Hey, I’m Lindsey, Office Manager & Billing Coordinator at Dóchas Psychological. My job is to take care of all the admin specifics regarding the intake calls, emails, online bookings, rescheduling, financials, and most of the paperwork, so your therapists can focus on you – the client! Deciding on whether to try therapy can be scary, but I’m here to talk to you about what to expect when you come to therapy.
The Process
When you call in or email looking to see a therapist, please know that if I do not answer, know I am on the other line with another client or insurance company or not at my desk at the time of the call, so please leave me a message, or feel free to email me at info@dochaspsych.com.
You will receive a call or email back in 24 – 48 hours. At this time, I will collect some required information, get you set up with a practitioner and book you in. I do not require a referral from your family doctor, as we are a private practice. Still, if you are a motor vehicle accident victim, I appreciate an email from your legal team with information regarding the claim. This is to alleviate the stress on you, the client.
Also, know when I do connect with you, I am not a psychologist. I do not need to know everything – but I do need a little bit of info on the reason why you would like to come to see a therapist – most common reasons would include but are not limited to anxiety & depression, motor vehicle accidents, communication issues, trauma work, or needing information on assessments.
Do Your Research
What to expect when you come to therapy is that I ask all of our new clients to use our webpage – www.dochaspsych.com to read through the practitioner’s bios and choose who they would like to see potentially, depending on the practitioner’s availability or if the client has insurance so I can help you choose if you haven’t chosen already by yourself, who would be a good fit for you.
At Dochas, we have a few options when it comes to practitioners.
- Registered Psychologists: Rates are $210 – $200 per session.
- Registered Provisional Psychologists: Rates $175 – $200 per session.
Most clients who book with these practitioners have extended health benefits.
- Counsellors & Addiction Counsellors: $150 – $125 per session.
Some benefits providers cover these practitioners but are very slim, so clients would have to pay out of pocket to see these practitioners.
- Practicum Interns: – $50 per session.
Low-Cost Counselling
We are extremely fortunate to be able to provide low-cost counselling throughout our practicum interns within the clinic. With the supervision of Kim (or another Registered Psychologist), they are completing their Master’s program. These students are not eligible to be billable through insurance nor submitted through insurance for reimbursement – they are students and will not be covered through your extended health benefits plan.
Client Intake
After deciding who you would like to work with, the next part of what to expect when you come to therapy is that I need to do your client intake. I will need all your credentials, full name, email address- (we use an online booking system – the Jane app), home address, phone number, date of birth including year, health care number, family doctor if applicable, and name, number and relationship to you of your emergency contact. I will also need a credit card or debit visa to add to your file for the chance of late cancellation or no-show appointments.
If you have insurance, you can give this information to me at the time of this intake call, send me a text or email with your extended health benefits information, or I can collect this information later from the informed consent package that your practitioner will send to you once you are booked into their schedule. If your extended health benefits are of your spouse or parent, please make sure to include the insured first and last name and their date of birth, including the year.
Special Requests
Our practitioners see clients over the age of 13. Rarely may our practitioners see younger clients if needed, only depending on the circumstances, and the practitioner has the final say. Clients under 18 need parental consent from both parents unless court-ordered; if available, I will need any and all documents regarding sole custody or sole parenting orders of minors to add to their client files.
Once you are booked in with your practitioner, they will send you the required informed consent package through Adobe Sign. This consent package talks about the responsibilities of the practitioner, the responsibilities of you, the client, and the confidentiality clause between you, the client and your practitioner. It includes the payment agreement, as well. We ask that these documents be completed before your first session so that you and your practitioner can get straight to it.
It’s Worth It
With all the questions, this all seems like an interrogation at first, but trust me, I promise, it’s worth it, and it really only takes a few minutes to collect the information I need. The rest is for you and your journey here, with whoever you choose.
If you have any questions on how to book or want to book your first session online with one of our wonderful practitioners, please feel free to contact me. If you have more questions about what to expect when you come to therapy, I’m just a call or email away…
About Dóchas Psychological
Dóchas Psychological Services is a well-established and trusted therapy clinic located in Spruce Grove, Alberta. At Dóchas we value the idea that everyone deserves a safe space. Through connection and education, our team works hard to build a trustworthy relationship with each of our clients. It is our goal to create a community for our clients to feel like they belong.
