Questions & Answers

I currently offer direct billing through Alberta Blue Cross, Medavie Blue Cross, Canada Life, WCB, IFH, Telus, and the First Nations & Inuit NIHB/IRS RHSP programs, as well as a select number of smaller insurance companies. I will issue you the receipts and other information you may need to apply for reimbursement from your insurance if I cannot direct bill. Many plans cover all or part of sessions with registered psychologists. Moreover, many veterans, Canadian Armed Forces members, and RCMP officers will be covered under Medavie Blue Cross.

Cultured Psychology Services accepts all major credit and debit cards.

The confidentiality of sessions is legally protected, except in a few rare instances such as a court order, if someone is at imminent risk of harm, or if there is a suspicion of child abuse/neglect. Tom will review privacy and confidentiality with you in your first session.

The number of sessions you will need will depend on your goals, and will be decided jointly between you and Tom. Clients can often achieve focused results on a particular problem with short-term or ‘solution-focused’ therapy, which typically lasts between 4 and 10 sessions. However, broader, more lasting change, or help for complex problems may require longer-term therapy.

If you can’t make a session, Tom needs 24 hours’ notice in order to be able to offer the spot to someone else who may be on the waiting list. Cancellations without adequate notice will be subject to a cancellation fee up to the price of a full session.

Most clients start with 50-minute visits once per week, and move towards biweekly and then monthly sessions as they get more and more effective at moving towards their goals on their own. While clients are always welcome to come back to therapy when they need help, Tom believes that good therapy empowers people to become their own psychologists.

I treat couples using several popular therapies, including Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT).

Yes. I have been involved extensively in the assessment and treatment of PTSD, so I do treat most people with PTSD and similar kinds of stress that occur after traumatic events.

I provide services in Polish and English, as well as depression, anxiety, trauma, and solution-focused therapy in Mandarin. I am currently the only psychologist in Canada offering the first, evidence-based depression treatment adapted for Chinese culture. This promising new treatment was found to provide approximately double the treatment benefit of regular therapy in an initial "RCT" effectiveness study. Please contact me for more details.

While the majority of people feel better from therapy, there are some potential risks. Sometimes discussing difficult feelings may feel worse in the moment before it gets better. Tom will be present to support you if such distress comes up, and you will not be obligated to participate in activities or discussions that make you feel uncomfortable. Also, sometimes when we gain a strong sense of direction, our lives may end up changing more than we expected. However, most people find that they build happier and more meaningful lives as a result of therapy.

While you are encouraged to tell Tom what you need if you have thought a great deal about your goals, most people need some time to get settled in. The first session will usually has a greater focus on getting to know each other, establishing a relationship, and getting started on building a shared sense of direction.