Psychology FAQs in Calgary AB

During the first session, the therapist will try to gain an understanding of your concerns. The most important information that you can provide during the initial session is a description of your concerns and specific examples of the way in which your concerns are interfering in your life.

During this session both you and the therapist will also be assessing fit, that is, the therapist will assess whether he/she is able to help you with your concerns and you will be assessing whether this is someone you feel comfortable working with. The first session may also entail discussing possible treatment options and devising a collaborative treatment plan.

The nature of therapy varies depending on the concerns and goals of the client. During the initial therapy session (i.e., intake/assessment session) the therapist generally attempts to gather information regarding the nature of your concerns and identify therapy goals. Sometimes it may take more than one session for the therapist to complete the intake process.

Following the assessment/intake session(s), a treatment plan is devised collaboratively and sessions focus on moving you towards your therapy goals in a way that is manageable for you. Skills are introduced in the treatment sessions and time between sessions usually involves practicing the skills so that they become a part of your daily life.

Sessions are typically 50 minutes in duration. The number of sessions required depends on the nature and severity of your concerns. Our objective is to assist you in achieving your therapy goal(s) in as few sessions as possible.

Currently, psychological services (for psychologists not practicing with Alberta Health Services) are not covered by Alberta Healthcare. Many private health insurance plans include coverage for psychotherapy. Please check with your extended healthcare benefits provider to find out what coverage you have.

Payment for my services is required at each session. Your session receipt will include information that is required by your health care provider to process your claim.

(From CPA website): "In consulting a practitioner about personal psychological problems, people are often concerned about confidentiality. Early on when seeing a client, the psychologist should review the limits of confidentiality. Information disclosed to a psychologist is confidential and cannot be disclosed without the client's consent except under certain specific conditions. These conditions are referred to as the "limits of confidentiality".

These limits typically involve situations where the client gives the psychologist information that leads him or her to suspect that harm might come to someone. If a psychologist suspects that a client is going to harm himself or someone else, that a child is being abused or neglected, or that another health care practitioner has sexually abused a patient in some way, then he or she has an obligation to report this information to the appropriate authority (the police or children's aid society for examples).

The courts also have the power to subpoena a psychologist's files. Psychologists must retain records of their contacts with clients and these records typically include details about the clients presenting problem and history, psychological test data, and any diagnoses made, as well as details about sessions attended. These records must be kept and stored securely for periods of time defined by provincial regulation.

Typically, records are kept for 10 years after the last client contact and for at least 10 years after a minor client reaches the age of majority. After the 10 years are up, files are securely discarded by being shredded."