Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

Therapy is a personal investment that requires time, energy, and finances. We have included a list of common questions to help you make an informed decision about us and the supports we offer. If you have any questions that aren’t answered here, please contact us. We’d be happy to answer them for you.

Billing + Policies

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What are your fees?
Our practice follows the fee guidelines suggested by the British Columbia Psychological Association and other relevant professional associations in BC. Please contact us for more information.
What if I need to cancel or change my appointment? What is your cancellation policy?

We understand that sometimes unexpected events occur; however, it is often a challenge to fill an opening on short notice. Our goal is to provide high quality health care and your appointments are very important to us. Due to the high demand for appointments and out of respect for our clinicians and clients, it is our standard policy to require at least 48 business hours’ advance notice (two full business days excluding weekends and statutory holidays) for any cancellations or changes to your appointment (regardless of the reason, whether it be illness, emergency, work, or inclement weather). Your advance notice will increase the likelihood that another client who needs an appointment can access that valued time and, of course, more notice is always appreciated.

Our business hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Our office is closed on weekends and statutory holidays (these are considered “non-business days”). Here are few examples to help you understand how this policy applies to avoid incurring any fees:

  • Monday appointments need to be cancelled the Thursday before the appointment (for example, if your appointment is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on Monday and you wish to change/cancel your appointment, you would need to notify our office by 9:00 a.m. the Thursday before). If your health is unreliable or it’s hard to predict your availability on a Monday, you may wish to schedule your appointment on another weekday.
  • If the weekday prior to your scheduled appointment is a statutory holiday, any changes would need to be made two full business days prior to the statutory holiday (for example, if your appointment is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday and Monday is a statutory holiday, we would need to know by 10:00 a.m. the Thursday before).
  • Appointments that are scheduled outside of our regular business hours (e.g., after 5 p.m.) need to be cancelled by 5 p.m. (during regular business hours) two full business days prior to the appointment.

Because we often have a waitlist, we’ll try to fill any session that you have cancelled with less than 48 business hours’ notice with another client. If we’re able to do so, there will be no charge to you. If the appointment can’t be filled, you’ll be responsible for the full session fee. Insurance companies typically do not provide reimbursement for late-cancelled or missed sessions.

We also invite you to review our COVID-19 Update for how we’re responding to symptoms of COVID-19 and other contagious illnesses in an effort to keep you and our clinicians, staff, families, and communities safe.

How do I change or cancel my appointment?

If you need to change or cancel your appointment, please call our office at (604) 239-4640 or send an email to reception@oceansidepsychology.com between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, at least 48 business hours (two business days) in advance, leaving a detailed message if necessary. We will acknowledge receipt of your message as soon as possible. If we receive your call or email outside of business hours which leaves less than two business days’ notice (including over a weekend or on a statutory holiday), a missed appointment/full session fee will be applied to your account or the credit card provided at the time of booking.

We ask that fees for missed or late-cancelled appointments be paid no later than the day of the appointment that is being cancelled/rescheduled in order to retain future scheduled appointments.

Are services covered by the provincial Medical Services Plan (MSP)?

Unfortunately, MSP does not cover the cost of psychological services. However, many clients are pleased to learn that services are covered in full or in part by their extended health insurance or employee benefit plan. Please contact your insurance company for more information regarding your benefits.

Does my insurance cover therapy? What questions should I ask my insurer?

Services may be covered in full or in part by your extended health insurance or employee benefit plan. We encourage clients to contact their insurer before booking an appointment to learn more about their insurance coverage, particularly if this coverage will be needed to cover the cost of services. You’ll want to have the information on your insurance card when you contact your insurance agency, including your policy number.

Some questions you may wish to ask your insurer include:

  1. Does my plan cover the services of Registered Psychologists and Registered Clinical Counsellors licensed in BC?
  2. Does my plan cover individual therapy, couple therapy, or therapy delivered online (as may be relevant to you)?
  3. How much coverage do I have per year?
  4. Is that per calendar year or 12-month period (in other words, when does the coverage start and end)?
  5. Do I have to pay a portion of each visit (this is often called a “co-pay” amount) or does my insurance cover 100% of the amount?
  6. Do I require a physician’s referral or have to do anything else to qualify for my insurance coverage?
  7. How do I submit my claim for reimbursement after my visit?
Do you direct bill my insurance company?

We do not direct bill insurance agencies for your visit and, instead, require that clients who have insurance coverage pay for services directly. We’ll provide a receipt for you to submit to your insurer.

How does payment work?
We require payment at the time of your session. We accept most major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover), as well as Visa Debit, and Mastercard Debit. We do not accept personal cheques, cash, e-transfer, or Interac Debit.

Prospective Clients

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Are you currently accepting new clients? Is there a long waitlist?

We are pleased to be accepting new clients. We know that it can take a lot to take the first step in making a phone call to see a therapist. As a result, we aim to keep our waitlist to no longer than 1-2 weeks and to schedule your first appointment as soon as possible. We offer daytime, evening, and weekend appointments to make it easier for you to meet with us when it’s convenient for you.

Are there issues you don’t treat?

Although we provide treatment for individuals struggling with body image concerns and disordered eating behaviours, we’re not the best fit when eating disorders are the primary diagnosis or when medical stabilization or a multi-disciplinary treatment approach would be warranted (e.g., as may be the case if someone is severely underweight due to caloric restriction). For these same reasons, we do not provide treatment for psychotic disorders (e.g., schizophrenia), severe bipolar disorder, active substance use disorders, or cognitive recovery following brain injury.

In addition, because psychologists and therapists do not prescribe medications, we would not be the right fit if you’re looking for medication management only.

To learn more about the difficulties we treat, please visit our Client Services page. We also invite you to contact us if you have any questions about whether we’re the right fit for you.

Are appointments available later in the day or on weekends?

Yes! Our clinical team is pleased to offer daytime, evening, and weekend appointments to make it easier for you to meet with us when it works best for you.

Do I need a referral?
We do not require a referral to access our services.
How can I schedule an appointment?

Whether you’re seeking in-person counselling or online therapy, scheduling an appointment is as simple as clicking Book Now to schedule an appointment with one of our therapists on our online booking site. If you’d like to schedule a FREE 20-minute consult to see if we’re the right fit for you, you can schedule an Intake Consultation Call and we’d be happy to connect with you.

Please note that the online booking software requires a credit card be entered at the time of scheduling; however, there is NO charge for the consultation call. If you’d rather schedule your free consult without providing a credit card or if you’d like to schedule an appointment through our office, you may call (604-239-4640), text or email us (reception@oceansidepsychology.com), or complete our online contact form.

Are there any forms I need to fill out?

All of our forms are digital and will be emailed to you for you to complete prior to your appointment. We ask clients to complete their form prior to their first appointment.

Therapy Sessions

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Do you offer in-person sessions?
Yes, we are pleased to offer individual, couple, and family therapy in person, in addition to online therapy.
How long are sessions?
Individual, couple, and family therapy sessions are typically 50 minutes in duration. However, many of our therapists also offer 80-minute sessions for those who prefer to have more time.
How often should I schedule my sessions?

While therapy is a personalized experience and the frequency of sessions will depend on the nature of your difficulties, goals, and resources (e.g., energy, time, finances), clients tend to get the most from their sessions when they schedule sessions weekly to start. When sessions are spaced too far apart at the beginning (particularly more than every two weeks), sessions tend to become diluted and clients often find that they have to try to regain the momentum they had each time they return. Therapy ends up taking longer than it would have taken had sessions been more regular and some won’t be as satisfied with their progress. This is true regardless of whether you’re coming alone or with a partner or family member. As a result, sessions are ideally scheduled weekly when you’re getting started or, at maximum, two weeks apart.

Do you accept urgent referrals or handle emergencies?

As a private practice, we regrettably do not accept urgent referrals and are often unable to provide crisis or emergency services to clients. When needed, our clinicians will do their best to see existing clients for a crisis session the same day and within regular business hours; however, this isn’t always feasible due to their schedule being full or other commitments on- or off-site.

If you or someone close to you requires urgent care, we encourage you to go to the nearest emergency room or call 911. The crisis line (1-800-SUICIDE or 1-800-784-2433) also provides free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for individuals in distress.

Online Therapy + Counselling

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How does online therapy work?

After you contact our office and schedule your first appointment with a therapist, you’ll receive a confirmation email of your appointment with some forms to complete. This email will include a consent form that reviews risks associated with communicating over the internet. You will be asked to review and sign any forms you receive, and return them to us by email prior to your first appointment.

Closer to your appointment date, you’ll receive a video link to your online therapy session. You will not have to download any software. If for some reason you have difficulties connecting to your video session on the day of your appointment, your therapist will call you at the phone number provided on your intake paperwork, and will assist you in connecting to the video platform or will offer to conduct the session by telephone. You may also ask your therapist about telephone sessions, if you prefer.

We generally encourage people to log on to the videoconferencing platform a few minutes before their scheduled appointment start time in the event you encounter any technical difficulties that need attention. You will remain in the virtual waiting room until your therapist arrives at your scheduled start time, at which time, your therapist will virtually “move” you from the waiting room to the meeting room.

Please visit our Online Therapy (Telehealth) page for more information.

How do I know if online therapy sessions are right for me?

This is a great question and a common one. Online therapy is highly effective and, in fact, can be as effective as in-person therapy for addressing difficulties related to anxiety, depression, worry, anger, trauma, relationships, and much more. It’s convenient if you’re unable to leave your home or you’re looking for the added convenience and comfort of meeting from your home.

There are also ways to make online therapy feel more engaging and authentic (in other words, more similar to in-person sessions), such as by having a private space free of distractions, sitting at a desk/table or on a couch, and conducting the session on a desktop computer or laptop (instead of using a phone that has a smaller screen and which you might need to hold).

However, there are some drawbacks to online therapy. One is that your therapist can typically only see you from the neck area up. As therapists, we rely heavily on non-verbal behaviours (including the tapping of a foot or fidgeting hands that might hint at anxiety). As a result, we will miss some of this important information. However, we welcome when you let us know what we might not see and, in fact, that’s how you and your therapist will work great together.

As well, technology isn’t always reliable and can depend on the quality of the internet connection – for example, the video can freeze and there can be lags in communication which might cause you or your therapist to talk over or interrupt each other. These challenges can generally be minimized by taking steps to make your internet connection faster and more stable, such as by placing your router in a central and unobstructed location, running an ethernet cable to your computer instead of using Wi-Fi, using a Wi-Fi extender or booster, and securing your Wi-Fi with a password so that others aren’t using it (which reduces your Wi-Fi bandwidth).

It’s also important to know that privacy and confidentiality can never be 100% guaranteed when information is transmitted over the internet, even with all the firewalls and protections both you and your therapist have in place. However, having these in place will significantly increase privacy protection. We also encourage clients to avoid using public Wi-Fi, especially if it isn’t protected by a password.

Lastly, if you are struggling with severe and persistent suicidal thoughts and are regularly in crisis, online therapy may not be the right fit. More severe levels of dissociation (“spacing out”) also tend to be more appropriately addressed through in-person services and the same would apply to more severe psychological conditions or complex situations (e.g., addictions).

We invite you to call us and tell us a bit about what you’re struggling with. We offer a free 15-minute telephone consultation and can help you determine whether online or in-person services are right for you.

What online platform do you use?

We use secure and easy-to-use videoconferencing platforms, such as Zoom for health care professionals. You will not have to download any software to access these platforms.

Can I see a therapist for online therapy if I live outside of BC? What if I’m only briefly travelling outside of BC?

Our psychologists and therapists are only able to provide telehealth services (online and phone sessions) to residents of BC. If you’re a resident of BC but temporarily travelling to another jurisdiction, in many cases, we can continue to meet online or over the phone while you’re away. However, please inform your therapist in advance so that they can look into any relevant laws and regulations pertaining to the delivery of remote sessions in the jurisdiction where you’ll be physically located. Also, remember that sessions will be scheduled in Pacific Time.

How can I get the most out of online therapy?

Online therapy appointments are conducted with the same high quality and professionalism as in-person visits. To help you get the most from online therapy, here are some tips:

  • Create a Private Space: Find a suitable, private room or area of your home that is free of distractions and where you won’t be overheard.
  • Eliminate Noise and Distractions: Close any doors or windows, turn off the television, and keep loud pets in another room if possible. Arrange childcare prior to the appointment. Unless you are using your phone for the session, consider turning it on silent and setting it aside.
  • Improve Sound Quality: If there’s background or ambient noise, consider using headphones (ideally wireless or with a longer cord so that you can move freely in the session).
  • Check Your Video: Make sure there’s ample lighting in order that your therapist can see you clearly.
  • Have a Strong and Reliable Internet Connection: If you have the option, run an ethernet cable to your computer instead of using Wi-Fi or, if you prefer Wi-Fi, place your router in a central and unobstructed location, consider using a Wi-Fi extender or booster, and secure your Wi-Fi with a password so that others aren’t using it (which reduces your Wi-Fi bandwidth).
  • Sit at a Desk/Table or on a Couch: Emotion-Focused Therapy and many therapies are more than just “talk therapy.” It’s not uncommon for therapists to offer ways of working which may involve a bit of movement. Sitting in a chair or on a couch will most closely resemble being in an in-person counselling session with a therapist.
  • Use a Computer Instead of a Phone: It’s important for your session to feel as close to an in-person session as possible to create the most engaging and authentic encounter. As therapists, we rely heavily on nonverbal communication in our work, including spontaneous body movement. Holding a phone limits movement, often grows tiring, and provides a smaller window into your experience.
Will my insurance cover online therapy?

Many, if not most, insurance agencies recognize the effectiveness of online therapy and are increasingly providing coverage for online services. However, please check with your insurance carrier prior to scheduling if you’re uncertain.

How does billing work for online sessions?

Many clients prefer to have their sessions held remotely via a secure videoconferencing platform and, occasionally, over the phone. This has caused some unique billing challenges as we are not able to greet clients and accept payment for their services in person. As such, a credit card is required to be held on file for all clients who are engaged in remote-based sessions, unless alternate payment arrangements are made. The credit card on file will be billed for any remote session fees at the time the appointment occurs, as payment is due at the time services are rendered.

Confidentiality

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Are sessions confidential?

Your confidentiality is very important to us. Your identity and personal information will not be shared with others without explicit consent from you. There are, however, a very limited number of circumstances when psychologists and therapists are legally and ethically required to break confidentiality without your consent. These will be discussed with you during your first session.

What do I need to do so that you can communicate with another health care provider?

Should you wish for us to communicate with another health care provider, we’ll require their name and contact information. We’ll also have you sign a written consent form authorizing the communication; we typically provide a copy of this signed consent form to the professional we’re consulting with on your behalf, as well.

Ancillary Services

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Will you speak with my psychiatrist and other medical providers?

We’re happy to collaborate with other medical providers when it’s relevant to coordinating care. If ever we think this would be useful, we’ll discuss it with you first and have you sign a consent form authorizing the communication.

Do you offer psychological assessments?
Although assessment is an ongoing part of the therapeutic process, we do not offer comprehensive psychological assessments. However, we can help you find a professional who does.
Do you prescribe medication?

No, only psychiatrists and physicians prescribe medication. For information about medication, we recommend speaking with your family physician or a GP at a walk-in clinic.

Can you write letters on my behalf in support of disability benefits or academic accommodations?
This will depend on the nature of the request. We’d be happy to discuss this with you if it’s of relevance. We charge our hourly rate for all letters or reports prepared on your behalf.

WORK WITH US

Get Started With Oceanside Psychology Group

Life can be challenging. Feelings can be difficult.
Let's change the way you feel today...
Life can be challenging. Feelings can be difficult. Let's change the way you feel today...

If you’re ready to have more of the emotions you want, less of the emotions you don’t want, and lead a more fulfilling life, we’re here to support you on your journey.