Our goal is to provide fair & equitable rates for all our clients. This payment policy is in effect to preserve the quality of the counselling therapy/psychotherapy, wellness & consulting services we provide to individuals, families & organizations.
We are constantly working to improve our processes. We invite you to communicate with us to share thoughts or concerns.
We offer private pay counselling & telehealth counselling (telephone & secure video) services by qualified and credentialed counselling professionals. In-person sessions are conducted in professional offices located in centralized commercial locations. Our counselling offices environments are warm & modest. Please read our Health & Safety Plan.
As a courtesy, we provide information about subsidized services in the local community. This way, persons without financial means are directed to free services.
We offer a standard pricing model. We do not ask for income testing to respect the privacy of our clients. We simply offer a reasonable rate to all our clients, regardless of income. We do not offer free consultation(s), consistent with other service providers such as massage therapists and physiotherapists.
To secure your first session, the required consent form(s) would need to be completed within 1 to 48 hours of booking your appointment. If it is not complete, Sandstone Counselling Centre reserves the right to cancel the session, address questions or concerns, and rebook the session. You would receive an email notification of the cancellation.
Services billed to a Third-Party are subject to different rates or and administrative fees.
Individuals or Corporate Clients without a valid Third-Party written agreement in place are required to pay session/service fees are payable prior to, or when the session starts or the service being rendered without exceptions.
Methods of Payment accepted:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- American Express
- Visa Debit
- Debit Mastercard
- Discover
- We do not accept Interact e-transfers
All clients agree to have their payment card(s) information will be saved to file for a future transaction on their account.
All prices are subject to changes/ increases without notice. Notice is most often provided via consent form updates. Session payments are processed the day prior to the session date, as is consistent with the cancellation policy. Payment via Credit/Debit Cards: all clients signing our consent confirms to be the authorized cardholder of the payment card(s) used to pay for services rendered by SCC Inc (including no-show and late canceled appointments).
If not the authorized cardholder, a client must inform SCC and request a third-party payment agreement arrangement. Third-Party payers must agree to our terms and conditions. Should the third-party payer end the agreement for payment for services, said services will be terminated until another payment agreement is in place. In the event that a payment transaction is rejected or unauthorized. SCC Inc. will take appropriate measures to collaborate with the parties involved and recover the losses.
First Sessions: A Pay Balance Link will be sent to you shortly and the payment will be processed at the moment of booking the first appointment
Subsequent sessions: payments will be regularly processed 24 hours or less before the session. This policy is in place as a courtesy to allow clients to communicate with their financial institution or update their payment information the day prior to the session and avoid as much as possible a session being late canceled due to a payment concern.
*We decline all responsibility when payment cards are declined when we are processing payments. Clients are responsible to communicate with their financial institution and solve issues when if they arise. Financial institutions or/and credit card companies could interrupt services to their clients for multiple reasons that are unknown to us.
In the event, a payment card is declined we will send a payment request by e-mail and inform the client via text as a courtesy once. If the issue is not resolved within a few hours all sessions scheduled will be canceled and the client may be required to prepay for each booked session in the future.
If payment concerns arise too often we reserve the right to ask for a pre-payment for each session pre-booked or decline all services at our discretion. Due to the nature of the services we offer we cannot engage in multiple conversations regarding payment processing issues or extend credit.
Overdue accounts: subject to additional charges. Late fees are due at the appointment time. After 24 hours an additional fee may be charged on overdue accounts.
Cancellations & Rescheduling Policy
Cancellation Policy – 24-hour Notice *** FIRM ***
Your appointment time is reserved just for you. Late cancellation or missed visit leaves a hole in the therapists’ day that could have been filled by another client. As such, we require 24 hours notice for any cancellations or changes to your appointment/rescheduling. Clients who provide less than 24 hours notice, or miss their appointment, will be charged a full session fee. There are no exceptions to this policy for reasons such as illness, injury, work schedule changes, concerns with children/daycare, or any other exceptional circumstance.
Please call or text the main office to let us know about any changes or and cancellation. Please note that appointments can be changed from in-office to Telehealth sessions. This is convenient for illnesses, injuries, bad road conditions, or other concerns.
Note that third parties such as ICBC do not pay for sessions that were canceled with less than 24 hours’ notice. This means the no-show fee or late cancellation fee may be billed directly to you and they are not usually covered by the third party. In some cases, this coverage is specifically arranged.
We require a minimum of 72 hours notice for any cancellations or changes to your appointment ( +50 minutes sessions) e.g: 110 minutes session
Clients who provide less than 24 or 72 hours notice, or miss their appointment, will be charged a full session cancellation fee that must be paid in full before a replacement session is scheduled. If payment is not received in full before a session a late charge payment may be applicable if the payment is not received the same day of the scheduled appointment.
Unexpected parties taking part in a Counselling Session
*General Terms of Service
All the parties hearing sessions on speakerphones, seeing video sessions, taking part in a remote counselling session, or attending office sessions for any amount of time need to be identified and have signed our consent forms prior to the session taking place. The counsellor must be aware of her/his audience.
In the event, there are more persons attending than had been anticipated or planned for, the counsellor will ask the additional parties to depart. The session can continue with the originally scheduled persons, and arrangements made for additional persons should the counsellor/client deem this plan appropriate. The counsellor reserves the right to terminate the session without refund should a resolution be unavailable during the session.
ICBC MVA Counselling Services Terms Services & Payment
*General Terms of Service
ICBC Third-Party Direct Billing Terms and Conditions:
We prefer that ICBC claimants wishing to access our services be referred by a lawyer specializing in Motor Vehicle Injury Claims.
ICBC claimants will be required to have a valid credit card on file.
The initial assessment user fees must be pre-paid a minimum of 72 hours prior to the appointment.
Initial assessment session cancelled with less than 72 hours will be charged on the client credit card at full price (2 hours).
*24 hours cancellation/rescheduling policy for the following standard 60 minutes sessions
Clients must agree to co-pay the fees prior to or at the beginning of each session.
Please contact us if you wish to obtain more information.
ICBC related Counselling Services – read more
We do not accept third-party billing requests for out of province insurance carriers.
Providing outstanding counselling & wellness related services is our main objective
Corporate or public third-party payers please note:
- Third-party billing is subject to pre-approval by our office. Prices are subject to changes at any time or/and a yearly increase.
- Depending on the terms of payments or the Third-party payer service delivery requirements all prices can be subject to adjustment(s) or additional charges at any given time.
- Late payment(s) are subject to additional charges
- Corporate credit is subject to a credit verification and the privilege can be revoked at any time without prior notice.
- Should an account become overdue, or partial payment is received, we reserve the right to suspend or refuse service until the payment concerns are resolved.
Legal & Court Proceedings Related Services.
A specific payment schedule will be prepared for each individual case. A retainer will be billed and payable in full detailing the anticipated preparation hours, mileage, court time, and any other related expenses. The retainer is payable immediately upon reserving counsellor time. A detailed invoice or receipt will be provided and the account balance accordingly upon completion of all court proceedings.
Please contact our office if you need more information.
Safety Policy
Sandstone Counselling Centre endeavours to create a safe and respectful atmosphere for clients and therapists alike. With this in mind, we have a zero-tolerance policy for the violence of any kind at our centre. For the purposes of this safety policy, violence includes any attempted or actual assaults, any threatening statements, communications or behaviour, which gives one cause to believe that (s)he is at risk of any type of injury.
Thus, we reserve the right to decline the continuation of service to any client at any time should we feel any of our service providers may be unsafe. By engaging in service clients agree to the terms and conditions of with SCC Inc. Safety Policy
Counselling is not considered a healthcare profession in BC at this time and thus the Provincial Government does not provide counsellors with a mandate for operations. Individual Counsellors thus make personal choices regarding how they provide services. Please note that at Sandstone, our services are mostly offered remotely. Some counsellors may or may not offer a hybrid model with in-person sessions being offered at their sole discretion.
**In-person and virtual sessions are subject to be cancelled without notice and replacement sessions/compensation being offered to clients**
We will also continue to offer remote delivery to provide alternatives to attending in person when clients or counsellors feel ill, thus reducing risk for all parties. All clients understand and accept that remote sessions may continue for an indefinite period of time.
COVID-19 Safety Plan Read More
Services Outside of a Counsellor’s Scope of Practice
Counsellors receive specialized training in many areas of practice and develop expertise and competence in specific areas. At times, counsellors refer to other counsellors with expertise in specialized areas of practice. In this case, a reasonable attempt will be made to provide a referral to counsellor(s) or resources with specialized training or expertise in the specific area of concern for which help is sought. A counsellor may refer client(s) elsewhere if the concern(s) falls outside his/her scope of practice.
Telehealth Telephone / Video Counselling
The system is in compliance with the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).
While efforts will be made to protect privacy, information transmitted via the internet may not be secure (e.g., hackers).
For safety purposes, clients must be prepared to provide their counsellor with their exact location (address of where you are during the telehealth session). This is necessary should any unforeseen safety concerns arise. Please also keep your emergency contact on file up to date (care provider, family member, etc.) as requested in writing.
Risks and Limitations to Telehealth Services
Note: Data Rates may apply, this function uses streaming data. Please make sure you have the capacity on your network.
Our Secure Telelehealth Video Counselling Platform is using a standard that provides peer to peer a/v communication in most cases. This means that all the traffic flows directly between each user’s web browser and completely bypasses our servers. The traffic is also encrypted in transit and none of the data is stored anywhere.
Please contact the office for the initial set-up and link to enable Video Counselling.
There are therapeutic limitations to online services. For example, there is the potential for misunderstandings when two people are not in the same room and there are limitations to the technology that may impact services (e.g., time delays, equipment failure).
Most research shows that Telehealth Counselling is about as effective as in-person counselling, however,
appropriateness of online services to meet your needs will be routinely reviewed. It may be determined that in-person services are better suited to your specific needs. In this case, the concerns and the solutions would be discussed in-session.
Recording Sessions
No video, audio or chat communication can be recorded during an Online Appointment session, the Telehealth system does not include a recording function.
Records of your sessions with a counsellor will be maintained in the same way as that of in-person sessions and in accordance with privacy legislation.
Should either party wish to make any other type of recording of the session, this must be arranged and discussed in-session, with a written consent that reflects the agreement.
Telehealth is delivered using a platform in which the data transmitted is encrypted and secure. Our Online Video Appointments system is using a standard that provides peer to peer a/v communication in most cases. This means that all the traffic flows directly between each user’s web browser and completely bypasses our servers. The traffic is also encrypted in transit and none of the data is stored anywhere.
Information about Counselling Fees
We offer private pay counselling services that are often reimbursed by extended health plans or third-party insurers. If we are not registered with an agency for direct billing on a client’s behalf, please communicate with us we will look into the availability of this service.
In some cases, sponsoring health and wellness/benefit plan or/and agencies do not compensate a full fee for service and do not allow us to invoice for the remaining fees. This is often an inconvenience for someone that wishes to receive our services and remain sponsored. Please feel free to address your concerns with your sponsoring agency regarding such policies or contact the appropriate elected officials to provide additional feedback.
Sandstone Counselling Centre Inc./ employees, counsellors and affiliates counsellors or any authorized agent reserve the right to refuse, decline or terminate service to anyone, at any given time for any reason deemed appropriate without explanation or/and verbal or written notice.
24-hours or 72 hours notice (depending on the duration of the session) is required for cancellations or changes to your session or appointment time – failure to provide less than 24 or 72-hours notice will result in a full session fee charge. Corporate Clients are subject to the cancellation policies outlined in individualized contracts.
Third parties do not pay for sessions that were cancelled with less than 24 hours notice. This means the no-show fee or late-cancellation fee will be billed directly to you and not covered by the third party.
Being Late for a Session. The counsellor agrees to hold your session for 15 minutes without contact from the client. After 15 minutes, the session is considered a late cancellation and a full-session fee will be charged.
All fees are payable in advance of your session, or at the beginning of each session.
We accept only the following payment methods: debit and credit card payments.
All fees are subject to change at any time without notice. Annual increases in fees are applied as a standard practice.
Please call 778-765-4110 to inform us of any changes or and cancellation.
The use of receipts for income tax purposes varies from year to year and is specific to the credentials of the counselling therapist. Please consult with your taxation specialist for current recommendations regarding utilization of receipts for income tax purposes.
Receipts for payments are issued at the time of payment via email. Receipts and account statements can be requested from the main office.
Third party payment agreement must be pre-approved Sandstone Counselling Centre Inc. administration. For example, direct payments by ICBC, WCB, etc.
Third parties do not pay for sessions that were cancelled with less than 24 hours notice. This means the no-show fee or late-cancellation fee will be billed directly to you and not covered by the third party.
Coverage may be available for your counselling by another organization (such as Extended Health Benefits, Insurance Companies, Employee Assistance Plans or your agreement with your Employer). You are responsible for confirming the scope and details of coverage. This is to be completed directly by you with the paying organization. Third parties do not generally cover the costs of assessments, reports, letter writing, or the review of records. These expenses will be charged to you directly unless otherwise arranged.
Overdue accounts are subject to administrative penalties and late payment charges of 2% compounded monthly (26.82%) annum. Payments are considered late if not received by the date shown on the account statement. Items returned for insufficient funds are subject to a $25.00 administration charge. Overdue accounts or/and unpaid invoices may be sent to a collection agency to ensure payment is received. This may have an impact on your credit score.
