What is Individual Counselling?
Individual counselling at Acacia Counselling is a conversation, not a clinical process. It's a space to talk through what's actually going on in your life, with someone who's genuinely listening and not working from a script.
Marc's approach is client-led: you set the pace, and the direction of the work follows what you're actually hoping to figure out, whether that's a specific problem, a pattern you keep running into, or just needing space to think out loud with someone who isn't part of your everyday life.
Is Life Feeling Overwhelming?
Maybe it's stress that's built up over months and hasn't let up. Maybe it's a big transition, a job change, a move, a relationship ending, that's left you feeling unsteady. Or maybe there isn't one clear reason, just a sense of being stuck or not quite like yourself.
Whatever brought you here, you don't need to have it all figured out before your first session, and you don't need a diagnosis or a specific label to justify wanting to talk to someone.
What Brings People In
At Acacia Counselling, individual sessions are led by Marc Hoogstad, who works with adults, and older teens (roughly 15 and up), depending on fit. It's a solo practice by design, meaning you'll see the same person every time, not a rotating roster.
People come in for all kinds of reasons, including:
- Anxiety, stress, or feeling overwhelmed
- Life transitions, big or small
- Low mood or feeling stuck
- Grief and loss
- Relationship or family difficulties
- Wanting a space to think things through with someone outside your life
Marc works with what's in front of him rather than positioning himself as a specialist in any one area, and will refer you elsewhere if something is genuinely outside his scope. If it's your relationship you're looking to work on rather than something individual, Marc also offers couples counselling.
What Working Together Looks Like
Step 1: Book a First Session
Step 2: Share Your Story
Step 3: Move at Your Pace
What People Tend to Find
Marc works with your expectations, not a fixed idea of what counselling is supposed to look like. What people tend to find:
- Room to think out loud, without judgment, and without needing to have the right words ready
- A pace that's yours: there's no program to follow, just conversations that build on where you left off
- Support with what's actually in front of you, not a generic framework applied to every client
- More clarity about what you're feeling, what you want, and what your next steps might look like
You can read more about all the ways Acacia Counselling supports individuals and couples on the services page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mostly about sharing what's going on. There's no intake checklist or clinical questionnaire, just a conversation to help Marc understand your situation and what you're hoping for. There's no pressure to have it all figured out.
Yes. What you share stays between you and Marc, with the standard legal exceptions that apply to all counselling in Ontario (such as risk of harm to yourself or others).
Marc primarily works with adults, though he does see older teens, roughly 15 and up, depending on fit. Reach out if you're not sure whether it's a good match.
In Marc's experience, yes, for clients willing to put in the work. Online sessions are a full option, not a fallback, and work well whether you're further away or just find a virtual session easier to fit into your week.
It depends on what you're working through and what pace feels right for you. Some people come for a handful of sessions around something specific. Others continue longer-term. There's no set program, it's shaped around you.
