New Clients
In general, you do not need a referral from your family physician to see a psychologist. However, if your extended medical plan includes coverage for psychological services, your insurance provider may require a referral letter prior to your first appointment.
To register as a new client, please email or phone Dr. Unsworth’s office at admin@drsineadunsworth.com or phone (778) 970-8928. We will be able to tell you an approximate wait time for an intake, and book you in for your first session.
Dr. Unsworth’s office is located in the Landmark 6 building at 1631 Dickson Ave.
For parking, the landmark 6 parkade is found when you drive into the Landmark 6 entrance at 1631 Dickson Ave. You are able to park for free on the first 2 floors for 2 hours in any spot marked “Visitor”.
You will enter through the automatic doors in between Landmark dental and the Landmark pharmacy. Once you enter the building, you will select “Floor 11” in the elevator. Once you’ve arrived to the 11th floor, the receptionist on the floor will show you to the waiting area. Dr. Unsworth’s will come out to get you at the time of your appointment.
Appointments
Therapy appointments are 50 minutes with the remaining 10 minutes reserved for documentation of your session and treatment planning for subsequent sessions. The 50 minute hour is standard for most psychologists in private practice. Assessment appointments typically vary in length and will be discussed with you prior to your appointment.
The first session is usually an introductory session. We discuss what has brought you to therapy, relevant history, and goals. Once I have the background information and an idea of what you’d like to accomplish in treatment, by the end of the second session, you will have some basic information about your treatment plan: the approach that will be used and the approximate number of sessions that may be required. You should also have sense of whether there is a good fit between you and Dr. Unsworth.
Therapy appointment frequency can be weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or determined by the needs of the client in consultation with Dr. Unsworth.
In general, the information that you share with Dr. Unsworth during your appointment(s) is confidential. Legally and ethically, your records are protected, and no information is disclosed without your expressed written permission. There are a few exceptions to this rule, some of which are listed below:
- If a client makes a serious threat to harm themselves or to harm another individual, the law requires Dr. Unsworth to try to protect you and/or that person. This may involve calling a loved one, calling 911, or the police.
- If there is suspected child abuse or neglect (or there has been in the past) or abuse/neglect of an older or vulnerable adult, Dr. Unsworth is required to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.
- For clients involved with the criminal justice system, Dr. Unsworth’s clinical records could be subpoenaed for court.
- If Dr. Unsworth is made aware of another health care provider who has acted unethically with a client/patient, she is required to report this to the appropriate regulatory body/authority.
The limits of confidentiality will be included in your intake form to be read prior to your first appointment.
In addition to in-person appointments, I also offer online appointments as many of my patients find it convenient to attend sessions remotely. I work with individuals across British Columbia and Saskatchewan via telephone or zoom.
Fees
Fees for individual therapy are billed at the rate recommended by the British Columbia Psychological Association. Payments by credit card, debit, and e-transfer are accepted and clients pay prior to each session. A receipt will be provided to you for income tax or insurance purposes.
The cost of specialized psychological assessments are determined based on the referral question and client need.
MSP does not cover the fees of psychologists, however, many extended benefit plans cover a portion of psychological fees.
Costs incurred for therapy provided by a Registered Psychologist may be claimed as a health care expense on income tax.
Dr. Unsworth is a registered treatment provider for the RCMP and Veteran’s Affairs Canada, BC.
If you need to cancel or change your scheduled appointment time, simply notify Dr. Unsworth 48 business hours in advance. This policy is intended to allow your appointment time to be offered to another individual. A fee of a full session will be charged for appointments cancelled/missed without the required 48 business hours notice.
Note. Dr. Unsworth recognizes that sometimes there are circumstances that are out of your control (e.g., illness, family emergency, etc.). She may make an exception to the above policy in those rare occasions.