CVAP Counselling (Crime Victim Assistance)
CVAP counselling provides dedicated trauma-informed therapy for victims, immediate family members, and witnesses of violent crime in British Columbia. We accept clients with approved Crime Victim Assistance Program claim files.
Is This Support Right for You?
You might resonate with this counselling focus if you are navigating:
- You are a victim of a violent crime in British Columbia seeking psychological support.
- You are an immediate family member or witness impacted by a traumatic or violent incident.
- You have an approved claim file number with BC’s Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP).
- You need a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) experienced in trauma and nervous system stabilization.
- You prefer the privacy, convenience, and safety of virtual therapy from your home.
Compassionate Support for Survivors and Families in British Columbia
Experiencing or witnessing a violent crime, criminal harassment, assault, or intimate partner violence can shatter your fundamental sense of safety, autonomy, and predictability. Survivors frequently navigate intense emotional turbulence — including intrusive flashbacks, persistent hypervigilance, sudden panic attacks, insomnia, deep grief, and profound emotional fatigue.
In British Columbia, the Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP), governed under the Crime Victim Assistance Act, exists to support healing by removing financial obstacles to professional mental health care. As a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC #29320) with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC), Rimsha Qureshi provides specialized, trauma-informed therapy for individuals with approved CVAP claims, offered in-person in Surrey and via secure telehealth across BC.
ICBC & CVAP Direct Billing: Two Provincial Recovery Pathways
British Columbia offers distinct provincial funding programs depending on the origin of your injury:
- ICBC Enhanced Care: Direct billing is available for motor vehicle accident injuries. Up to 12 counselling sessions are pre-approved within the first 12 weeks from the crash date, subject to ICBC eligibility. See our ICBC Cost & Eligibility Guide.
- CVAP (Crime Victim Assistance): Direct billing is available for eligible victims, immediate family members, and witnesses of violent crime in BC once an application is formally approved by the Crime Victim Assistance Program.
Note: Direct billing is available for eligible ICBC Enhanced Care and CVAP claims. Funding depends on an approved claim and provincial program rules.
Who is Eligible for CVAP Counselling in British Columbia?
CVAP assists three primary categories of applicants under BC provincial legislation:
1. Direct Victims
Individuals directly injured physically or psychologically as a result of a qualifying violent crime committed in British Columbia.
2. Immediate Family
Spouses, parents, children, siblings, or grandparents of a direct victim who was significantly injured or deceased as a result of a crime.
3. Qualifying Witnesses
Individuals who witnessed a violent crime or came upon the immediate scene of severe violence and sustained psychological trauma as a result.
Step-by-Step CVAP Claim & Counselling Flow
Navigating bureaucratic systems while processing trauma can feel overwhelming. Here is the clear, chronological flow of how CVAP funding connects to clinical therapy:
Submit your completed application online through the BC Ministry of Public Safety or via paper form. You do not always need a formal criminal conviction or ongoing police investigation to apply. Community victim services workers can assist with this submission.
CVAP adjudicates your claim and issues an approval letter granting a specific number of authorized counselling hours with a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC).
Schedule your free 15-minute consultation with Rimsha Qureshi. We review your CVAP file number, verify authorized hours, and confirm whether you prefer in-person appointments in Surrey or virtual telehealth across BC.
We handle billing submissions directly to the Crime Victim Assistance Program. You focus entirely on your healing without managing ongoing reimbursement paperwork.
How Rimsha Supports CVAP Clients: A Phased Clinical Framework
Recovering from violence requires an environment of unconditional emotional safety, complete transparency, and non-judgmental dignity. At Soothing Souls Counselling, therapy follows an evidence-informed three-phase trauma model:
- Phase 1: Establishing Safety & Somatic Anchors: Rebuilding physical and psychological safety, identifying personal triggers, reducing panic attacks, and restoring sleep patterns through body-centered grounding skills and breathing practices.
- Phase 2: Remembering & Processing at Your Chosen Pace: Gently deconstructing traumatic memories, grief, and shame without causing emotional flooding or re-traumatization. You remain in full control of what is shared and when.
- Phase 3: Reconnection, Agency & Meaning: Re-establishing firm personal boundaries, rebuilding self-trust, reconnecting with intimate relationships, and reclaiming a future defined by your own values rather than the crime.
Community & Crisis Support Resources in British Columbia
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For 24/7 confidential emotional support, information, and referrals across BC:
- VictimLinkBC: 1-800-563-0808 (Toll-free, confidential, 24/7 crisis support and information in 150+ languages)
- Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call or text 988 across Canada
- BC Mental Health Support Line: 310-6789 (no area code needed)
- BC Crisis Centre: 1-800-784-2433
Fees, Extended Health & Direct Billing
Clinical sessions are $160 / 50 min. Most British Columbia extended health insurance plans cover sessions with a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC).
We provide direct billing for participating extended health plans via TELUS eClaims and Provider Connect (e.g. Pacific Blue Cross, Sun Life, Canada Life, Manulife), as well as direct billing for eligible ICBC Enhanced Care claims. Official receipts containing Rimsha Qureshi's BCACC registration (#29320) are issued immediately following every session for seamless submission.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP)?
CVAP is a program administered by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General in British Columbia. It provides financial assistance, healthcare benefits, and counselling funding to victims of violent crime, their immediate family members, and certain witnesses to help manage the psychological impact.
How does billing work for CVAP counselling?
If you have an active, approved CVAP claim that authorizes clinical counselling, CVAP pays a predetermined hourly rate for RCC services. Please contact us to confirm your CVAP file number and discuss how billing is structured for your approved sessions.
Do I need to report the crime to the police to qualify for CVAP?
While many CVAP claims are linked to police reports, British Columbia legislation allows certain victims (particularly of sexual assault or intimate partner violence) to apply even if a formal police report was not filed. Visit the provincial government CVAP portal to verify current guidelines.
What modalities are used in CVAP trauma therapy?
We utilize gentle, phased trauma recovery: beginning with safety, grounding, and nervous system regulation before processing difficult memories. We use trauma-informed CBT, somatic grounding, and narrative therapy without rushing.
Related Clinical Services
Immediate Crisis Support (24/7): If you are experiencing an acute mental health emergency or immediate thoughts of suicide, please call 911 or visit your nearest hospital emergency department.
- • Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call or text 988 (Call or Text)
- • BC Crisis Centre: Call 1-800-784-2433 (1-800-SUICIDE)
- • BC Mental Health Support Line: Call
Individual experiences with counselling vary and outcomes cannot be guaranteed.