Frequently Asked Questions

An intake appointment usually takes between 30-45 minutes and takes place over the phone or in person. An intake appointment is a one-time appointment and not a counselling session. The goals of an intake appointment include:

  • informing you about the different programs and services at the Golden Family Center
  • giving you an opportunity to describe what you are looking for
  • finding out which program or service best fits with your needs and goals
  • reviewing and completing basic paperwork, including written information on topics like confidentiality, service agreements, etc.

Our staff who look after intake appointments also work in our different programs. Please note that the intake worker you meet with will not necessarily be the same person you will meet with in your program.

Sometimes the person who completed the intake appointment with you also works in the program you choose to participate in.

There are 3 ways to book an intake:

  1. Complete our online intake form (will be hyperlinked) 
  2. Email us at gfc@goldenfamilycenter.bc.ca to ask for an intake appointment.  
  3. Phone us at 250.344.2000 to ask for an intake appointment.

When working with youth, best practice is to work with the child and family together, involving everyone in the intake process. However, in certain situations, youth (aged 12/13-18) seeking counselling or support services have a right to confidentiality

Following the intake appointment, we will call you to arrange dates and times for you to come in and start meeting with your program worker or counsellor. Often service will start within two to four weeks following the intake appointment, but depending on program demand this wait may be longer.

We do our best to avoid the use of waitlists, but due to the high demand for some of our services, there may be a longer wait time between your intake appointment and your first meeting with your program worker or counsellor. 

When possible, we try to link you to a different counsellor or to other community supports while you are waiting.

Sometimes it becomes clear during the intake appointment that the service that would be most helpful to you is not offered by the Golden Family Center. In a situation like this, the intake worker will try to connect you with a different service in Golden or sometimes outside of Golden. The intake worker can make a referral to this other service on your behalf.

Family counselling is a type of counselling that works with the family to address different issues. These can include, but is not limited to: 

  • parent-child conflict
  • parent-teen conflict
  • sibling rivalry
  • blended family/step-family conflict

This is done by identifying the needs of different family members and the capacity of other family members to meet those needs in order to re-establish balance in the family. 

To learn more, visit our Family & Individual Counselling page.

Your counselling sessions can include different combinations of family members and can change according to family needs and goals.

Your counsellor will work with you to determine who can attend your sessions and when.  

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