Counselling that makes room for the emotional and practical side of living with a health change, alongside the care you already get from your health-care team. Registered Psychologists and Registered Provisional Psychologists regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). Registered Social Workers regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW). Canadian Certified Counsellors (CCCs) certified by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). Mental Health Therapists and Student Therapists. In-person sessions at five locations in Edmonton and St. Albert and virtual sessions for people in Alberta.

Book a Session | Match with a Therapist

You Might Be Wondering Whether Counselling for a Physical Health Concern Is Right for You

You may be unsure whether counselling makes sense when the problem feels physical. Part of you might worry that talking to a therapist would suggest the pain or fatigue is "all in your head." Or your calendar is already full of appointments, and adding one more feels hard to justify.

Maybe you have started cancelling plans because you cannot predict how your body will feel that day. You might lie awake going over test results, or feel a quick flash of frustration when someone tells you that you look fine. Some people stop telling others how they really are, because explaining it one more time takes energy they do not have.

These reactions make sense. A health change can reach into sleep, mood, patience, work and relationships, and that is a common human response to a hard situation. It does not mean you are coping badly, and it does not mean your physical symptoms are any less real.

If you are trying to work out whether talking with someone could help, the sections below describe what this kind of counselling involves, what it does not do, and how people usually get started. You can use them to judge whether it fits what you are living with.

Who We Help

People come to this page from different places. Some are ready to book. Some are still deciding whether their situation is "enough" to bring to a therapist. Others are reading on behalf of a partner, parent or child whose health has changed.

This service may be a good fit if you:

• Are adjusting to a new diagnosis, surgery or injury, and the emotional side is only now catching up with you
• Live with ongoing pain, fatigue, chronic illness, disability or changes in mobility
• Feel worn down by appointments, tests, waiting lists or treatment routines
• Have had to change how you work, study, parent or spend your free time
• Notice that health changes are affecting your relationships or how you see yourself
• Support someone whose health has changed and are finding it hard yourself

This service may not be the right fit if:

• You are in crisis or in immediate danger. Please use the crisis resources below.
• You have new, worsening or concerning physical symptoms. These need attention from a physician, nurse practitioner or other appropriate health professional.
• You are looking for a medical opinion, a cause for your symptoms, an exercise prescription or a rehabilitation plan. Those belong with your medical and allied health providers.
• You need a report for a legal, insurance or workplace claim. Forensic and legal needs are outside this counselling service, and psychological assessments are offered as a separate service.

Related pages that may also be useful include chronic illness and pain counselling, health changes and grief and family caregiver stress.

If You Need Help Right Now

Counselling appointments are scheduled ahead of time, and messages and online bookings are not monitored for emergencies. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, please contact one of these services:

• 911, or go to the nearest emergency department, for any immediate medical or mental health emergency
• Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642 (24/7)
• 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: call or text 988 (24/7)
• Health Link: call 811 for non-emergency health questions

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service.

What This Service Is

Counselling for physical health issues and mental well-being is talk-based support for the emotional, practical and relational side of living with a health change. It gives you a space to talk through how that change is affecting your days, your relationships and your sense of who you are. Together, you and your therapist may look at coping strategies, what you need from the people around you, what matters most to you now, and where you can find support.

It is equally useful to know what this service is not:

• It is not medical care. Counselling does not diagnose physical conditions, work out what is causing a symptom, change medication or prescribe exercise.
• It does not replace assessment, treatment or follow-up from your physician, nurse practitioner, specialist, physiotherapist, pharmacist or other health professional.
• It is not a legal service, an investigative process or crisis intervention.
• It does not include a psychological assessment. Assessments are a separate service at Wholesome Psychology.

You set the pace. You decide what to talk about and when, and your therapist will check in with you rather than push ahead. What you share is confidential within legal and ethical limits, which are explained in the confidentiality section below and reviewed at your first session.

Each clinician works within the scope of their own profession and regulatory requirements. If something you raise is better handled by another professional, your therapist can talk with you about that.

Signs Physical Health Issues May Be Affecting Your Mental Well-Being

There is no checklist you need to meet. Still, some people recognize themselves in patterns like these:

• Feeling low, irritable or flat more often since your health changed
• Worry about the future that loops, especially before appointments or results
• Missing activities, roles or plans that no longer fit the way they used to
• Feeling like a burden, or guilty about needing help
• Pulling back from friends because explaining your health is tiring
• More tension at home over chores, care or changing roles
• Finding it hard to trust your body or make plans
• Losing track of who you are outside your health condition
• Sleep or energy feeling off in ways that are hard to separate from the health issue itself

Health classification systems used by professionals include categories that recognize psychological factors and physical conditions can affect one another (World Health Organization [WHO], 2024). That does not mean a physical symptom is "psychological." Any new or changing physical symptom needs medical attention, whatever else is going on.

Having some of these experiences does not mean something is permanently wrong with you. They are common reactions to a demanding situation. Structured support may help you understand them and find ways of living alongside them that feel more manageable.

How Treatment Works Here

• Find your therapist. You can use the Match with a Therapist tool or browse Our Therapists to read profiles. If you would rather talk it through, the admin team can help at 780-904-4880.
• Book your first session. Your first session covers confidentiality, consent and what you hope to get from counselling. It is also a chance to notice whether the therapist feels like a good fit for you.
• Build your plan together. You and your therapist co-create a plan that reflects your priorities, your energy and the supports you already have. Your plan can make room for medical appointments and flare-ups.
• Ongoing sessions. Sessions are 50 minutes. Follow-up appointments are usually weekly or every two weeks, and the timing can change as your needs or health change.
• Progress check-ins. Your therapist reviews how things are going with you from time to time. If something is not working, the plan changes.

There is no fixed number of sessions. Counselling is collaborative, and your voice shapes each stage. You can read more on Getting Started with Therapy and Our Unique Approach.

Evidence and Approaches

Each approach below sets out what it may help with, what research suggests, and where the evidence falls short. Your therapist will talk with you about what fits. Not every approach suits every person or every health situation.

Movement and Physical Activity, Where Appropriate

What it helps with: For some people, movement and routine can be one part of emotional well-being alongside medical care.

Evidence summary: An overview of systematic reviews found that physical activity interventions may be associated with improvements in depression, anxiety and distress for some people (Singh et al., 2023). Canadian public health resources describe physical activity as one component of overall health (Public Health Agency of Canada [PHAC], 2026). Counselling can explore what makes routines harder, such as pacing.

Limitations: These findings describe groups, not individuals, and do not show that any activity suits a particular condition. Counselling does not prescribe exercise, so activity choices should follow your health-care team's guidance.

Client-Centred Counselling for Health-Related Adjustment

What it helps with: Making sense of the emotional, practical and relational effects of a health change, such as grief for old routines or strain in relationships.

Evidence summary: International health classification includes categories in which psychological factors and physical conditions affect one another, which supports attending to both without assuming one causes the other (WHO, 2024). This page does not cite trial evidence for a specific counselling model in this area, so it describes the approach without claiming particular results.

Limitations: Classification material is for professional use, not self-diagnosis. It does not show that counselling changes physical symptoms, and experiences of counselling vary.

Family Routines and Shared Support for Young People

What it helps with: Exploring how family routines, shared activities and support can fit around a young person's or a parent's health needs.

Evidence summary: A Statistics Canada study of a nationally representative sample of Canadian adolescents looked at how family physical activity relates to adolescents' activity, screen time and mental health, and reported associations between them (Statistics Canada, 2025). This supports treating shared routines and supportive relationships as relevant topics when talking about a young person's well-being.

Limitations: Because the study looked at associations, it cannot show that one factor causes another. It looked at adolescents in general rather than young people living with specific health conditions.

What Results to Expect

Change in counselling is rarely a straight line. Health often has its own ups and downs, and a hard week physically can make a hard week emotionally too. That is a normal part of the process, not a sign that counselling has failed.

Some people find that a shorter stretch of counselling helps with a specific concern, such as adjusting to a new diagnosis. Others prefer longer-term support, especially when their health keeps changing. Some notice shifts within weeks or months, and others take longer.

Several things can shape how counselling goes for you:

• The kind of health change you are living with and how stable it is
• What else is happening in your life, such as work, money, caregiving or other stress
• The support you have around you
• How comfortable you feel with your therapist

No therapy can guarantee an outcome, and counselling is not designed to reduce pain, fatigue or other physical symptoms. Fit matters. If the first therapist or approach does not feel right, changing therapist or trying a different approach is always an option.

Confidentiality and Privacy

What you share in counselling is confidential. Psychologists at Wholesome Psychology 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. Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW).

Alberta privacy laws set rules for how your personal and health information is collected, used, shared and stored. Depending on the clinician and the type of information, this includes the Health Information Act (HIA) and the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

There are legal limits to confidentiality. A therapist may need to share information without your consent when there is:

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

Outside those situations, information is shared with others, such as your physician, only with your consent. Your therapist will explain these limits clearly during your first session. You are welcome to ask questions about privacy before you share anything personal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to describe my health condition or what happened in detail?

No. You decide how much to share and when. Many people start with how things are affecting them now, such as sleep, relationships or work, rather than going through medical history. Your therapist may ask some questions to understand your situation, and you can always say you would rather not go into something yet.

Is what I share kept private?

Yes, within legal and ethical limits. Those limits include a risk of serious harm, suspected child abuse or neglect, and a court order. Alberta's Health Information Act (HIA) and Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) also govern how your information is handled. See the confidentiality section for more.

How many sessions will I need?

There is no set number. Some people come for a short stretch to work on one concern, while others prefer ongoing support as their health changes. You and your therapist review progress regularly and adjust the plan together.

What if the therapist is not the right fit?

Fit matters, and it is fine to say so. The admin team can help you find a different clinician, and you can also use the Match with a Therapist tool to compare options. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Can I access counselling online?

Yes. Virtual sessions are available for people in Alberta, which can help on days when travel is difficult or energy is low. The same confidentiality standards apply. You can read more about online counselling.

Will counselling tell me what is causing my physical symptoms?

No. Counselling does not diagnose physical conditions or work out the medical cause of a symptom. Questions about diagnosis, treatment or medication belong with your physician, nurse practitioner or another appropriate health professional.

Do I need a diagnosis or a referral to start?

You do not need a medical diagnosis to talk with a therapist about how a health change is affecting you. Some insurance plans have their own requirements, such as a physician referral, so it can help to check your plan before booking.

I am reading this for someone I care about. What can I do?

You can share this page with them and let them decide whether it feels useful. If supporting them is taking a toll on you, counselling for yourself is also an option. Our page on supporting someone's mental health may help as well.

Meet Your Clinicians

Wholesome Psychology's 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.

Clinicians' training and areas of focus vary, and each profile describes that person's experience and approach. You can read profiles on Our Therapists, use the Match with a Therapist tool, or call the admin team at 780-904-4880 for help choosing.

Children, Youth and Families

Physical health changes can affect a whole family. A child may be living with a health condition, or a parent's illness may change routines, roles and the mood at home.

• Wholesome Psychology offers counselling for children, adolescents and young people. See child and youth mental health counselling.
• Therapists who work with younger clients use age-appropriate approaches, such as play, drawing or conversation suited to the child's stage.
• Clinicians work with parents and caregivers so the support continues at home, including shared routines that fit around health needs.

Families supporting a child with ongoing needs may also find our page on supporting a child with disabilities useful.

If You Would Like to Talk With Someone

If you would like to explore whether counselling could help with how a health change is affecting you, you can take the next step in whichever way suits you:

• Book a session online
• Match with a therapist
• Call the admin team: 780-904-4880
• Email: info@wholesomepsychology.ca
• Read Getting Started with Therapy

Starting the conversation is enough.

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

References

• Public Health Agency of Canada. (2026). Physical activity: Being physically active for your health. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/being-active/physical-activity-your-health.html
• Singh, B., Olds, T., Curtis, R., Dumuid, D., Virgara, R., Watson, A., Szeto, K., O'Connor, E., Ferguson, T., Eglitis, E., Miatke, A., Simpson, C. E. M., & Maher, C. (2023). Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: An overview of systematic reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 57(18), 1203-1209. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-106195
• Statistics Canada. (2025, January 15). Are adolescents who do physical activity with their parents more active and mentally healthier? https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-003-x/2025001/article/00002-eng.htm
• World Health Organization. (2024). ICD-11 for mortality and morbidity statistics.