Baggage Claim Counselling · Calgary, AB

You've carried it this far.
Why not unpack it?

Relational, trauma-informed counselling for adults who are ready to more deeply understand themselves.

Book a Free Consult
Matteo Capriles, smiling, founder of Baggage Claim Counselling
Registrant Matteo Capriles, RSW, MSW
Location In person in Calgary & virtual across Alberta
Availability Evenings and weekends
Languages English and Spanish
Consult Free 20 minutes, no pressure
About

Hi, I'm Matteo!

You do not need to arrive with the right words. Curiosity is enough.

I am a Registered Social Worker and Master of Social Work with a clinical specialization, with nearly a decade of experience across mental health and addictions. I have worked in community settings, clinical programs, and with Recovery Alberta (Alberta Health Services). I bring that experience into private practice with the freedom to do work that goes deeper: relational work around anxiety, identity, relationships, and the moments where life pulls the rug out from under you.

I carry many intersecting identities. I am a gay, Venezuelan-Canadian man who immigrated to Canada at a young age and grew up in rural Alberta, and those identities inform how I show up in the room. At the same time, I do not assume that a shared background means a shared experience. Two people can hold the same identities and live them completely differently, so I work to understand your context, not the one I might assume for you. I offer sessions in English and Spanish, and I am transparent about the limits of my fluency in both languages.

I am direct, warm, and genuinely curious about the person in front of me. I will not just nod at you for fifty minutes. I will also not treat you like a diagnosis or hand you a worksheet when what you need is someone to sit with you in the hard parts.

Who I work best with

  • Adults navigating anxiety, burnout, or feeling overwhelmed
  • People working through identity questions, including queerness, gender, culture, or neurodivergence
  • Folks adjusting to life transitions, or people who feel stuck or unsure of their next steps in life
  • People exploring relationship patterns, attachment, or intimacy
  • Those dealing with concerns about substance use or wanting to explore recovery
  • People whose thinking or way of being does not fit neatly into dominant expectations
  • Curious, reflective young adults ready for deeper work
  • Overachievers and people who struggle with issues such as perfectionism or low self-esteem
How I work

The relationship is where the work happens

Relational

The connection matters

I believe most meaningful change happens inside the therapeutic relationship, not just through technique. I pay attention to what is happening between us as much as what is happening inside you.

Parts-based

You are not one thing

Drawing on Internal Family Systems and parts-based thinking, I help people get curious about the different parts of themselves rather than trying to eliminate the difficult ones.

Somatic

Your body has a voice

Insight in your head does not always land in the body, and the two do not always agree with each other. I pay attention to what your body is communicating and help you build an actual relationship with it, one where you can hear what it is trying to tell you before it has to shout.

Trauma-informed

We can repair together

I cannot promise you a conflict-free space. I am human, and conflict is part of any real relationship, including this one. What I can promise is that when something goes sideways between us, we will name it and work through it together. Repair, not perfection, is what builds trust.

Anti-oppressive

Context is clinical

Your identity, your history, and the systems you live inside are not background information. They are an integral part of the work. I bring a critical lens to power, culture, and what gets called "normal".

Direct

No empty nodding

I am warm and I am also honest. I will reflect things back, name patterns I notice, and occasionally push back, because good therapy is not just validation. I do not know everything either, and I am not going to pretend I do. Laughter has a place here when it fits, and I will sometimes share a bit of my own experience, not to make it about me, but because it helps to know you are talking to an actual person.

Services

What we can work on together

I offer individual therapy for adults, in person in Calgary and virtually across Alberta. Sessions are 50 minutes and available on evenings and weekends.

Anxiety and emotional overwhelm

Learning to understand what anxiety is trying to tell you, and building a different relationship with the parts of you that are working overtime to keep you safe.

Identity and self-understanding

Exploring questions of queerness, gender, culture, neurodivergence, values, and who you are when no one is watching. This is the work of coming home to yourself.

Relationships and attachment

Understanding how you connect, what gets in the way, and how early patterns show up in current relationships. This includes friendships, partnerships, and family.

Life transitions

Grief, career changes, immigration, coming out, graduation, relationship endings. Transitions destabilize us. Therapy is a place to find your footing again.

Substance use and recovery

Support for people who are already in recovery or actively working on relapse prevention. I do not provide treatment for active addiction. If you are in an active substance use crisis, I will help connect you with a service better suited to that level of care.

Free 20-minute consultation

Before we start, we talk. No sales pitch, no pressure. Just a real conversation to see if this feels like the right fit. You are allowed to talk to a few therapists before deciding.

Fees and access

What to expect

$200
Per 50-minute session
  • Payment by e-transfer, due by the end of each session
  • Receipts issued for insurance reimbursement
  • Most insurance plans accept Registered Social Worker services
  • I am not a direct biller. You submit to your insurer directly.
  • Free 20-minute consultation before we begin

My fee reflects the full cost of clinical work, including preparation, documentation, consultation, and continued training. I set this rate intentionally and I am transparent about it from the start.

If cost is a barrier, please mention it during our consultation. I hold a small number of reduced-fee spots when available and I am happy to discuss what is realistic for you.

Many extended health plans cover Registered Social Worker services. Check your benefits before our first session so you know where you stand.

I have a 48-hour cancellation policy. Cancellations with less than 48 hours notice are charged the full session fee unless we have discussed otherwise.

Questions

Things people usually ask

No. You can reach out directly. There is no waitlist, no referral required, and no gatekeeping. Just send a message and we will find a time to talk.
Both are regulated health professionals in Alberta. Registered Psychologists hold a psychology designation and are regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists. As a Registered Social Worker (RSW) with a Master of Social Work and a clinical specialization, I am regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers and authorized to perform restricted psychosocial interventions. Many insurance plans cover RSW services. Check your plan.
Many extended health plans in Canada cover Registered Social Worker services. The exact coverage depends on your plan. I recommend calling your insurer or checking your policy booklet before our first session. I issue receipts after each session that you submit directly to your insurer. I do not bill insurance directly.
Yes. In-person sessions are held at 1816 Crowchild Trail NW, Suite 700, Calgary, AB, and virtual sessions are available anywhere in Alberta. Street parking is available and free after 6pm, and the building is a short walk from the Banff Trail C-Train station. You can choose what works for you, or mix formats, and we can talk about which fits during our consult.
Yes. I am a Venezuelan-Canadian therapist and I offer sessions in Spanish. My clinical training has been in English, and I have done individual work to build my technical Spanish, the vocabulary specific to therapy. My everyday Spanish is Venezuelan-inflected and a little Spanglish, so if that matters to you, we can talk about it during our consult. I would rather be upfront than overpromise.
It is a low-pressure, 20-minute conversation. I will tell you a bit about how I work and you will tell me a bit about what brought you here. We are both figuring out if this feels like a good fit. No sales pitch, no obligation. If it is not the right match, I will say so and I am happy to point you somewhere else.
That depends on what you are working on and what you want from the process. Some people come for a defined period around a specific issue. Others stay longer for deeper work. We talk about it from the start and revisit it regularly. I do not keep people in therapy longer than it serves them.

Ready to see if this feels right?

Twenty minutes, no pressure, no commitment. Just a real conversation.

Book Your Free Consult
Get in touch

Let's talk

The first step is just reaching out. You do not need to have the right words or know exactly what you are looking for. A short message is enough to get started.