We are accepting new clients!
Sessions are offered in-person at our Dundas and Burlington locations.
Sessions are also provided virtually for those who prefer this option.
Valley Connections Counselling
Connecting in life's valleys...
Fees and Policies for Therapy Sessions at Valley Connections Counselling
New clients are invited to book a no-charge 30 minute consultation session with a Registered Psychotherapist. This is not a counselling session, but is an opportunity for clients to meet their therapist, ask any questions they may have about the therapeutic process, and make a decision about whether to book a Counselling/Psychotherapy appointment.
Therapy sessions can be scheduled on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis and typically last 50 minutes.
Flexible appointment times are available and you will be scheduled for your first appointment as soon as possible.
Payment is due at the start of each session, by cash, cheque, visa, mastercard, or american express. Receipts are issued at that time and should be saved for tax or insurance purposes.
All scheduled sessions are your financial responsibility. Should you have to cancel an appointment, please provide 24 business hours' notice (one full business day). Failure to give 24 hours' cancellation notice will result in you being charged the full session fee for the missed appointment.
Will Insurance Cover My Counselling/Psychotherapy?
Many people have access to extended health insurance plans through their employers. If you have extended health insurance, you may be able to use these benefits to reimburse you for all or part of the cost of counselling/psychotherapy.
First you will need to check with your particular insurance company and group plan to ensure exactly what type and amount of coverage you have. The plans differ dramatically from one to another so that even within a specific insurance company there will be many different types of coverage.
Please note: It is your responsibility to find out from your employer and/or insurance company about the type of mental health coverage you have. Valley Connections Counselling and our therapists are not responsible for determining whether or not your insurance company will reimburse you for our services. Please find out the details of your benefits package before booking and attending your therapy sessions. Should you attend sessions and later learn that your insurance company will not cover your therapy sessions, you are responsible for paying for the fees of all attended sessions as well as any future sessions you choose to attend.
Some questions to ask your insurance company are:
- Do I have mental health insurance benefits?
- Does my health insurance cover the services of my therapist?
- Please ensure that you inform your insurance provider of which type of therapist your are seeing in our clinic: Registered Psychotherapist, Canadian Certified Counsellor, Certified Child Life Specialist, Clinical Counsellor, Clinical Associate
- How many sessions per year does my health insurance cover?
- What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
- Is approval required from my primary care physician?
If you do NOT have coverage:
If your insurance plan does have counselling coverage but does not acknowledge the professional counselling services of a Registered Psychotherapist, it may be possible to have your employer make a small change to the insurance plan.
You may wish to speak directly with your Human Resources department and ask that they make an amendment to the company extended benefits plan. Most employers like to increase the amount of benefits that their employees can access, especially when it does not cost the employer any additional fee.
It may also be helpful to craft a letter to your Human Resources department making the request to alter the counselling coverage. Please use the link below to a document with the information you will need to put into your own letter when making the request:
Other Options:
We believe in accessible care, and can provide some options to better suit your current financial situation. One option is for you to space out your sessions, while you work on some self-guided practices or homework in between your visits. Alternatively, you may see our one of our Masters-Level Psychotherapy Interns, at a reduced rate.
Please email the Valley Connections Clinic at admin@valleyconnectionscounselling.ca for information about our current rates.
If counselling services are an expense that are just not in your budget at this time, but you need help, we may be able to suggest services in the community, or recommend self-help resources.