Frequently Asked Questions

FAQS
Appointments available:

Mon-Fri: 8:30am-9:00pm
Sat-Sun: 9:00am-5:00pm
Office hours
Mon-Fri: 9:00am-5:00pm
Direct billing available

Hello and Welcome

This handout is meant to walk you through what to expect from counselling at Rivers Edge Counselling Centre. It covers the questions clients most often ask, about how counselling works, your rights as a client, how we protect your privacy, and what we ask of you around appointments and fees. The information in this handout applies to all clients, whether the service is offered in person, by phone, or by video.

This document is meant to be read alongside your Contract for Counselling Services. Please feel free to ask your counsellor questions about anything in this handout.

Table of Contents

Frequently Asked Questions

What is therapy like?

Our counsellors are trained to offer you a supportive, caring, and confidential space. They invite you, at your pace, to notice how your thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and patterns of relating may be supporting your wellbeing or making it harder to thrive.

Usually by the second session, sometimes a bit later, you and your counsellor will begin to clarify what your needs and goals are and what the path forward might look like. In some cases, your counsellor may need to do a more detailed assessment before treatment begins, which can take additional sessions.

Therapy works best when you feel like an active participant in it. You’re welcome to ask your counsellor as many questions as you want about your treatment plan and about any of the interventions that are suggested to you. You have the right to change, modify or stop any intervention that you do not find useful, and you can pause or end therapy at any time.

We have a Client Feedback Form on our website which we encourage you to fill out at any time. Your feedback is one of the ways we make sure the work stays useful to you.

Who is my counsellor or psychologist?

On the Rivers Edge Counselling Centre website, riversedgecounselling.com, there is a summary of your counsellor or psychologist’s areas of practice, experience, and the professional body to which they belong. Counsellors operate their own independent corporations and are contracted by Rivers Edge Counselling Centre Inc. to provide services to clients.

Will counselling help?

Research has shown counselling can often help. It can lead to better relationships with self and others, develop new perspectives and solutions to specific problems, better coping skills, or reduce emotional distress.

However, there are no guarantees about the outcome of your therapy. By seeking therapy, you may make decisions about your life that you might not have made if you did not attend therapy. In therapy, you may experience feelings before, during and/or after sessions that may be uncomfortable. Your counsellor will work with you to pace the work in a way that feels manageable. Therapy also requires a commitment of time and a financial investment.

Counselling alongside other supports

Counselling is often one part of what helps, not the whole picture. The issues for which you are seeking counselling may have a physical cause, so you are encouraged to tell your medical doctor about your symptoms. It can also be worth exploring whether medication might be part of what you need, in consultation with your doctor.

Many clients also find it helpful to build other forms of support around their counselling, such as movement, time outdoors, body-based work like massage, mindfulness or meditation practice, peer support or self-help groups, reading, and spiritual or religious community. Your counsellor can talk with you about what might be a good fit for what you’re working on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our commitment to quality care

Counselling works best when there’s a good fit between you and your counsellor, and when the work itself is doing what you need it to. Both of these take real attention, and they are part of how we think about quality care at Rivers Edge.

Finding the right fit

Research consistently shows that the relationship between client and counsellor is one of the strongest predictors of whether therapy helps. For this reason, our client care team is trained to help you think through the many factors that go into a good fit. These include your area of focus (what you’re hoping to work on), the theoretical orientation and treatment modality that might suit you, therapist and client personality styles, practical things like schedule and financial resources, and the clientele a particular counsellor works with (adult, couple, child, adolescent, family). From the first phone call or email, our team’s focus is to help you find a counsellor whose training, approach, and way of working feel right for you. If at any point you are unsure that it is the right fit, you are always welcome to talk to your counsellor or to our client care team, and we will help get you on track.

Feedback as part of the work

We also believe that the most useful information about whether therapy is helping comes from you. Your counsellor may check in with you, formally or informally, about how sessions are feeling, whether the approach is working, and whether anything needs to shift. You are also welcome to raise these things yourself at any point. Honest feedback, including when something is not landing or when you are not sure about a direction the work is taking, is one of the most valuable things you can bring to therapy. It helps your counsellor adjust and helps make sure the work stays focused on what matters to you.

How is counselling different from other supportive relationships?

Counselling can feel personal and supportive, and at its best it often does. But it is structured differently than the supportive relationships in the rest of your life, such as friendships, and that difference matters. Your counsellor adheres to the Code of Ethics of their professional college or association. These codes exist to protect you and to make the therapeutic relationship one that can actually do its work.

Dual relationships and conflicts of interest

Dual relationships and conflicts of interest should be avoided whenever possible in therapeutic relationships. This is because the counselling relationship works best when it stays focused on one thing, which is your care. When a counsellor takes on a second role in your life, whether social, business, or personal, it can compromise the work and put you in a difficult position.

In practice, this means a number of things. Your counsellor will always aim to protect your dignity and will never become romantically or sexually involved with you. Counsellors also do not enter into other kinds of relationships with clients, including social or business ones, either during counselling or after counselling has ended. For the same reason, counsellors do not provide therapy to their own friends or family members.

Counsellors are also unable to accept gifts or to profit from any outside service a client might offer, including discounts from a business you own. Cards expressing gratitude are always welcome.

Sometimes a client and counsellor discover they share a connection in another part of life, for example through community, mutual friends, or shared activities. If you are aware of any connection like this, please inform your counsellor as soon as possible. Your counsellor will talk with you about what it means for the work and discuss whether a referral is necessary.

How is my privacy protected?

Privacy is one of the foundations of counselling. Without it, the work cannot happen the way it needs to. We take it seriously, and this section explains how.

Your counsellor is an independent contractor who has agreed to provide services to clients of Rivers Edge Counselling Centre Inc. under a Fee Sharing Agreement. All contracted counsellors must adhere to the code of ethics and standards of practice of their profession. They also sign an agreement with Rivers Edge that includes a confidentiality clause and commits them to protect your health information and handle it in accordance with applicable privacy legislation. All health information you share with your counsellor will be treated as confidential.

Who has access to your information

Within Rivers Edge, access to your private health information is limited to those who need it. Only employees, contractors, or agents of Rivers Edge Counselling Centre who are involved in Information Management Services and their direct supervisors will have access to your file.

Our administrative team, including our bookkeeper and accountant, may see your contact information, appointment times, payment information, insurance details, and receipts for billing, tax, and statistical purposes. None of these professionals can access the clinical portion of your file.

How your information is stored

At Rivers Edge, your information is stored securely. Our electronic medical record system, ClinicMaster, stores encrypted information on secure servers in Canada, with daily back-ups to a second secure server, also in Canada. Your counsellor may access your file remotely but will always do so in a private setting. Paper files are kept in a locked cabinet in a locked room.

Information provided during the intake process is managed by our administrative team using a program called Streak. We use Gmail for client emails and intake information, and we have a signed Business Associate Agreement with Google to help protect this information. Rivers Edge also works with a contracted IT support provider to maintain the security of our technology and systems.

We may also work with third parties to deliver certain services, for example assessment publishers such as Q-Global, Q-Interactive, and Western Psychological Services for psychological testing. Any third party that handles protected health information must meet applicable privacy and security requirements.

How long records are kept

Records are retained in accordance with legal and professional requirements:

  • For adult clients, a minimum of 10 years from the date of the last session.
  • For clients who were minors at the time of service, a minimum of 10 years from the date of the last session, or until the client reaches the age of majority (18) plus 2 years (in accordance with limitation periods and Rules of Court), whichever is longer. In practice, this means at least age 20.
  • When records contain information related to sexual abuse or sexual misconduct, or in some cases physical assault or abuse involving a minor or occurring within a relationship of trust, dependency, or intimacy, records may be retained for a longer period in accordance with legal requirements.

Records are maintained securely within our electronic medical record system. After the minimum retention period, records are securely destroyed in accordance with professional standards and applicable privacy legislation.

What is in your file

Information in a counselling record is intentionally brief. A clinical record may include:

  • Assessments and treatment plan
  • Progress notes and general impressions
  • Records of communication, such as emails
  • Reports from third parties
  • Any homework tasks or relevant documents

When couples, families, and groups receive counselling, separate files for each individual may be created.

Reviewing your file

You are welcome to review your counsellor’s records in their presence. We generally do not provide copies of client files or notes. There is an hourly service fee involved in preparing a file for review.

Client Information Form

When might my counsellor have to share information?

Generally, what you say to your counsellor in a session is treated as private and confidential. There are, however, situations where your counsellor is legally or ethically required to share information. Only the minimum necessary information will be shared. When appropriate, your counsellor will make reasonable efforts to discuss this with you, although this may not always be possible.

The following are the main situations in which confidentiality may be limited.

Protection of self or others

If your counsellor believes you intend to seriously harm yourself, or if you tell your counsellor about a person of any age that is at risk for being harmed by your actions or by someone else, this information must be shared. If your counsellor believes you have a plan for suicide, appropriate legal authorities and family members will be notified.

Reporting of abuse

If you provide information that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused or has recently been abused, or is in danger of being abused, your counsellor will report this information to social services or legal authorities.

Court orders

A judge may order your counsellor to release your client file if legal issues demand it. Please let your counsellor know if you are involved in a legal proceeding. With your permission, your counsellor can work with the lawyer who subpoenaed the records to see whether it is possible to limit or prevent the release of your file.

Workers’ Compensation Board

If your therapist receives requests for information from the Workers’ Compensation Board with or without client consent, or has a duty to report a possible work-related psychological injury to the Workers’ Compensation Board, this information may be shared.

Disclosures involving regulated professionals

If you share information indicating that a regulated health professional, such as a counsellor, psychologist, nurse, or physician, has engaged in sexual abuse or sexual misconduct, or has otherwise acted unethically toward a client, your counsellor may be required or may choose to report this to the appropriate regulatory body. Where possible, your counsellor will discuss this with you in advance and avoid naming you when taking action.

If you initiate an ethical complaint or legal action against a member of Rivers Edge Counselling Centre Inc. or with someone your counsellor is working with on your behalf, we may need to use information in your client file to respond to the complaint. We will release only the information that is relevant.

Threats of harm to staff or other clients

If you or someone connected to you threatens harm, emotional or physical, to anyone associated with Rivers Edge Counselling Centre Inc., we may need to take protective steps that involve sharing information with relevant people. In situations like this, we will also discuss whether continuing services at Rivers Edge is appropriate, and we will offer referrals to another service if it is not.

Becoming unwell during or after a session

If you become unwell or unable to drive after a session, your counsellor may need to contact someone for help, usually the emergency contact you provided at intake. In situations like this your counsellor will share your name and a few details about the situation, and will always try to protect as much of your privacy as the circumstances allow.

Other ways we work to protect your privacy

The previous section covered the situations where your counsellor may have to share information. There are also a number of everyday situations where privacy comes up in less formal ways, and we want you to know how we handle them.

If you see your counsellor in public

If you and your counsellor cross paths somewhere outside the office, your counsellor will not initiate a greeting. They will wait for you to acknowledge them, if you choose to at all. If someone asks how you and your counsellor know each other, your counsellor will say only that you are an acquaintance.

If your counsellor has a session with you outside the office

Occasionally there can be clinical value in meeting somewhere other than the office, for example going on a walk with your counsellor. There is some risk that meeting outside the office could reveal to others that you are seeing a counsellor, and it is up to you to decide whether you are comfortable with that.

If your counsellor seeks consultation about your case

Your counsellor may seek consultation from other counsellors at this practice. All counsellors are ethically and legally bound to keep your private information confidential. Where your counsellor consults informally with colleagues outside Rivers Edge, your name and identifying details will not be shared. If your counsellor seeks consultation outside the practice in which your identifying information would be revealed, for example with your physician or an outside supervisor, your written permission will be required. The same applies if your counsellor wishes to record a session for the purpose of receiving feedback from a supervisor.

If you bring others to your session

If you bring a partner, family member, or other guest into a session, they will need to be informed of their own rights and given the relevant information from this handout. Additional privacy considerations apply when more than one person is in the room. See “Privacy in couples and family counselling,” below.

If someone else is paying for your sessions

If an insurance company, government agency, or other third party is paying for your sessions, staff associated with that organization may have access to portions of your file. Many insurance companies and third-party payers require Rivers Edge to provide a clinical diagnosis, treatment plans, summaries, or copies of your record as a condition of payment. Once that information leaves our office, your counsellor has no control over what happens to it. You have the right to pay for counselling services yourself to avoid these conditions, unless a third-party contract requires otherwise. Please find out what your privacy rights are under any plan covering your services before you book, especially if you are depending on coverage.

If you are paying for your sessions yourself

Even when you pay yourself, your privacy is not absolute. If you pay by credit card or cheque, your counsellor’s name and your name may be visible to those who process the payment. Within Rivers Edge, our administrative team, including our bookkeeper or accountant, may see your contact information, appointment times, payment information, and any insurance details for billing, tax, and statistical purposes. None of these professionals can access the clinical portion of your file.

If your counsellor becomes unable to see you

If your counsellor becomes seriously ill or is otherwise unable to return to practice, a member of our administrative team will contact you to arrange either the transfer of your file to another counsellor or, if you prefer, the closure of your file. This would be the only situation in which another counsellor would access your file. If your counsellor must discontinue therapy for any other reason, for example moving or retiring, they will discuss this with you in advance and make arrangements for a referral if you wish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Communication, email, and the client portal

Most of our communication outside sessions is for administrative purposes such as scheduling, reminders, invoices, and general information. Email is not a secure form of communication, and you accept this risk unless you request otherwise.

Counsellors do not provide counselling or clinical support by email. We ask that you not share sensitive or personal information by email. Most therapeutic communication happens within your scheduled sessions or, if needed, through a brief phone call arranged by your counsellor.

For communication that needs to be more confidential, we use the secure messaging feature of our electronic medical record (ClinicMaster) client portal. When a secure message is sent to you, you may receive an email notification letting you know there is a message waiting in the portal. The portal is intended for confidential communication when appropriate, but it is not intended for ongoing or urgent messaging.

If you would like to talk through how communication with your counsellor will work, please raise this with them. It is a reasonable conversation to have early in your work together.

Privacy in couples and family counselling

Privacy is more complex when more than one person is involved in the counselling. As part of working with you and your partner or family members, your counsellor may meet individually with each person involved at some point, either before or after a joint session. In those meetings, your counsellor may, using their professional judgment, share information with the other person that they believe is appropriate to share to support the therapeutic process. This will always be done thoughtfully and with care.

Your counsellor hopes you will be as honest as you can about your concerns, while knowing that what you share may be discussed in the joint work. You decide what you share with your counsellor in couples or family therapy, knowing it may be shared with the other person.

Your counsellor will involve you in decisions about what to share with your partner or family member as much as possible. If you and the other people in counselling have not made a specific prior agreement about not sharing certain information, your counsellor will use professional judgment about what supports the work. A partner or family member may ask that certain information not be shared with you, and your counsellor may agree to this. This can be difficult to learn about later, and we want you to understand this possibility from the start. Ultimately, you have a choice about what you tell your counsellor in couples or family therapy, knowing it may be shared.

Privacy in group counselling

Group counselling offers a different kind of therapeutic experience, one that depends on the participation and trust of every member. The same privacy rules that apply to individual counselling apply to group work, with one important addition: confidentiality, honesty, respectful communication, attentive listening, limited social interaction outside of group, and being present are responsibilities each group member holds toward the others. In your first group session your counsellor will talk through these expectations and your willingness to practice them.

Use of AI-assisted documentation

Your counsellor may use generative AI technology integrated within our electronic medical record (EMR) to assist with documentation and record-keeping. When counsellors use this tool, it allows them to focus less on note-taking and more on being present and engaged with you during your sessions.

This may involve processing session content to create a temporary written transcript of the session. No audio is stored. The transcript is used solely to assist your counsellor in drafting the clinical documentation that becomes part of your file, and is not retained as part of your record.

All information is managed securely within our EMR, ClinicMaster, on Canadian servers, in accordance with applicable privacy legislation, including PIPEDA. This information is not shared with or used to train external AI systems.

All AI-assisted documentation is thoroughly reviewed and edited by your counsellor before it becomes part of your file, to ensure accuracy and integrity. Your clinical record is always written and signed off by your counsellor; AI is a drafting aid only.

If you have concerns about the use of AI in your care, please discuss this with your counsellor. Your counsellor can talk through how the tool is being used and whether to use it in your sessions. You have the right to ask that AI-assisted documentation not be used in your care.

Appointments and Fees

Appointments and fees

Policies around appointments

The information below covers what you need to know about scheduling, cancelling, and arriving for your sessions.

Scheduling. We use an online scheduling system with information stored on a secure server. If you would like, you can receive automated appointment reminders by email.

Cancellations and missed appointments. A minimum of 24 hours’ notice is required to cancel or reschedule an appointment. If this notice is not provided, or if you do not attend your appointment, you will be charged the full session fee. If a cancellation is due to circumstances genuinely beyond your control, please discuss this with your counsellor.

Please note: many insurance companies and government-funded counselling services do not pay cancellation or missed-session fees, so you will be responsible for paying these fees directly.

Late arrival. If you arrive late to your session, you and your counsellor will still have the session up to the time your counsellor reserved for you, and you will be billed from the time the session was originally scheduled to start.

Fees for counselling

Standard fees. Fees are generally set in line with the guidelines of your counsellor’s professional association, where such guidance exists, and may vary somewhat depending on the counsellor and the service. A standard session is one hour, which includes approximately 50 minutes of direct therapeutic time, with the remaining time used for preparation and documentation related to your care. Sessions longer than an hour will be prorated based on this rate. For couples and families, your counsellor may recommend longer sessions, with fees adjusted accordingly. Our administrative team will confirm your counsellor’s fee with you before your first session.

Sliding scale. If you are unable to afford counselling due to financial circumstances, please let your counsellor know. When possible, a limited number of reduced-fee spots or alternative payment arrangements are available. Any reduced fee can be reviewed by either you or your counsellor at any time.

Practicum student counsellors. Practicum student counsellor fees reflect their level of training and the supervision they receive throughout your work together. They operate on a sliding scale based on income. Please inquire for further information.

Additional professional or administrative services. Work that your counsellor does on your behalf outside of session time is billed in 15-minute increments at your agreed-upon rate. This includes activities such as scoring assessments, writing reports, preparing treatment summaries for other professionals, or attending meetings on your behalf.

Fee changes. Our fee schedule may change over time. Current clients regularly attending sessions will be given three months’ advance notice of any change to fees.

Fees for psychological testing and assessment

Assessment fees differ from standard counselling fees because of the additional time involved in preparation, testing, scoring, interpretation, and report writing. Your psychologist or our administrative team will provide you with the assessment fee structure before you book.

Booking and deposit. To confirm an assessment appointment, a 50% deposit is required at the time of booking, and a credit card is kept on file. The remaining balance will be charged two business days prior to the assessment.

Assessment cancellations. If you cancel your assessment more than 48 hours in advance, your deposit will be refunded less a $200 cancellation fee. Within 48 hours of the scheduled appointment, assessments may be rescheduled in cases of illness or serious unforeseen circumstances. If the assessment is cancelled within this time frame, no refund will be provided.

How do I pay?

Payment is required at the time of your session, and a receipt will be issued. We accept payment by credit card, debit, cash, or cheque (made out to Rivers Edge Counselling Centre Inc.).

We generally require a credit card to be kept on file. If you do not have a credit card, please let our client care team know and we can work around this. If you choose to provide a credit card number to be kept on file, you are giving permission for the card to be used for payments, including no-show and cancellation fees.

What happens if my account goes unpaid?

If an account has not been paid for more than 60 days, and arrangements for payment have not been made, Rivers Edge has the option of suspending counselling services until payment has been made, or using legal means to recover the amount owed. This may include working with a collection agency or pursuing small claims court. If this is necessary, the cost of recovery will be added to the amount owed. In most collection situations, the only information released is your name, the nature and date of services provided, and the amount due.

Insurance and third-party coverage

We are able to provide direct billing for some, but not all, insurance companies. Our administrative team will let you know whether direct billing is available for your plan when you book. If you are using direct billing, please re-read the privacy section of this handout and confirm directly with your insurance company what information they may require from your counsellor.

If direct billing cannot be processed for any reason, the credit card you have on file will be charged for the session.

If your plan does not cover counselling, or we cannot direct-bill your insurance company, you will pay for the session at the time of service, and a receipt will be issued for your own submission.

Insurance policies vary in terms of which providers they reimburse. Registered Psychologists and Registered Social Workers are commonly listed as eligible providers. Other professionals, such as Canadian Certified Counsellors or Counselling Therapists, may not be covered by every plan. Some plans will accept a supervisor’s registration where a clinician is receiving professional supervision; some will not. It is your responsibility to verify your coverage with your insurance company, ideally before booking, especially if you are depending on coverage.

You, not your insurance company, are responsible for full payment of session fees, including no-show or cancellation fees, and any additional service fees such as report writing or assessment scoring.

How often should I see my counsellor and when will therapy end?

You determine the frequency and duration of your sessions based on your goals, your progress, and your availability. Your counsellor will work with you to think through what makes sense at different points in the work. You can end a session at any time, and you can pause or end therapy altogether.

Your counsellor will check in with you about how the work is going, and the two of you will look together at how you are tracking against your goals. Therapy is ideally ended on a gradual basis, with a final session to acknowledge the work you have done and consider what comes next. If you decide to stop coming, we encourage you to let your counsellor know rather than simply not booking another session. A closing conversation, even a brief one, gives your counsellor a chance to offer any resources you may want to take forward.

Video and phone sessions

Sessions may be conducted by video or phone. While this can be a convenient and effective option, it is different from in-person counselling. There may be limitations to communication in virtual sessions, including reduced ability to read body language and other non-verbal cues, which can increase the potential for misunderstanding. Virtual counselling is not appropriate for crisis situations. Your counsellor will let you know if they believe an in-person session is more appropriate.

You are responsible for ensuring you are in a private, secure location for your video or phone sessions. Technology issues may occasionally disrupt sessions. If this happens, your counsellor may attempt to reconnect with you or continue the session by phone. For safety reasons, sessions cannot be conducted while you are driving; if this happens, your counsellor will pause the session until you are safely parked and able to confirm your location.

If you are in immediate crisis and unable to reach your counsellor during a session, please go to your nearest emergency department or call 911. You can also call the Crisis/Distress Line at 780-482-HELP (4357).

Counselling and assessment for children and youth

Counselling and assessment for children and youth involves additional considerations that are covered in detail in the separate Consent for Counselling Services for a Child or Youth and Consent for Assessment Services for a Child or Youth forms. The following are a few of the key points worth understanding upfront.

Balancing privacy with the parent or guardian’s role

Counselling with children and youth involves balancing the child’s privacy with a parent/guardian’s need to remain informed. Your counsellor will use their professional judgment and work collaboratively with the child or youth, in a way that is appropriate to their age and development, to determine what information is appropriate to share.

How updates work

Counsellors do not typically provide updates after each session. Instead, updates are offered periodically, where appropriate, focusing on general themes, strengths, areas where support may be helpful, and recommendations, while maintaining the child or youth’s confidentiality. Parents and guardians are encouraged to share observations, concerns, or relevant information with the counsellor at any time, as this can meaningfully support the work.

Supporting privacy in counselling

Counselling is most effective when children and youth are able to experience a sense of privacy and trust in the counselling relationship. While parents and guardians have the legal right to request access to their child or youth’s record, doing so may impact the therapeutic relationship. We ask that parents and guardians support the child or youth’s privacy in counselling and address any questions or concerns directly with the counsellor.

Records

The intent of record-keeping in the child or youth’s file is to document safety and change, not to record history or to serve as documentation for legal or court-related proceedings. A separate file will be maintained for each participating parent or guardian. Each individual is permitted access only to the child or youth’s file and their own file, and will not have access to information contained in the file of another parent or guardian.

Safety reporting

All counsellors are required by law to take action when there are serious safety concerns. If your counsellor believes that a child or youth may be at risk of serious harm to themselves or others, relevant information must be shared with appropriate authorities and supports. Parents and guardians will be involved as much as possible in these situations to provide guidance, support, and information.

Counselling services are not intended for legal, custody, or court-related purposes. Your counsellor does not conduct custody evaluations, provide recommendations regarding parenting arrangements, or prepare reports or testimony for legal proceedings. If legal concerns arise (e.g., custody disputes, separation, or involvement with legal professionals), your counsellor may recommend referral to an appropriate service and may determine that counselling cannot continue in that context.

For full details, including consent and guardianship-related matters, please refer to the relevant consent form.

Psychological testing and assessment

Psychological assessments are conducted for a variety of reasons, including diagnostic clarification, qualification for services, and treatment recommendations. A psychological assessment seeks to provide information about a specific question pertaining to psychological, cognitive, or emotional functioning by using standardized and empirically validated tools chosen by a specially trained psychologist. Psychological assessments usually consist of an interview, several testing sessions, a feedback session to go over the results, and the preparation of a written report.

Some components of testing, scoring, or aspects of report preparation may be completed by a psychometrist, a professional trained in the administration of standardized psychological tests. All work completed by a psychometrist occurs under the supervision of your psychologist, who remains responsible for all clinical decisions, interpretation, and the final report.

Benefits

Assessment can be beneficial in accessing specialized services, qualifying for educational or occupational accommodations, clarifying the nature of emotional or cognitive symptoms, and designing treatment interventions.

Risks

The assessment process may result in a formal diagnosis, may not result in a diagnosis, or may result in a diagnosis that is different from what you or others were expecting. Risks of assessments include receiving a diagnosis or other information that is unexpected or upsetting, as the results of testing can never be guaranteed. Your psychologist will attempt to minimize these risks by thoroughly reviewing the nature and purpose of the testing with you ahead of time and explaining the results in language you can understand. You should also discuss the potential risks of sharing reports with schools or other professionals with your psychologist when you provide consent to do so.

Confidentiality

The same limits to confidentiality for counselling services, outlined in this document, apply to psychological testing and assessment services. All information gathered for the purpose of testing and assessments, which may be gathered on paper or electronically, is stored securely according to the guidelines also outlined in this document. Consent to share reports with professionals outside of Rivers Edge Counselling Centre must be given in writing.

Participation in the assessment process is voluntary, and you may withdraw your consent at any time. If consent is withdrawn, you will be responsible for fees associated with services provided up to the point that consent was withdrawn.

What we do not do

Rivers Edge does not perform custody evaluations for children, which is a highly specialized field. We also do not perform forensic psychological evaluations. If you are considering using the results of an assessment for a custody dispute or for legal purposes, we can refer to experts in these areas.

If you are not satisfied with our service

If you are not satisfied with the service your counsellor or psychologist has provided, we encourage you to talk to them about it. This can offer a meaningful opportunity for repair, and gives them a chance to listen, understand your concerns, and address them directly.

If you have a concern about the ethics or professional practice of your counsellor or psychologist, you also have a right to contact the regulatory college or association they are accountable to, such as the College of Alberta Psychologists, the Alberta College of Social Workers, the Association of Counselling Therapists of Alberta, or the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.

If there is anything else about your experience at Rivers Edge you would like to share with us, please reach out to our Director or our client care team. You may call or email the office.

Your feedback matters to us. We welcome the opportunity to talk with you and to help where we can.

More questions?

If you have questions that have not been answered here, you can always raise them with your counsellor. You are also welcome to contact our client care team at 780-460-0022 or info@riversedgecounselling.com, or ask to speak with the Director.

We’ll help you find the right fit.

Our client care team works with each new client to ensure they are matched to the right therapist.

It’s essential to find a therapist who aligns with your unique needs and preferences. If you’re unsure where to begin, you don’t have to figure it out alone.