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Our opening hours are from Sunday to Thursday and Saturdays, from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. If you feel you are in crisis between these hours, you may contact our Clinic Coordinator to get an advisement from your treating specialist. If you have an urgent need after hours that can’t wait until the next business day, please go to your nearest healthcare provider for evaluation and advisement.

It is quite hard to pin down what makes up a competent therapist; the latest studies suggest a few areas to consider when assessing if specific therapist is a good fit and a skilled specialist.

Listed hereafter is a few aspects to keep in mind:

• good active listening and communication skills in general,
• proficiency in rapport building, skillfulness in exploration and normalisation of difficult feelings,
• capacity to show empathy,
• genuine care and warmth,
• excellence in assessment and holistic approach,
• competency in collaborative goal setting,
• proficiency in problem formulation,
• solution generation, and
• intervention delivery.

In a multicultural setting, it is also good to keep in mind that your therapist abides by relevant local regulations and that they are offering culturally sensitive services.

Most people who participate in psychotherapy experience some benefits as it improves emotional and behavioural functioning and positively affects the brain and body. Actively involved in your sessions will benefit you and help you reframe your thoughts, feelings and/or behaviour. It is quite normal to experience discomfort or strong feelings of sadness, anger, fear, worry etc., while remembering or talking about unpleasant events, thoughts and related feelings. You can discuss your feelings with your treatment specialist in such cases.

Information shared with us, within sessions, and in the written record of your file are confidential and will not be disclosed to anyone without your written permission unless:

1. it is required by law and/or is allowed by court order,
2. the disclosure is required due to an emergency or there is a concern with regard to your personal safety or that of others.

In either case, the clinician will inform you if he/she has to put the above exceptions into effect.

We believe in accessible mental health care for all and offer sliding-scale therapy and other therapeutic alternatives to support you. We would be happy to discuss this on a case-to-case basis.

1. What is sliding scale therapy?
   Sliding-scale therapy is a flexible fee structure that provides an option to make therapy more affordable for people with a limited income. Sliding rates are based on factors such as: income, number of dependents, and other factors such as disability, chronic illness, or temporary unemployment. This would be for a limited number of sessions and is subject to management approval.
2. What other alternatives are available?
   Group therapy and support groups may be an option.
   1. Group therapy is a therapeutic approach that brings together individuals dealing with similar challenges/conditions. Each session is facilitated by our licensed psychologists, counselors, or therapists with experience in relevant fields who would lead, plan schedules and organize the group activities. There may be a waiting period as we would need to form a group based on individuals who are suitable and willing to engage in group therapy.
   2. Support groups brings together individuals who are experiencing or have experienced similar challenges. These groups may not always be led by a licensed clinician as the objective is to gain support, find ways to cope, and have a shared experience. There may be a waiting period as we would need to form a support group based on similar experiences/themes.

Insurance coverage for psychological testing/evaluations varies depending on individual insurance plans. In many cases, the extent of coverage for testing is determined by the patient’s diagnosis, as it dictates the medical necessity of the procedures. Our evaluations are typically conducted to determine or rule out a diagnosis, which means that diagnostic information is not available until the evaluation is complete. Insurance companies often require a copy of the psychological report to confirm the medical necessity of the testing.

Please note that insurance companies generally do not cover testing that is primarily educational in nature, such as testing to rule out a learning disorder or identify giftedness. These types of evaluations are not considered medically necessary by insurance providers. Additionally, insurance companies policies around coverage for testing related to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) varies.

Our clinic payment policy for testing is that payment is due at the time of testing. If you have insurance and would like to seek reimbursement for some of the testing expenses, we can provide a detailed invoice once the testing is completed and payment has been made. We do not directly submit insurance claims for testing; it is the responsibility of the insured individual to do so. We recommend contacting your insurance company directly to understand your benefits and the procedures for submitting claims related to evaluations. This includes any required authorizations prior to testing. If necessary, we can assist in completing any clinical forms required by the insurance company, such as treatment plans or prior authorization forms. However, it is the insured individual’s responsibility to inform us of any specific requirements outlined in their insurance policy.