Individuals & Couples

Whether you are looking to improve your self, your relationship, or your family dynamics, we offer a well-rounded group of psychologists who have experience and interest with various counselling demographics.

Children (Play Therapy)

(Excerpt by Garry Landreth & Sue Bratton from the APTA Web site)

Play is to the child what verbalization is to the adult. It is a medium for expressing feelings, exploring relationships, describing experiences, disclosing wishes, and self-fulfillment. Because children’s language development lags behind their cognitive development, they communicate their awareness of what is happening in their world through their play. In play therapy, toys are viewed as the child’s words and play as the child’s language.

Play therapy, then, is to children what counselling or psychotherapy is to adults. In play therapy, the symbolic function of play is what is so important, providing children with a means of expressing their inner world. Emotionally significant experiences can be expressed more comfortably and safely through the symbolic representation the toys provide.

Play therapy is based on developmental principles, and thus provides through play, a developmentally appropriate means of expression and communication for children. The use of toys enables children to transfer anxieties, fears, fantasies, and guilt to objects rather than people. In the process, children are safe from their own feelings and reactions because play enables children to distance themselves from traumatic events and experiences.

Sandplay Therapy

Sandplay Therapy was established in the late 1950s. Sandplay is a therapeutic approach for adults and children based on Jungian analytical knowledge. Through spontaneous imaginative play in trays of wet or dry sand, clients sculpt sand and position miniature figurines and objects to create three dimensional scenes that express and bridge communication between their inner and outer worlds.

When psychological trauma has occurred or typical development has been interrupted or impeded, a sandplay process can encourage an increase in personal awareness and psychological healing. Using symbols and imagery, Sandplay Therapy assists clients in the expression of their issues and search for understanding. This process works on many levels of client’s understanding, helping clients to access their inner potential and resources for healing and lasting change.

Secure Video Online Therapy

Video sessions work well in situations where travel or other circumstances make it physically difficult to attend in-person.

There are many reasons some prefer Secure Video Online Therapy:

Commuting to sessions can be inconvenient or impossible.
Clients can be more comfortable and open while at home.
Clients do not have to cancel if they get sick or their kids are keeping them at home.
Clients can worry about the stigma of in-office therapy.
Client can worry about people they know seeing them enter or leave a therapist’s office.

For those that are concerned about the effectiveness of online (internet) therapy, studies show it has become a viable alternative and supplement to face-to-face therapy.

What to Expect…

Intake Process

The intake process typically takes between 5-15 minutes and is usually best done by calling our office manager, Ashliegh during administrative hours. If a phone call cannot be facilitated, Ashliegh can complete your intake via e-mail however, we remind you to be mindful of the information you are transmitting electronically.

The basic information that is required is your name, e-mail address, phone number, address, date of birth, and any insurance coverage information. From there, it is up to you if you are comfortable sharing more about why you are seeking with Ashliegh so she can narrow down the best therapeutic fit for you.

After your profile has been completed, Ashliegh will help you schedule your first few sessions. You will receive a few e-mail notifications from us along with all of the applicable electronic consent forms.

Booking Sessions

Your first 2-3 sessions will be booked when you complete your intake with our office manager. After your profile has been set up, you will receive a welcome e-mail that will prompt you to complete your online set up.

By completing your online set up, you will have access to your therapists availability which allows you to book your own sessions, to cancel and/or reschedule sessions, to access your session history, and to set session reminder preferences.

Fees

The Psychologists’ Association of Alberta (PAA) sets the standard for counselling fees. The current clinic rate schedule is as follows:

Individual Therapy:

$200 / 50 minute hour

Family and Couples Therapy:

$200 / 50 minute hour

Reports / Letters:

$200 / 50 minute hour (pro-rated)

Dr. Sylvia Peske offers a slightly different fee schedule for the Secure Video Individualized Workshops. Her current rate schedule is as follows:

Individual, Family & Couples Therapy:

1 – Hour Workshop Sessions – $225 / hour.

2+ – Hour Workshop Sessions – $200 / hour.

Assessments and/or Reports – $225 / hour.

Session Length

The industry standard for a session hour is 50-minutes. The remaining 10-minutes of the session hour, clinicians utilize to maintain your file (charting, scheduling, etc.) which is important for the continuity of your care.

Children’s sessions can run between 40 – 50 minutes depending on the age and development of the child.

(Longer sessions are available if they are negotiated in advanced).

Dr. Sylvia Peske offers extended workshop sessions. To find out more, visit her page by clicking here.

Payment for Sessions

Payments are made at the beginning of each session. We offer you the flexibility to pay by personal cheque, cash, debit, e-transfer, Visa or MasterCard. Clients are responsible for any returned cheques charges.

Insurance Coverage

Many clients are covered by private insurance. Please inquire with your health insurance provider regarding the details of your coverage. While some companies cover the entire cost of a therapy session, others do not, and most have a maximum limit for coverage. Receipts are issued at the time of payment and can be used to obtain a reimbursement from your insurance company for services. Obtaining reimbursement from an insurance company is your responsibility.

When contacting your insurance company for details of your coverage, be sure to verify:

… that psychological services are covered by your policy.
… that you are not restricted to psychologists of their choosing.
… who is covered on your plan?
… how much your plan covers and the details of coverage:
- … does your plan pay the full session fee or only a portion of the fee per visit?
- … does your plan cover a number of sessions or a maximum amount?
- … what is your yearly renewal date?
… whether session length is a consideration.
… whether you need a physician’s referral.
… what the procedure is for reimbursement.

Direct Billing

Should you wish for a sacred journey to perform direct billing, your insurance requires you to complete an Electronic Transmission Authorization and Benefit Assignment consent and it is our policy that a credit card MUST be kept on file.

Direct billing is limited to certain insurance companies and is only available for our registered psychologists. It is your sole responsibility as the client to confirm the scope of coverage prior to your initial session; a sacred journey has no way of determining the limits of your insurance.

Direct Billing is available for the following companies:

Alberta Blue Cross
Medavie Blue Cross – National Blue Cross
Medavie Blue Cross – Canadian Forces
Medavie Blue Cross – RCMP
Medavie Blue Cross – Veteran’s Affairs
Great-West Life
Greenshield Canada
SSQ
GroupHEALTH
GroupSource
CWUP
First Canadian
Chamber Commerce
Maximum Benefit
First Nations & Inuit Health Benefits (FNIHB)

Cancellation Policy

Missed or cancelled sessions without 24 hours advance notification are charged a full session fee. This charge is not normally covered by insurance policies.