+ Payment and Fee Schedule:

I offer anywhere from one hour to extended sessions. Most first time clients prefer to book a 90-minute session to dive in deeper right away.

My rates are based on the PAA fee guidelines. However I have set up my practice in a way to offer more support for each client I see. The PAA fee recommendations are 50 minutes of session time and 10 minutes of notes. I offer the full booked session time and with client’s consent I also offer an email follow up of key points, next steps and additional resources. Overall my clients receive approximately additional 20 minutes of clinical service time for each one hour session than is standard practice. This mean that I take on fewer clients and provide them with more in depth support than many traditional psychology practices.

The research on outcomes in therapy constantly shows that the work between sessions is the biggest factor in client change (30-40%, while the therapeutic relationship and approaches seach account for about 10-15% of change).

Additional Services:

If kept under 10 minutes, the first consultation with you or others involved in your care will be free of charge. All other services will result in additional charges that will be billed in 10-minute increments at the rate of $220/hour. This includes telephone consultations, letters, reports, or other additional paperwork. Sessions beyond one hour are billed at a reduced rate. I also offer the option for 30-minute phone sessions for current clients when this option would be appropriate therapeutically (at the rate of $150 per 30 minutes). Please contact me directly to discuss if this option might be a good fit for you.

Payment:

I accept PayPal, e-transfer, Visa and MasterCard. Payment is due at the time of each appointment unless other arrangements have been made in advance.

Cancellation and Missed Appointments Policy:

Cancellations or changes to scheduled appointments are permitted up to 72 hours prior to the scheduled appointment. Unexcused late cancellations (less than 72 hours) and missed appointments will result in a charge of the full session fee.

More than one late cancelltion or no show in a row and/or within a short time period (for non-emergency resons) will result in your file being closed. Referals are provided upond request.

+ Insurance Questions:

I am a Registered Psychologist in Alberta. You will be issued a receipt with my registration number at the time of each session for your records. Receipts are also available 24/7 through my secure online system.

I do not offer direct billing. For any questions about your own personal insurance plan coverage, I would encourage you to contact your plan directly. I have put together a list of the most common important questions to ask your insurance provider to assist you in this process. (Under: Do my Insurance Benefits Cover Appointments?)

Psychological Services may also qualify as a tax-deductible expense. For questions about this, I would encourage you to consult with your personal accountant.

+ Can I contact you between sessions?

With any therapy process there is ongoing personal work that often happens between sessions. Wrestling with important concerns can often bring up additional questions and reflections. The best option is to discuss what is coming up between sessions when we meet at our next session. I would encourage you to keep a list of questions that come up as a part of your process to be addressed at your next session.

I recommend scheduling an additional session in order to honour the process to allow adequate time to dive in deeper. Due to the nature of my practice I will respond first to urgent matters and I will make a note of additional concerns to bring up at our next appointment.

I request that phone support between sessions is limited only to emergency situations where there are active safety concerns. Please also contact 24 hour crisis supports in your area if this is the case as I only monitor my voicemail during my business hours.

+ How can therapy help me?

Visit my about page to learn about my approach and process.

+ Why do people go to therapy and how do I know if it is right for me?

There are many different motivations for coming to therapy and ultimately the decision to seek therapeutic support is an individual choice. Some of the reasons that people come to therapy include going through or considering a major life transition, (career change, divorce, loss, betrayal). We can all experience times in our lives when the demands on us exceed our ability to cope with day-to-day stressors. Other motivations for seeking counselling include seeking assistance in managing other issues such as depression, anxiety, self-esteem, relationship problems, grief, stress management, spiritual concerns, and creative blocks. Counselling can help provide encouragement and help increase practical skills to manage such challenges. Others seek therapy because they are at a point in their lives where they wish to deepen their self-understanding and to reach their goals in life.

Those who receive the greatest benefit from participating in therapy are interested in creating greater self-awareness, to face the current challenges in their lives in a safe and supportive environment and to take responsibility towards making changes in their lives in order to get the most out of their life.

+ What can I expect in therapy?

Therapy is not easily described in general statements. It varies depending on the personalities of the therapist and the client and the issues that are being addressed. There are many different methods I use in my practice including but not limited to: Solution-focused counselling, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Family Systems Therapy, Energy Psychology, Spiritually Directed Therapy, Embodied Awareness, Mindfulness Approaches, and Client Centred Approaches. Please feel free to ask about any of these approaches at anytime. See the About Me section for more information on each of these approaches. In general, you can expect to discuss current events happening in your life, your personal history that is relevant to your concerns and goals for therapy, and reports on progress gained from therapy, any new insights between sessions.

The type of therapy that I practice calls for a very active effort on your part. In order for the therapy to be most successful, you will have to work on the things we talk about during our sessions. The therapeutic process is collaborative; your knowledge and life experiences will contribute to the therapeutic change you experience. Throughout the therapy process I will recommend activities or exercises for you to do at home that will contribute to the success you experience. In order for therapy to be most successful, you will have to work on things we talk about. It is important to understand that you will get the most from therapy if you are an active participant in the process, both in and between sessions.

+ Does what we talk about in therapy remain confidential?

Confidentiality is one of the most important factors in the relationship between a client and a therapist. Successful therapy requires a high degree of trust in the relationship. You can expect that I will not share what you discuss in sessions with anyone else. In some cases you may want for me to consult with another professional (such as a family doctor, psychiatrist, lawyer, employer, etc.). I can only release the relevant information with your written consent.

However, there are three conditions under which I am ethically and legally bound to share information with others:

• When there is a risk of serious and imminent danger to yourself or others.
• When there is reasonable suspicion that a child or any vulnerable person is being sexually, physically, or emotionally/psychologically abused or neglected, or is at risk of such abuse.
• When the court issues a subpeona regarding information that has been shared in therapy or obtained as part of an assessment. These situations have rarely occurred in my practice. If a similar situation occurs, I will make every effort to fully discuss it with you before taking any action.

If you are a minor, parental consent is required for me to meet with you. Conditions of confidentially regarding minors need to be negotiated with a parent/guardian.

+ What about medication vs. psychotherapy?

It has been well documented that medication alone cannot solve the pain caused by mental and emotional problems. Therapy addresses the underlying causes of our distress and the behaviour patterns that block us from making progress towards our goals rather than just resting the symptoms. In some cases a combination of medication and therapy is the best course of action. Working with your medical doctor you can determine what is best for you.

An integrative approach to healing can help you to address body, mind and spirit for overall healing. Each level is important to our overall growth and development.

+ Do I need the consent of my child’s other parent before booking an appointment for him/her?

Yes. This is a requirement especially if there is a matter related to family separation or child custody. If there is a court order in place for sole custody or stating that the other parent does not need to provide consent for counselling please consult with me before scheduling your child’s appointment.

+ Do I need a referral?

You do not need a referral in order to schedule an appointment. However, some extended health benefits do require a referral from a doctor. Please check to see if this applies to your own extended health care plan in advance.

+How often should I come for appointments?

In general, the first stages of making changes in any area of our lives take a lot of conscious focus and accountability to stay on track. It is also important to check in regularly to keep on track and make any necessary adjustments to your individual treatment plan. As a general recommendations, when clients are in crisis I would recommend scheduling sessions from once a week to every two weeks. It may also be beneficial to schedule longer sessions at least for the first one or two sessions. In terms of making and maintaining changes once the crisis phase has passed once every 2 to 3 weeks is recommended. When you have come to the place of stabilization and meeting you goals it is recommended to come in as needed. Ultimately my goal as a counsellor is to help you develop lifelong skills to cope with life’s challenges and to reduce your need for my services.

+ How long does it usually take to start to feel better?

The duration of counselling depends upon several factors such as the issue(s) that is causing concern and the severity of the issue(s), the motivation of the client to change, the goals of therapy and current life circumstances. Most clients report feeling better able to cope with their concerns even after once session. I can work with you to develop a program that fits for you.

+ How do I know if tele-health therapy is right for me?

Studies have found online therapy to be just as effective as in-person therapy. Online therapy benefits include ease of access from the comfort of your own home (or location of your choice), saving the commute as well as increased access to specalized services across the Province. You will need access to a private internet or phone connection for your session.

Situtations where online therapy may not be the best fit include lack of access to a private internet or phone connection, certain presenting concerns or higher risk crisis situations. It may also be a matter of personal preference. If you are interested in working together but are unsure if online therapy is the right fit for you I also offer a risk-free trail so you can test out the online format before making a deicsion. If you have questions about if online therapy may be right for you contact me directly at info@katieturner.ca.

+ Do you have and sliding scale spaces?:

Unfortunately I do not. I have not been able to meet the demand for the number of requests I receive for a number of years now. I have shifted my sliding scale and pro-bono offerings to my one to many offering (group spots, speaking, free content and so on).

If you cannot afford one on one rates here is a referral list. (I have personally worked for a number of these agencies in my career and there is great support that is available for all budgets).

+ Looking for something else?

Please use the inquiry form on my contact page here.