Psychologists are mental health professionals who must hold a Master's or Ph.D. in psychology and be licenced by the College of Alberta Psychologists. Psychologists are trained to help others using psychotherapy and assessments. ​A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has specialized in mental health and the use of medications in the treatment of mental health concerns. In Alberta, most psychiatrist focus their work surrounding medication management, with some engaging in psychotherapy.

Certified Play Therapists have advanced training, supervised practice, and ethical guidelines that support their work with children. While many child therapists may integrate components of play or art into their work, Certified Play Therapists have met demanding requirements to ensure that their work is competent, evidence-driven, and can meet diverse needs of children throughout their development. Play therapy is highly recommended for work with children as it takes into account developmental stages to meet children where they are at. It removes the emphasis on talking as children often do not have the language to communicate their struggles and can have issues holding strong feelings in their bodies. Play has long been accepted as a way children make sense of their worlds. Play therapists enter the play of a child to help make shifts, practice skills, and fill-in developmental gaps.

Prior to your appointment, you will be sent an intake and consent form online. Please ensure you have completed this as it will help to save time and focus on the concerns during the first session. The first session allows you to explore the reasons you are seeking services, provide personal and family history information, and begin to set up goals for your treatment. At the end of the session, the plan for future sessions will be reviewed. ​If you are bringing a child or adolescent for treatment, there will be time set aside to speak to the child or adolescent and the caregiver together, see the child or adolescent alone, and then the caregiver alone. For children - often the intake assessment is completed with just parents. This allows parents to provide background information, gain more understanding of play therapy, and work collaboratively to set up therapeutic goals.

Psychotherapy sessions are 50 minutes in length, while Play Therapy sessions are 45 minutes. The additional 10-15 minutes in the hour are used to complete required paperwork, clean up, send follow-up emails, and to help prepare for your next session. The number of session cannot be clearly defined and is impacted by many different variables. This can be a good discussion point for the initial session and any limitations related to coverage should be discussed at this time.

Although doctors sometimes provide the names of psychologists they work with, a referral is not needed. If you are interested in a session, you can contact a psychologist directly for more information.

Seeing a psychologist privately means that there is a fee-for-service that is not covered by Alberta Health Benefits. Many employer-provided health care plans provide full or partial coverage. Additionally, fees paid to a psychologist are a tax deductible health expense. ​ Session fees are charged in accordance with the Psychologist's Association of Alberta fee schedule, which can be found here.

Please reach out! The therapy process is often unique for each person. While you may have some prior experience with a psychologist - it is okay if you don't. Each psychologist has a unique approach and it is important to find the right fit for you. Asking questions is encouraged.