FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I need to see a psychologist?

The point when a person decides to get help can be different for everybody.  I encourage people to seek help from a psychologist before their situation reaches a crisis point.  Often, we can work together to prevent this from happening.  The Canadian Psychological Association has a great link on deciding to see a psychologist.

Is therapy confidential?

As a Registered Psychologist, I adhere to the standards of practice set out by the College of Psychologists of British Columbia, including a strict standard for confidentiality.  Although there are some limits to this confidentiality, we will thoroughly discuss this during our first session.

How long is a therapy session?

A typical therapy session is 50 minutes, leaving me 10 minutes at the end of our session to write notes/documentation.

How long will therapy take?

While there is no hard and fast rule for how long therapy takes, we will both generally know when it is time to end therapy – usually when we have met the goals established during our first sessions together. Most of my clients start to see some positive changes within the first 4-6 sessions, and feel that therapy is complete sometime between 6-18 sessions.  In cases where there has been a long-standing concern, it is possible to continue with more sessions if we determine together that this is feasible and will contribute to continued improvement.

How do I book an appointment?

No referral is necessary to book an appointment.  Please call me for a free phone consultation where we can determine if we will make a good fit in working together.  If I have the availability and expertise needed to meet your needs we will book an appointment over the phone.  If I’m unable to book an appointment with you, I will provide you with referral options.

What are your fees?

My fees for psychological counselling are as follows: My current rate is $200/hour. This hourly rate will be. changing, starting March 1, 2023 to $225.00/hour. This may be covered in whole or in part by your employee health benefits or through other health insurance/extended health care coverage.

• Payment is taken at the end of each session
• Normally, I can accept Cash, cheque, VISA, MasterCard and Debit.
• You will receive a receipt, which you can submit for reimbursement from your health insurance/benefits provider
• Fees for psychological services can be claimed under tax deductible health services on your income tax return

***Please be advised that fees for legal reports or court appearances is $250.00/hour.***

What is your cancellation policy?

If you must miss an appointment, please give 24 hours notice.  That gives me time to offer the appointment to another person. Please note that there will be a full-session fee for missed appointments/appointments that are cancelled with less than 24 hours notice.