During a credit counselling session, a qualified credit counsellor will ask you questions about your family size, income, assets, liabilities, debts, budget, and goals. Your counsellor may also ask questions about how your current financial situation makes you feel. Using this information, your counsellor will determine next steps based on the three S’s: safety, stability, and success. If your situation is unsafe or you are in an immediate financial crisis, fixing that is step one.

From there, your counsellor will help you to create a realistic budget and/or repayment plan to stabilize your finances and ensure future financial success.