Policies
Payment Policies
Payments are to be made by credit card, Interac, or direct insurance billing through Jane software, or by e-transfer to undercurrentcounselling@gmail.com. Payment for the previous session is required before the next scheduled session. Undercurrent Counselling offers sliding scale payment options on a case-by-case basis, and is subject to availability. If your financial situation has changed and you are no longer able to pay the regular session fee, please notify me by email and we can discuss options on the sliding scale.
Illness/COVID-19 Policy
Due to the ongoing health impacts of COVID-19, Undercurrent Counselling requests that client who have tested positive for COVID-19 do not attend in person appointments at the Undercurrent Counselling office space for either: ​ 7 days after your symptoms began or you have a negative covid test, whichever comes first. If you’ve got cold, flu or stomach symptoms but no positive COVID-19 test result, please request the switch to a virtual session or mask up in the space until your symptoms go away. All of this applies to both clients and therapists. Masks may be available upon requests.
24-Hour Cancellation Policy
Undercurrent Counselling has a 24-hour cancellation policy whereby we ask for your full session fee if we do not receive at least 24 hours of notice before you cancel your scheduled session. The first late cancellation or no-show is waived, and subsequent missed sessions are charged the full session fee. Clients are encouraged to set up 48-hour reminders in their Jane account to help mitigate no-shows and late cancellations.
Confidentiality
Anything that is discussed in the therapy space is confidential and stays between client and therapist, with a few notable exceptions. First, as a Registered Counselling Therapist - Candidate (RCT-C), I attend supervision in the community with a Registered Counselling Therapist (RCT) as part of my licensing requirements. During supervision, I may discuss clinical material in order to grow my knowledge and skills to better serve my client base, but I never share identifying information. The Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists (NSCCT) has strict ethical standards concerning the discussion of cases. Second, times a therapist would be legally and ethically obligated to report something a client has shared, possibly but hopefully not without consent and knowledge, include: - If you have a real and imminent plan to hurt yourself. - If you have a real and imminent plan to hurt someone else. - If you inform us that you suspect that a child is being abused or neglected. - If you inform us that you suspect that an elder is being abused or neglected. The only other time that I would release information about a client would be if their records were subpoenaed by a court; we should be able to discuss that well beforehand.
Complaints Process
As a member of the Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists (NSCCT), I follow the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics (links below). Please feel free to address ethical concerns or complaints with me, either in session or through correspondence, or by contacting the NSCCT (Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists) directly. Adapted from the NSCCT Complaint Infographic (NSCCT, 2023): A complaint is an expression of concern about the conduct or actions of a Registered Counselling Therapist (or Registered Counselling Therapist – Candidate or student seeing clients under the license of a Registered Counselling Therapist) related to the care provided or other aspects of the professional counselling relationship. Complaints allege that the counselling therapist did not meet the standards expected by the NSCCT, other members of the profession or the public. The Complaints Committee reviews complaints about: – Professional Misconduct (e.g., not acting according to the CCPA Code of Ethics or Standards of Practice) – Incapacity (e.g., counselling while under the influence of drugs or alcohol) – Incompetence (e.g., failing to provide proper care) – Conduct Unbecoming the Profession (e.g., behaving unprofessionally outside of their place of work)