Psychological services are available to anyone without a physician’s referral. However, some insurance companies do require a doctor’s referral in order to claim from health insurance benefits. We encourage clients to contact their insurance provider to determine what paperwork is required in order to ensure proper reimbursement.

Psychologists hold a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) or Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology) degree and specialize in developmental, learning and mental health concerns. Training typically involves at least 9 years of undergraduate and graduate school and 1 to 2 years of supervised training in a hospital or mental health setting. Ph.D. degrees are awarded in many fields. However, the title “Psychologist” is reserved in the same way the titles “Attorney” and “Physician” are limited to those individuals who meet specific training and licensing requirements. Psychologists who provide therapy services may be called a therapist, but not all therapists are psychologists. Psychologists are bound by the legal and ethical standards of their profession and must meet stringent yearly continuing education standards in order to retain their registration. Therapists and counselors belonging to other professions may not have the same training or continuing education requirements. As a result, when seeking the services of a therapist to work with your child and family, carefully research the credentials of the person you are considering by asking about their professional title and the training and licensing requirements they require in order to practice.

In BC, registered psychologists do not prescribe medication. In the case of childhood disorders such as anxiety and depression, evidence-based psychotherapy is often recommended as a first-line treatment. However, there are situations in which it makes sense to start with a combination of medication and psychotherapy. In still other cases, medication might be the best first step, such as when a child or teen is unwilling or unable to engage in psychotherapy or when they are struggling to progress in treatment. In the case of disorders such as ADHD, medication is often more central to the treatment, although a combined approach to treatment is strongly recommended, with medication addressing the symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity and therapy being used to support the individual in learning the skills needed to manage their day-to-day functioning (e.g., time management, organizational skills etc.). Your child’s psychologist can also help you sort out when it might be time to have a consultation with a psychiatrist or pediatrician to discuss whether medication might be an appropriate add-on to therapy. Our clinicians are very collaborative in our approach and welcome opportunities to consult with physicians and psychiatrists to ensure the best treatment for you or your child. We are respect parents’ autonomy to parent their children in the way they see fit and we support parents who do not wish to entertain the use of medication. We make suggestions, parents make the decisions.

Whereas Psychologists hold either a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) or Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology) degree, a Psychiatrist has an MD (Doctor of Medicine) degree and specializes in the aspect of medicine involving mental health disorders. While some psychiatrists use talk therapy in treating their patients, most psychiatrists specialize in treating mental health disorders through the use of prescription medication. In contrast, Psychologists do not prescribe medication. Rather, they specialize in the use of psychological testing and a variety of proven, researched and evidenced-based assessment and therapies as their primary means of addressing the mental health concerns of their clients. At times, Psychologists and Psychiatrists work collaboratively to addressing a client’s concerns.

Registered Psychologists (R. Psych) and Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCC) are both mental health professionals with extensive experience in treating mental health conditions by providing individual and/or group therapy. Psychologists can assess people for the purpose of providing a diagnosis whereas counsellors, although very knowledgeable, are not permitted to diagnose mental health conditions. In addition, psychologists can assess for learning difficulties by conducting psycho-educational assessments.

Most therapies last between 8 and 20 sessions. Sessions are typically 50 minutes in long, once per week. However, should more or less intensive treatment be required, the session length and frequency can be adjusted. Treatment progress is regularly reviewed to ensure that your goals are being met. As treatment progresses, sessions may be spaced out to allow you more time to practice the skills you have learned in the session. You always have complete control over the therapy process and have the right to discontinue treatment at any time.

Assessment reports typically take between 8-10 weeks from the time of your feedback appointment. You will be sent a draft copy of the report through your Jane profile, once your account is paid in full. After you approve the draft copy, we will finalize your report for you to share with whomever you choose.

That’s okay, we’re here to help! Our staff has extensive experience and can help guide you toward the best services to meet your needs. Sometimes it’s as straightforward as making a first therapy appointment. Other times, a psychological assessment may be needed first to help clarify a diagnosis (e.g., for children who are suspected of having a learning disability or ADHD; for adults to help clarify a diagnosis to aid one’s psychiatrist or general practitioner to make treatment recommendations). If we believe that needed services are outside of what we can offer, we will provide you with suggestions to help guide you based upon your individual needs.

Jane is our online site to create patient profiles, book appointments, and send confidential documents. This site will be in integral to your communication with our office. All documents are sent through this portal, as well as our Covid-19 screening measures.

Our office has a 48-hour cancellation policy (2 business days’ notice) which allows us sufficient time to offer the appointment slot to another family who is in need of our services. We ask that you please inform us of the need to cancel or rebook an appointment during regular business hours when our staff is available to address your call. In cases where a client misses an appointment or where 48 hours’ notice is not given, the client will be billed in full at the clinician’s regular rate. However, we recognize that emergencies do arise from time to time and we will consider these on an individual basis.

The staff at Dr. Sharon Arnold and Associates is generally available for consultation during normal daytime business hours. However, as many clinicians within the practice also work in other locations (e.g., hospitals), they may not be available at all times during these hours. Every effort will be made to return your call as soon as possible. Please note that our office does not have an after-hours emergency line. Should an urgent situation arise in which a client’s safety is in question and your therapist is not immediately available, clients are strongly encouraged to go to their local hospital emergency room or call 911.

Wait times vary by service. For more information on waitlist times, please call our admin team to discuss this further.