Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP) | Vitality Collective
Our BC therapists offer trauma-informed counselling through CVAP, the BC Crime Victim Assistance Program, which provides government-funded support for victims of crime and sexual assault.
If you've gone through something traumatic, whether it happened recently or long ago, you may be wondering where to turn for support. Maybe you’re already trying to navigate the system. Maybe you’ve heard about something called CVAP, but you’re not quite sure what it is or whether you’d qualify.
We understand how overwhelming it can feel to reach out for help, especially after something painful. If you’ve been affected by violence or a crime that happened in British Columbia, the Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP) might be able to help cover the cost of counselling. At Vitality Collective, we work directly with CVAP so that you can access trauma-informed therapy with as few barriers as possible, so you can get the help you need to heal.
What is CVAP?
The Crime Victim Assistance Program is a provincial program that helps people recover after they’ve been impacted by a crime. That might mean someone who was assaulted, someone who experienced domestic violence, someone who was sexually abused, or someone who witnessed something traumatic. It could also be a family member of a victim—someone who’s supporting a child, a partner, or a loved one after something painful.
What CVAP does is offer financial help for recovery. For many people, that includes covering the cost of therapy. Our therapists have worked with many clients who were struggling with the emotional aftermath of violence—things like nightmares, panic attacks, trust issues, depression, or feeling numb—and CVAP made it possible for them to get support when they otherwise couldn’t have afforded it.
One of the most common misunderstandings we hear is that you have to press charges or go to court to qualify. You don’t. Even if the crime wasn’t reported right away (or at all), you might still be eligible. What matters is that you were affected by a criminal act that happened in BC and that you're seeking help to heal.
What does therapy through CVAP look like?
When you work with us through CVAP, you’ll meet with a trained therapist for a 50-minute counselling session. These can happen in-person at one of our offices in Surrey, Vancouver, Chilliwack, Kelowna or online, from wherever you are in BC. We know that some people feel safest talking face to face, while others prefer the comfort and privacy of online therapy. We respect both.
Once you’re approved for CVAP, you’ll be given a claim number. That number allows us to bill CVAP directly for your sessions. You don’t need to pay the full session fee up front. Instead, there’s a small user fee of $20 per session, and CVAP covers the rest.
There are times when CVAP doesn’t cover the full session amount. When that happens, we’re transparent about what that means and will let you know before we proceed. We don’t want finances to be a surprise or a source of stress.
What kinds of issues can CVAP counselling support?
We work with people who’ve experienced all kinds of trauma connected to crime. That might include someone who was assaulted by a stranger, someone in an abusive relationship, someone who was sexually abused as a child, or someone who’s dealing with the shock of a violent loss. It might also be a family member of someone who was harmed or a person who witnessed something traumatic like an accident, a violent altercation, or a crime scene.
Trauma affects everyone differently. Some people come to us with intense symptoms like flashbacks, panic attacks, or intrusive thoughts. Others feel like they’ve shut down emotionally or are struggling to feel connected to people around them. Many carry deep shame or guilt—even when none of it was their fault. We’re here to hold space for all of it.
How can therapy help at Vitality Collective?
Vitality Collective is a team of therapists who specialize in working with trauma. Each of us brings our own background and training, but what unites us is a deep respect for people’s stories and a belief in your ability to heal.
We’re not here to fix you. You’re not broken. We’re here to help you make sense of what happened, to build tools for managing it, and to create a space where you feel safe enough to start unpacking what you’ve been carrying. We take our time. We go at your pace. And we focus on building a relationship that feels safe and collaborative.
Many of our clinicians are trained in EMDR, somatic therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), narrative therapy, and other approaches designed specifically to support people who’ve been through trauma. We work with adults, teens, and families, and we offer support across a wide range of identities and lived experiences. If it’s important to you to work with someone who understands cultural identity, gender, neurodivergence, or intergenerational trauma, we’ll do our best to match you with the right therapist.
How do you apply for CVAP?
The application process can feel a little daunting at first, but it’s manageable, and we’re happy to help guide you through it.
You’ll start by filling out this form, found on the BC government’s website. The form asks for some details about what happened, when and where it occurred, and how it affected you. If you have a police report or medical records, you can include them. But if you don’t, that doesn’t necessarily disqualify you. Many people apply without formal documentation, especially when the crime wasn’t reported.
Once you submit the form, it usually takes several weeks to hear back. If you’re approved, you’ll get a letter outlining what’s covered and a claim number you can use to start therapy.
If you already have a claim number, you can reach out to us directly and we’ll help you get matched with a therapist. If you haven’t applied yet and want to talk through what that would look like, we’re happy to walk you through it.
Why is it so hard to find a CVAP counsellor?
We hear this all the time. So many people are referred to CVAP by a doctor, support worker, or friend, only to hit a wall when they try to find a therapist who accepts it.
The truth is, not many counselling clinics offer direct billing, which means you often have to pay out of pocket and wait to be reimbursed. That’s hard for some people, especially if you're dealing with the emotional and financial impacts of trauma. At Vitality Collective, we partner with many organizations to make counselling more accessible.
We also work closely with local doctors and support agencies who are trying to refer clients but don’t always know where to send them. If you’re a healthcare provider looking to refer a patient for trauma counselling through CVAP, we’d love to connect with you. We want this process to be easier for everyone.
Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP) Counselling | Vancouver, Surrey, Chilliwack and Kelowna Therapists
If something traumatic has happened in your life, it’s normal to feel lost, numb, angry, scared, or overwhelmed. It’s also normal to not know what you need. We want you to know that there is support available, and that it's okay to take your time getting there.
At Vitality Collective, we believe that healing happens in relationship: with safety, with support, and with someone who shows up without judgment. If you're thinking about reaching out, we’ll meet you where you’re at.
We’re currently accepting new CVAP clients at our clinics in Surrey, Vancouver, Chilliwack and Kelowna. We also offer online counselling to clients across British Columbia.
If you have questions or want help with the application process, please contact us. Taking that first step toward support should feel simple—not stressful. That’s why Vitality Collective now offers text messaging at 1-855-425-4310. Whether you want to book your first session, ask a quick question, or just reach out, you can do it all by text. No phone calls required—just an easy, pressure-free way to connect when you’re ready. You can also fill out our New Client Intake Form to get started today.