coping. You are not expected to do this perfectly, only with willingness and care.
You are also asked to respect the time and boundaries of this space, and to communicate changes in your needs or availability as they arise. Part of this work includes remaining open to support beyond this service, as no single space can hold everything on its own.
Our Practitioners are able to commit to offering a safe, compassionate, and non-judgmental space where you feel seen and supported. They bring professional training, guidance, and tools, while honoring your autonomy and lived experience. The role is not to direct your path, rather to walk alongside you as you discover what feels right and supportive in your life. Each one also holds responsibility for maintaining clear and ethical boundaries, and for supporting transitions in care when appropriate.
Rhythm of Care
Care is offered in a gentle rhythm that supports both connection and independence. In the early stages, sessions are usually weekly or bi-weekly to provide stabilization, build trust, and help you feel supported. As things settle, sessions often shift to one-to-two times per month, and longer-term clients may move to monthly or bi-monthly check-ins. This rhythm is flexible, allowing adjustments with care and conversation to keep support balanced and sustainable.
Stepping back from professional sessions does not mean stepping away from support. We offer specialized groups at every stage of the loss journey, free, affirming, and trauma-informed, so you can access what resonates most for you at this season of your life. Partners are welcome to attend all groups.
Healing is a deep, non-linear process that requires “integration time” between sessions. Just as a body needs rest to heal from physical injury, your nervous system needs space to process and settle after the work we do together. For this reason, we work with you to establish a specific “rhythm of care.”
The Importance of Integrated Support
While you may access multiple Professional services within our organization, such as counseling, coaching, acupuncture, or somatic therapy, more is not always better in mental health. Accessing multiple supports or increasing session frequency beyond your agreed rhythm can often lead to therapeutic flooding, a state where the mind and body become overwhelmed by too much input. When this happens, it can actually stall your progress or leave you feeling more depleted.
To keep your care intentional and effective, we ask for openness about all the Professional supports you are using. When you engage in more than one Mental Health of Somatic Practitioner, it is useful to share so your care can be coordinated among your practitioners and support team. This alignment ensures that different modalities are working with each other rather than creating internal conflict or overwhelm.
In addition to our Professional Supports at PILSC, you can also connect one-on-one with a trained Peer Mentor volunteer who has walked a similar path. Peer mentors provide guidance, understanding, and encouragement, in-person or remotely, helping you feel supported and connected. We also offer Support Groups to support you at every stage of your journey. Our groups are designed so that you can access what resonates most for you in this current season of your life. What resonates now may change as your journey does. No matter where you are on the loss journey, there is a group support option for you. All groups are offered at NO COST for you to attend and are affirming and trauma informed spaces. Partners are always welcome to join.
Together, professional care and peer support, ensure you remain supported while building independence, connection, and community throughout your journey.
If you ever feel your current rhythm or support plan isn’t meeting your needs, we encourage an open conversation with your practitioner. We can then adjust your plan together to ensure your path forward remains cohesive, sustainable, and truly supportive of your healing journey.
Client Expectations
To honor both your time and the time of others in the community, we ask for the following:
We understand that life is complex, and that systemic barriers such as transportation, childcare, work schedules, financial stress, and health challenges can make consistent attendance genuinely difficult. We hold this reality with compassion and without judgment.
We ask that you attend sessions in accordance with the Care Plan suggested by your Practitioner and arrive as close to on time as possible, understanding that life can sometimes make this difficult. . When you are unable to attend, letting us know as early as you can, helps us serve others in the community. We recognize that advance notice is not always possible, and we will always work with you to find a path forward.
If a session begins more than 15 minutes late, we may gently explore together whether rescheduling would allow for a more supported experience. Sessions shorter than 45 minutes can limit the depth and pacing that makes this work meaningful, and we want your time with us to feel worthwhile.
If sessions are frequently missed or significantly shortened, we will have an open, non-judgmental conversation about what is getting in the way and how we can adjust your support to better fit your current capacity and circumstances.
When engaging in more than one service, it is important that this is shared and, when appropriate, coordinated among practitioners and the support team to ensure care is aligned, integrated, and sustainable. This approach helps prevent overwhelm, supports meaningful progress, and ensures your care is intentional and effective.
Practitioner Expectations
These commitments ensure your care remains supportive, ethical, and held to the highest professional standards. Our practitioners will:
- Provide Competent, Ethical Care: We work within our specific training and Federal and Provincial professional scopes. If your needs require a different type of expertise, we will honestly discuss a transition to ensure you receive the most effective support.
- Honor Your Privacy: Your story is held with deep respect and strict confidentiality, as guided by Alberta’s privacy laws (HIA/PIPA). We only share information with your consent, or in rare cases where there is a legal or safety requirement to prevent harm.
- Maintain Clear Boundaries: To keep this space focused entirely on your healing, we maintain professional boundaries. This means we do not engage in social or personal relationships with clients, ensuring our support remains objective and centered solely on you.
- Practice with Integrity & Presence: We commit to being punctual, prepared, and fully present for every session. We also engage in ongoing supervision and learning to ensure the tools we share are current, trauma-informed, and effective.
- Offer Cultural Humility: We recognize you as the expert of your lived experience. We are committed to an affirming, anti-oppressive practice that respects all identities, bodies, backgrounds, and ways of knowing. This includes, and is not limited to, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, immigration status, and family structure. We approach every conversation with an open heart and a learner’s mind, understanding that our practitioners are always growing in their awareness of how systemic inequities can shape grief, access to care, and healing.
Accommodations and Language Access
We are committed to reducing barriers to access wherever we can. If you require accommodations to fully participate in services, including language support, accessibility needs, or any other consideration, please let us know and we will do our best to meet you there. No one should have to navigate grief alone because of a barrier we have the capacity to address.
These expectations are not about restriction, rather they are about care, fairness, and ensuring this support remains available to all who need it, yourself included.
Building an Affirming Space
Together, we are creating a space rooted in mutual respect, honesty, and trust. This includes showing up as active participants, honoring one another’s time and experiences, and communicating openly. It also includes a willingness to both share and receive, to grow at your own pace, and to recognize when additional or different supports may be helpful. Confidentiality is held with deep care, within the limits of safety and legal responsibility.
Accommodations and Language Access
We are committed to reducing barriers to access wherever we can. If you require accommodations to fully participate in services, including language support, accessibility needs, or any other consideration, please let us know and we will do our best to meet you there. No one should have to navigate grief alone because of a barrier we have the capacity to address.
These expectations are not about restriction, rather they are about care, fairness, and ensuring this support remains available to all who need it, yourself included.
Building an Affirming Space
Together, we are creating a space rooted in mutual respect, honesty, and trust. This includes showing up as active participants, honoring one another’s time and experiences, and communicating openly. It also includes a willingness to both share and receive, to grow at your own pace, and to recognize when additional or different supports may be helpful. Confidentiality is held with deep care, within the limits of safety and legal responsibility.
Transitioning from Professional Care
As you grow in confidence and skill, there may come a time when regular professional sessions are no longer needed. This transition is about celebrating the ways you are able to care for yourself, use your coping strategies, and engage with the supports around you. It is a natural step toward independence, not a step away from care.
During this time, you are encouraged to stay connected in ways that feel supportive and sustainable. Support groups continue to be available at every stage of the loss journey, providing space to share, reflect, and connect with others who understand your experience. Peer mentors are also here to walk alongside you, offering guidance, encouragement, and a listening ear. Beyond our programs, leaning on natural support systems, such as, friends, family, or trusted community members can help you carry the skills and insights you’ve developed into daily life.
Transitioning from professional care is a moment of growth and empowerment. It is an opportunity to honor your resilience, practice self-advocacy, and continue building connections in ways that nurture you, while always knowing support remains accessible when you need it.
Boundaries of Service
This service is not intended for crisis or emergency situations, and it does not replace medical, legal, or intensive long-term care. Practitioners are fully present and available during scheduled appointment times. Outside of these sessions, they do not provide ongoing support via phone or email and do not offer last minute, emergency appointments. Communication between sessions is limited to administrative matters, such as scheduling, rescheduling, or other appointment-related needs. The relationship between client and practitioner remains professional, and this space is designed to complement, not replace, broader systems of support in your life.
Affirmation
We acknowledge the care, intention, and shared responsibility that exists within this space. By engaging in this service, you remain willing to meet these expectations and by doing so you are helping to sustain a community of support that remains accessible to the community at No Cost.
We enter this agreement with a shared commitment to respect, compassion, and growth, holding this work with the care it deserves.