How much does a therapy session cost?
You will be billed at the rate of $180 for a 60-minute session for an individual therapy session. This rate will increase to $190 for a 60 minute session on January 1, 2019, but will remain slightly lower than the rate suggested by the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta.
Am I able to get therapy fees reimbursed by my health care benefits?
Most Employee Benefit Plans will reimburse a portion of the therapy fee when you see a Registered Psychologist. I will provide a receipt for this purpose. Contact your insurance company to enquire about the terms of your policy. Additionally, Psychological services may be used as a Tax Deductible Medical Expense.
How do I get started?
If you are interested in working with me, please contact me by phone or email to arrange for a short intake phone interview. This phone interview is an opportunity for me to assess whether I can be of help, and for you to ask questions and get a sense of who I am. Assuming we both feel that I may be able to help, we will then book our first in-person therapy session.
How do I pay for my appointment?
Payment is made at the end of each session by cash, credit card, cheque, or electronic funds transfer.
What should I do if I need immediate help?
I am sorry that I am not able to offer immediate emergency care. In case of crisis or emergency, please call the Distress Centre (403-266-4357) or the Community Resource Team (403-299-9699), or visit an urgent care centre (South Calgary Health Centre or Sheldon Chumir Health Centre) or emergency centre of your closest hospital.
What are the risks and benefits of therapy?
When investing time, energy, and money in the process of therapy, it is important to understand the associated risks and benefits. While therapy has been shown to be effective in helping people deal with a range of issues, there is no guarantee that therapy will be effective for your child. However, it is well established that the factors that make therapy effective are a good relationship with the psychologist and motivation to change. A second risk to be aware of is that over the course of therapy painful emotions or memories can be evoked that can be upsetting. This is often a normal part of the healing process, and when emotions and memories are acknowledged and dealt with collaboratively, there will likely be improvement over time.
How is my privacy protected?
What is shared with me during therapy sessions is treated with respect for your and your child’s privacy and is considered confidential; I would not release information about you to anyone without your written consent. The only exceptions to this practice are:
If you share information with me that leads me to believe that you, your child, or another person is at imminent risk of serious harm,
If you share information with me that leads me to believe that you know or suspect that a child (17 and under) or dependent adult is being abused or neglected,
If you become involved in a court case and your therapy records are subpoenaed by a court of law,
Parents have the right to information discussed in session, however some agree to grant their child some privacy under the condition that all high risk behaviours are disclosed.
If you decide you want me to share information with someone (example: your doctor), the only way I would share information is if a Release of Information form is signed.
How many sessions are required?
Therapy is individual to each person and the number of sessions required is dependent on many factors including the following: the nature of the concerns brought to therapy, the complexity of the issues, the amount of work completed outside of sessions, and the motivation to make changes. At any point in time you have the right to withdraw from therapy. Usually I see people for a one-hour session once every two weeks. Sometimes at the start of working together people prefer to see me weekly in order to get some traction started in the change process. It is up to you to decide how frequently you would like to attend therapy.
How do I make an appointment for a free consultation?
If you are interested in booking a free consultation you can contact me by email deethpsychology@gmail.com or phone 403.999.4752.
Please note that this consultation is not a therapy session; rather it is an opportunity for you to gather information about how I might understand the presenting issue, resources I might know about, and what I have learned about your issue based on working with other clients with similar issues.