Counselling for children, teens, adults, and families who want support with the everyday side of living with tics, in person or online. Psychologists registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). In-person sessions at five Edmonton and St. Albert locations. Virtual sessions across Alberta, subject to clinician and appointment availability. 50-minute sessions, with evening and weekend hours available as well.

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You Might Be Wondering Whether Tourette Syndrome Counselling Is Right for You

You may be unsure whether counselling has anything to offer for something as physical as tics. You might also be asking whether your tics, or your child's, are really "bad enough" to talk to someone about, especially when they come and go. Some people put off reaching out because they expect a therapist to focus only on stopping tics, not on what daily life actually feels like.

Maybe you spend a school day or a work meeting holding tics back, then come home completely worn out. Maybe you have started skipping things you used to enjoy because you are tired of explaining yourself. Or you are a parent lying awake, wondering whether to mention the tics, ignore them, or call the school.

These reactions make sense. Handling stares, questions, and constant self-monitoring takes a lot of energy, and feeling tired, guarded, or unsure is a common human response to that. It does not mean you are coping badly or that something is wrong with who you are.

If you are weighing whether talking with someone could help, this page explains what counselling here can and cannot offer. You may wish to read on and see whether it fits what you are looking for.

Who We Help

Counselling may be one source of support among several. It may be a good fit for:

• Teens and adults living with tics or a Tourette syndrome diagnosis who want support with school, work, relationships, or confidence
• Parents and caregivers who want to talk through how to respond to tics at home and how to work with schools
• People noticing worry, low mood, frustration, or self-doubt alongside tics
• Partners, siblings, and other family members who want to understand and support someone they love
• People who want help planning conversations with teachers, employers, coaches, or friends
• Anyone who is unsure and would like to talk through options before deciding anything

Other concerns often travel with tics. Public education material notes that ADHD, OCD, anxiety, and depression commonly occur alongside tic disorders (Canadian Psychological Association [CPA], 2026). If that sounds familiar, you can also read about counselling for OCD, counselling for ADHD in children, and support after bullying.

This service may not be the right fit if you need:

• Immediate help in a crisis. Please use the crisis resources below.
• A diagnosis of Tourette syndrome or another tic disorder. A physician or another regulated health-care provider is the right starting point for diagnostic, neurological, or medication questions.
• A formal psychological assessment. Psychological assessments are a separate service and are not part of this counselling service.
• Forensic or legal reports, such as reports for court. These needs are outside this therapy service.
• A specific tic-focused behavioural therapy, such as CBIT or ERP, without first confirming availability. Clinician training varies, so please ask our admin team before you book.

Crisis Guidance

Counselling is not designed for emergencies. Our booking system, email, and phone line are not monitored for urgent safety concerns. If you or someone else is at risk right now, including if you feel unsafe because of bullying or threats, please contact one of these services:

• 911 for immediate danger or a medical emergency, or go to the nearest emergency department
• Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642 (24/7)
• 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: call or text 9-8-8 (24/7)

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service.

What This Service Is

Tourette syndrome counselling is a collaborative space to talk about the practical, emotional, and relational effects a person connects with tics or a Tourette syndrome diagnosis. That might include school or work, friendships, family routines, confidence, or how to handle questions from other people. Your goals guide what you focus on.

For background, the World Health Organization's ICD-11 lists Tourette syndrome among primary tic disorders, within the group of movement disorders, and describes tics as sudden, rapid, repeated movements or sounds (World Health Organization [WHO], 2026). This classification is general information only. It is not an assessment of you or your child.

Here is what this service is not:

• It is not a diagnostic service. Counselling does not diagnose Tourette syndrome or other tic disorders.
• It does not replace medical assessment, medication management, neurological care, or urgent care.
• It does not include psychological assessments, which are offered as a separate service.
• It is not a legal service, an investigative process, or crisis intervention.
• It does not promise any change in how often tics happen or how strong they are.

You set the pace, not your therapist. Nobody will push you to discuss anything before you are ready. What you share is confidential within legal and professional limits, which your therapist explains at the start (see Confidentiality and Privacy below). Clinicians work only within their training and professional scope, and with your consent they may suggest connecting with a physician or another provider when a question falls outside counselling.

Signs Tics or Tourette Syndrome May Be Affecting You

You do not need a diagnosis to notice how tics are shaping your days. People often describe experiences like these:

• Feeling an uncomfortable build-up, or "urge," before a tic and a sense of relief once it happens
• Working hard to hold tics back in class, at work, or in public, then feeling drained afterward
• Tics that shift over weeks or months, which makes it hard to predict a good day
• Dreading stares, comments, or the question "why do you do that?"
• Pulling back from friends, teams, or activities to avoid attention
• Worry, low mood, or frustration that seems to sit alongside the tics
• Strain at school or work, or tension at home about how to respond
• Second-guessing yourself or feeling less confident than you used to

Public education material describes this urge-and-relief pattern, notes that tics often wax and wane, and explains that tics are involuntary and often hard to resist (CPA, 2026). It also links tics with challenges such as low self-esteem and difficulties with family life, friendships, and school (CPA, 2026). In guidance on tic disorders, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence records that people living with tics can face stigma, isolation, and anxiety (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE], 2025).

These experiences are common among people who live with tics. They are understandable responses to real daily demands, not signs that you are doing something wrong, and they are not fixed parts of who you are. Structured support may help some people make sense of these patterns and plan for the situations that matter most to them.

How Treatment Works Here

• Find your therapist. Use our Match with a Therapist tool or browse Our Therapists to read profiles. You can also call our admin team at 780-904-4880 for help choosing, including questions about a clinician's experience with tics.
• Book your first session. You can book through our online booking system. In the first session, your therapist explains confidentiality and consent, asks what brings you in, and talks with you about your goals. You can ask about their approach and whether it suits what you want.
• Build your plan together. You and your therapist decide what to focus on. For one person that might be handling attention from others; for another it is family routines, school planning, or confidence. The plan reflects your priorities.
• Ongoing sessions. Sessions are 50 minutes, usually weekly or every two weeks. You can adjust how often you meet as your needs change.
• Progress check-ins. Your therapist reviews progress with you regularly. If something is not helping, the plan changes.

There is no fixed number of sessions. Counselling is collaborative, and your voice matters at every stage. You can read more on our Getting Started with Therapy page.

Evidence and Approaches

The approaches below appear in clinical guidance for tic disorders. Not every clinician offers each one, and describing them here is not a promise that counselling will change tics. If a specific approach matters to you, ask our admin team which clinicians currently use it.

Psychoeducation

What it helps with: Understanding what tics are, how they tend to change over time, and what options exist, both for the person with tics and for the people around them.

Evidence summary: European clinical guidelines recommend psychoeducation as the first step for everyone diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, based on clinical consensus (Andrén et al., 2022). NICE describes psychoeducation as a first-line option, with behavioural therapies considered for people who still have difficulties with their tics (NICE, 2025).

Limitations: Psychoeducation has not yet been tested on its own against a waitlist, and as a stand-alone approach it has not matched behavioural therapy for reducing tic severity in trials (Andrén et al., 2022).

Habit Reversal Training (HRT) and Comprehensive Behavioural Intervention for Tics (CBIT)

What it helps with: Noticing the early urge before a tic and practising a physically incompatible response instead.

Evidence summary: European guidelines found the most evidence for HRT, mainly its expanded form CBIT, and recommend it as a first-line option for children and adults when psychoeducation alone is not enough (Andrén et al., 2022). CBIT builds on HRT by adding education about tics and strategies for managing stress (CPA, 2026).

Limitations: In the largest trials, average effects were in the medium range, and people may still have noticeable tics after treatment (Andrén et al., 2022). Trained clinicians are not always available, so please confirm before booking.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

What it helps with: Building tolerance for the urge to tic by practising holding tics back for longer periods, often in situations that usually bring tics on.

Evidence summary: European guidelines recommend ERP as a first-line behavioural option, but with lower certainty than HRT and CBIT because fewer studies are available (Andrén et al., 2022). NICE has conditionally recommended a therapist-supported online program based on ERP for children and young people aged 9 to 17 while more evidence is gathered (NICE, 2025).

Limitations: The European recommendation rests on a single randomized trial, and there is not yet clear evidence on who does better with ERP versus HRT (Andrén et al., 2022).

Virtual Delivery of Behavioural Therapy

What it helps with: Making tic-focused behavioural therapy easier to reach for people who live far from specialized services or who prefer to attend from home.

Evidence summary: Among newer delivery formats, videoconference delivery of HRT and CBIT had the most evidence in the European guidelines, with two small trials reporting good acceptability among young people (Andrén et al., 2022). NICE (2025) noted that digital therapies may improve access, while also reporting no significant difference between groups in tic-related impairment and distress.

Limitations: The studies are small and mostly involve children and teens. NICE notes that evidence for digital tic therapies in adults is limited (NICE, 2025).

What Results to Expect

Progress with tics and their effects is rarely a straight line. Tics often fluctuate, and for some people stressful periods are linked with more noticeable tics (NICE, 2025). A harder week does not mean counselling has stopped helping.

Some people find relief from just 2-3 sessions, for example when they mainly want clearer information about tics or a plan for one specific situation. NICE notes that some people are happy to finish care after a single psychoeducation session (NICE, 2025). Others notice shifts over a few months, and some prefer longer-term support through school changes, new jobs, or family transitions.

What you get from counselling depends on several factors, including:

• What you want help with, and how much tics affect your daily life right now
• Other concerns, such as anxiety, low mood, or attention difficulties
• Current circumstances, such as school, work, and support at home
• The fit between you and your therapist

No therapy can guarantee outcomes, and results vary from person to person. Because tics may ease with time, NICE also describes a watch-and-wait approach in some cases where tics are not affecting daily functioning (NICE, 2025). That decision belongs with you and your health-care provider. If the fit with your therapist does not feel right, changing therapist or approach is always an option.

Confidentiality and Privacy

What you share in counselling is confidential. Our psychologists are regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) and follow its Standards of Practice, along with the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists. Other clinicians follow the standards of their own professional bodies.

Alberta privacy law also applies. Private clinics like ours generally handle personal information under the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). The Health Information Act (HIA) governs health information held by health custodians, such as Alberta Health Services, and can apply when care involves those custodians. Both laws set rules for how information is collected, used, stored, and shared.

There are a few legal exceptions where a clinician may need to share information without your consent:

• A risk of serious harm to yourself or someone else
• Suspected abuse or neglect of a child, which must be reported under Alberta law
• A court order requiring records

Your therapist will explain these limits clearly in your first session. For children and teens, your therapist will also talk through how information is shared with parents or caregivers. You are welcome to ask questions about privacy before sharing anything personal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to describe difficult experiences in detail?

No. You decide what to share and when. Many people start with what is happening now, such as a tough situation at school or work, rather than going back over painful moments like teasing. Your therapist will check in about pace and will not push you to talk about anything you are not ready to discuss.

Is what I share kept private?

Yes, within legal limits. Exceptions include a risk of serious harm to you or someone else, suspected abuse or neglect of a child, and a court order. Your therapist explains these limits in your first session, and the Confidentiality and Privacy section above has more detail.

How many sessions will I need?

There is no fixed answer. Some people want a few sessions to understand tics better or prepare for one conversation, while others prefer ongoing support over several months. Your therapist reviews progress with you regularly, and you can change the plan at any point.

What if the therapist is not the right fit?

Fit matters, and it is okay to say so. Our admin team can help you find a different clinician whose approach or experience suits you better. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Can I access therapy online?

Yes. Virtual sessions are available across Alberta, subject to clinician and appointment availability. The same confidentiality standards apply online as in person. Some families find virtual sessions easier to fit around school and work.

What if I tic during a session?

That is fine, and you do not need to hold tics back for your therapist. Tics are involuntary and often hard to resist, and talking about tics can sometimes bring them on (CPA, 2026). Sessions are a place where you can simply be yourself.

Can counselling diagnose Tourette syndrome or stop tics?

No to both. Counselling here is not a diagnostic service, and it does not promise any change in tic frequency, intensity, or course. Questions about diagnosis, changing symptoms, or medication are best discussed with a physician or another regulated health-care provider. Counselling can be a place to work on the personal and practical effects you want support with.

Can a parent or caregiver attend sessions?

Often, yes. Caregiver involvement depends on the client's age, goals, consent, and therapeutic plan, and it can be discussed at your first appointment. Some parents also book sessions for themselves to talk through how to support a child at home and at school.

Meet Your Clinicians

Our team includes Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, Canadian Certified Counsellors, Mental Health Therapists, and Student Therapists. All psychologists are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Provisional psychologists practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist, and Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW). Student therapists are master's-level practicum students offering reduced-rate counselling, and every clinician works within the scope of their own credential and training.

Training and experience with tics and Tourette syndrome vary from clinician to clinician. The clinic also offers counselling for related concerns, including anxiety, OCD, ADHD, and parenting. If tic-specific experience or a particular approach matters to you, call our admin team at 780-904-4880 before booking. You can read individual profiles on Our Therapists or use the Match with a Therapist tool for help choosing.

Children and Youth

ICD-11 describes Tourette syndrome as beginning during the developmental period (WHO, 2026), so many families first look for support while a child is young. We offer counselling for children, adolescents, and young adults. Therapists who work with younger clients use age-appropriate approaches, adapting language and activities to the child's age and interests.

Clinicians also work with parents and caregivers, since the adults around a child shape much of the child's daily environment. Public education material describes parent training as helping parents understand tic disorders and learn supportive responses, such as positive reinforcement and not punishing tics or drawing attention to them (CPA, 2026). Caregiver sessions can also cover communicating with schools and looking after your own stress.

You can read more about child and youth mental health counselling and parenting support.

Taking the Next Step

If you would like to learn more, you can start in whichever way feels easiest:

• Book a session online
• Match with a therapist
• Call our admin team at 780-904-4880
• Email info@wholesomepsychology.ca
• Read what to expect when getting started

You can also call with questions about fit, fees, or virtual sessions. Starting the conversation is enough.

New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

References

• Andrén, P., Jakubovski, E., Murphy, T. L., Woitecki, K., Tarnok, Z., Zimmerman-Brenner, S., van de Griendt, J., Debes, N. M., Viefhaus, P., Robinson, S., Roessner, V., Ganos, C., Szejko, N., Müller-Vahl, K. R., Cath, D., Hartmann, A., & Verdellen, C. (2022). European clinical guidelines for Tourette syndrome and other tic disorders: Version 2.0. Part II: Psychological interventions. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 31(3), 403-423.
• Canadian Psychological Association. (2026). Psychology Works fact sheet: Tourette syndrome and other tic disorders. https://cpa.ca/psychologyfactsheets
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2025). Digital therapy for chronic tic disorders and Tourette syndrome: Early value assessment (HealthTech guidance).
• World Health Organization. (2026). ICD-11 for mortality and morbidity statistics: 8A05.00 Tourette syndrome.