Frequently Asked Questions
Is therapy confidential?
Psychologists are required by law to maintain client confidentiality. Psychologists will not share confidential information without their client's written consent. However, there are limitations to confidentiality. It is important to discuss the limitations of confidentiality with your counselling in your initial appointment.
How long is a therapy session?
Individual therapy sessions are typically 50-minutes long. The duration of counselling sessions can vary based on the needs of the client. In some cases, an individual appointment that is 90 minutes is better suited the client's presenting concern or area of focus.
Couples counselling appointments are typically 90 minutes long to ensure that each partner has enough time to share about their concerns and experiences. However, session duration is flexible and designed to meet client's preferences and needs.
Family counselling sessions vary depending on the number of people present. It is important for each member to feel as though they had enough time and space to share about their feelings and concerns. These session duration are typically discussed and mutually agreed upon in initial appointments.
How long will therapy take?
Duration of counselling varies on an case-by-case basis. It is difficult to determine how many sessions counselling will take as this depends on many factors. Brief counselling is typically between 3-15 sessions. It is important to discuss with your counsellor your expectations and hopes for counselling.
How much does it cost?
The cost of counselling can vary. Psychologists typically charge between $190-220 per hour. If you would like to know more about the rates for our counsellors please contact us via email at stillarpsychological@gmail.com
Is therapy covered by my benefits?
Psychological services provided by a registered professional is covered by many extended health care benefits. Psychological services can also be claimed through income tax.
How do I make and appointment?
Appointments can be made by emailing stillarpsychological@gmail.com or over the phone, by calling 780-999-2023.
How do I know if I need therapy?
Psychological services can be helpful for a wide variety of life concerns. Therapy may be appropriate for you if you are struggling with emotions, negative thoughts, or engaging in behaviours that have negative consequences in your life. Psychological support can also be appropriate if you are feeling unhappy, unsatisfied, or unfulfilled in your life or if you are feeling anxious, down, blue, depressed, sad or worthless. If you are unsure whether you need therapy feel free to contact us for a free consultation.
I'm not struggling but someone I love is, what can I do?
Dr. Stillar believes in the tremendous healing power of family. She works with caregivers, parents, and siblings of loved one's struggling with mental health issues to help them learn skills to support their loved one.
What if I need to cancel my appointment?
If you need to cancel your appointment please contact us via email, stillarpsychological@gmail.com, or by phone, 780-999-2023. Please cancel your appointment at least 24 hours in advance so that we can offer the appointment to another client who needs our help.
How do I know if counselling is working?
It is important to set goals in counselling so that we can monitor progress to know if counselling is working for you. Your therapist will help you set manageable and realistic goals in your first session so that we can make sure you are on the road to recovery.
How do I know if you're the right therapist for me?
Client-therapist fit is a very important factor to consider. It can be hard to know if a counsellor will be a good fit for you without meeting them first, but some ways to assess fit can be by perusing their website to get a sense of their counselling style, perspectives, and approaches.
At Stillar Psychological we encourage new clients to contact us to set up a free, brief consultation where they can ask Amanda any questions and assess fit over the phone.
Initial appointments is also where fit can be assessed. Amanda discusses client-therapist fit with all of her new clients and encourages and open and honest discussion about this. If you don't feel as though Stillar Psychological is the right counselling provided for you, Amanda is happy and willing to provide referrals to other practitioners.
What is a Psychologist?
"Psychologists are regulated health professionals who provide services including psychotherapy, assessment, diagnosis, and research of psychological health and problems. They are trained in evidence-based practices and follow a code of ethics that promotes respect for dignity and fair treatment.
Alberta’s psychologists have advanced university degrees (Masters or PhD) and undergo extensive supervised training and examinations.
Psychologists study the biological, cognitive, emotional, social, cultural, and environmental determinants of behavior and through such extensive research and practice, psychologists help people cope more effectively in daily life." Psychologists' Association of Alberta, 2019
To learn more about the education and training requirements for psychologists in Alberta, please visit the Psychologists Association of Alberta website.
What do psychologists do?
"A psychologist studies how we think, feel and behave from a scientific viewpoint and applies this knowledge to help people understand, explain and change their behaviour." Canadian Psychological Association, 2018
"Psychologists have expertise in all aspects of psychological functioning, including cognitive, emotional, behavioural, spiritual and intellectual dimensions. Psychologists assess, advise and assist people to improve their life adjustment and functioning." College of Alberta Psychologists, 2018
When you have a concern about your physical health, you turn to a medical doctor to assess and treat your condition. Psychologists are qualified professionals who are trained to assess and treat concerns related to mental health.
What concerns can psychologists help with?
There is a wide range of mental health concerns that psychologists are trained to address. These can include:
Emotional issues, such as difficulty tolerating, experiencing, or regulating emotions, anger outbursts, stress management.
Family or relationship issues, such as communication problems, conflict resolution issues, unproductive cycles, abuse or violence, adjusting to separation or divorce; parenting struggles.
Psychological issues, such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, addictions, OCD, personality disorders.
Psychologists can also help individuals who are looking to improve their personal growth and development.
This is not an exhaustive list of the concerns a psychologist may be able to help you with. If you are unsure whether a psychologist is the appropriate professional to help you, please feel free to contact us for a brief consultation or to ask any questions you may have.
What is the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?
"In Canada, the professionals who most commonly treat people with mental health problems are psychologists and psychiatrists.
A psychologist holds a master’s and/or doctoral degree in psychology that involves from 6 to 10 years of university study of how people think, feel and behave. A practicing psychologist is trained to assess and diagnose problems in thinking, feeling and behaviour as well to help people overcome or manage these problems. A psychologist is uniquely trained to use psychological tests to help with assessment and diagnosis. Psychologists help people to overcome or manage their problems using a variety of treatments or psychotherapies.
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who go on to specialize in mental health and mental disorders. Psychiatrists often use medication to help their clients manage their mental disorders and there are some disorders for which medications are very necessary (schizophrenia and some depressions for examples). Some psychiatrists also do psychotherapy much like psychologists do. For more information on the study and practice of psychiatry, please visit the website of the Canadian Psychiatric Association at http://www.cpa-apc.org. "
Canadian Psychological Association, 2018
What is a Provisional Psychologist?
A Provisional Psychologist is a mental health professional in the process of becoming a Registered Psychologist.
The title "Provisional" means this professional has met the educational requirements to become a Psychologist according to the College of Alberta Psychologists.
Provisional Psychologists are in the process of completing their supervised practice hours and final examinations.