Frequently Asked Questions
Referrals
A physician referral is not required to access our services. You can contact us directly to book an appointment.
Some extended health plans may require a physician referral for reimbursement of clinical counselling services, so we encourage you to check with your extended health plan provider prior to booking.
Fees
Individual and Family therapy: $ 200.00 per 45 minute session, plus GST. Each session includes a post-session email with either session notes, observations, or homework (as applicable).
Autism Screening Fees: are based on the complexity of the screening required and will be determined individually, based on the number of sessions required and if a written report is requested. Screening ranges from 500.00 - 750.00, plus GST.
Safety Planning:$185.00, plus GST per 50 minute session. Most safety planning will require two sessions, plus one report writing session, which will provide families with a written harm reduction / safety plan, reflecting the plan developed in sessions with the child/youth and their family.
Consultation: $200.00 plus GST per 50 minute session (shorter sessions billed at the proportional rate)
Report Writing: Letters and reports are billed at $180.00 / hour plus GST. A pdf copy of all letters or reports will be provided.
Health Insurance
Many extended health insurance plans provide coverage for Registered Clinical Counselling services.
Contact your extended benefits provider to learn more about your specific plan. When talking to your provider, it might be helpful to ask the following questions:
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Does my extended benefit plan cover the services of a registered clinical counsellor?
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What is the total maximum dollar amount that each family member is entitled to per year?
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What is the maximum dollar amount per session that is covered under my plan?
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Is a referral from my family physician necessary?
Some extended health plans may require a physician referral for reimbursement of clinical counselling services, so we encourage you to check with your extended health plan provider prior to booking.
Registered Clinical Counselling services not covered by insurance are a tax deductible medical expense.
Payment
Complete payment for therapy is due at the end of each session.
A fee schedule for screening sessions and safety planning will be discussed prior to beginning.
Payments can be made using credit card. For clients who do not have a credit card, contact us to discuss alternative payment options.
For eligible clients, we can direct-bill to the Autism Funding Unit for our services. To submit a request to pay service provider on your Autism Funding dashboard, please add Salish Sea Pediatric Counselling as a provider.
Cancellation Policy
We require 48 hours notice for cancellations. Late cancellations and missed appointments are charged at the regular rate.
We are happy to move in-person sessions to a virtual session during the same time slot, if illness or transportation becomes an unexpected barrier to attending a session.
Consultation
A variety of consultation services are available including:
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Consultation with schools
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Individualized Education Plan (IEP) review
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Consultation with medical teams and other child/youth resources
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Consultation with BCBA's, SLP, OT and other autism-focused support teams
Virtual vs In-Person
Not all clients will work effectively with virtual services. For most child counselling (ages 8 and under), in-person sessions are recommended. For preteen and teen counselling (ages 9 and up), virtual sessions may be equally as effective as in-person sessions, although it is preferable if the initial session with the youth is held in-person.
When considering if virtual sessions are appropriate for your preteen / teen, it might be helpful to ask the following questions:
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Is my child comfortable using a phone, ipad or computer to communicate in their day to day life?
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Is there a private space available for the session where my child will not be interrupted during their session and they will be confident of privacy?
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What does my child prefer?
Parent-only sessions are primarily offered as virtual sessions.
Illness Policy
Please do not attend in-person sessions if ill. If your child is recovering from an illness but is still symptomatic, we ask that your child wears a face mask for in-person sessions.
We are happy to move any scheduled in-person session to a virtual format, or to change child in-person sessions to parent-only virtual sessions, due to illness.