Frequently Asked Questions:
If you are unable to find answers to your questions on this page, please reach out to us at info@acornandanchor.com
BASICS:
How do I make a referral?
To make a referral, contact our administrator at info@acornandanchor.com
Please see our Team page to find out more about each therapist. There are links to see more info on the Team page as well.
What ages do you work with?
We have therapists who specialize in work with children as young as 4+ and who have research background and experience working with perinatal, infant and early childhood mental health as well. We have a range of therapists who work with all ages from 4 to 84 (or more) to meet your needs!
When are sessions available?
Each therapist at the Centre makes their own schedule. Therapists offer their first available weekly session time.
Typically, after school/work or weekend spots fill up quickly. We highly recommend that you consider accepting an offered spot, even if it is not the best timing, as once you are seeing the therapist, they will offer you the first available time of your choice if/when it becomes available (before offering it to a new client).
We believe that building relationship and trust is a solid foundation for good therapy and therapists offer regular weekly sessions for at least 6-12 weeks before considering a move to biweekly sessions.
What are your hourly fees?
Our individual session fees vary by therapist, rates range from $175-$250 per 50 minute session. Intake sessions are slightly longer (60-70 minutes) and involve more administrative work. Fees for intake range from $275 - $305. Please ask our intake coordinator about fees for your therapist. Most insurance companies cover RSW/MSW and Psychotherapy (RP) services. Check your own for details.
Do therapists offer a sliding scale?
Each of our therapists may choose to offer a specific number of sliding scale sessions to clients. Typically, clients who are actively working with a therapist would be offered the sliding scale option, if needed, as we highly value relationship in therapy. If you request a reduced rate, we will do our best to match you to a therapist that is able to accommodate your needs.
Do you offer online/video sessions?
Most therapists are able to offer in-person, video sessions, or a hybrid of both depending on your needs. We strongly recommend in-person sessions initially for all clients (4-6 sessions minimum to build rapport with your therapist) before moving to online sessions however, we know that not everyone is able to do this. For young people under 16, we recommend in-person sessions throughout unless there is an unusual circumstance or a long distance preventing this.
I sent an email, why haven’t I heard back?
Unfortunately, some email service providers may mark our business email address as SPAM or file it in a different folder or tab. Please check for emails from info@acornandanchor.com and add us as a trusted email. You can also use our contact form & add our email as a trusted source.
OUR PROCESS:
How do I know which therapist is the right fit?
All of our therapists are highly skilled and have been invited to join our team, because of this. Our specialized team receives clinical support and supervision with our clinic director, and Founder, Michelle L. Guy.
We do our best to match you with a therapist who would be the best fit to meet all of your needs (including sliding scale options, times of sessions, and the shortest wait). Our Referral/Intake Coordinator provides an extensive and well-established client/therapist matching system using secure email and referral questions designed to ensure “the right fit.” We also provide profiles of our therapists that you can read on our Team page (you can click on the therapist to access their profile page). Be sure to ask for the therapists rates.
Can I book a phone consultation?
Once you have been matched with a therapist, they may offer a 15-20 minute phone consultation or you may communicate by email to answer your questions.
Our intake session is the best place to get to know your therapist and ask questions. If it turns out that it does not feel like the best fit, you can let our coordinator know and she will match you to a new therapist. You will not be required to complete a new intake session.
I really want my child/teen to come to therapy but they don't want to come, what should I do?
Therapy requires 'buy-in' from clients, and relationships can not be forced in a therapeutic setting. We can, however, provide parent/caregiver support and consultation that may be helpful in home and school environments and this may also lead to your young person becoming interested in coming too. We are also open to meeting with a young person, if they are open to showing up, and doing our best to engage them in a meaningful way.
What types of therapy do you provide?
All of our therapists use a relational, attachment-based approach that integrates a variety of evidence-based methods. We are client-focused, which means we work with each individual to understand them, and their unique needs. Many "textbook" approaches are not the best fit for the population we serve. We use elements of various modalities to best meet our client's where they are at. These may include trauma-focused, CBT, DBT, IFS, strengths-based, neurobiology, EMDR, as well as other modalities as appropriate. Please see our "About Us", "Our Team" and blog posts on the Acorn and Anchor Approach for more information.
What happens once I am matched with a therapist?
In order to book an appointment with a therapist, individuals will be asked to sign up for an account using Owl Practice, our secure and encrypted service platform. This includes adding personal information and your payment details (a credit card that will be used to process payments following sessions). Any member of the family including the primary parent of a child or youth must have an account in order to ensure invoices and receipts are accurate for your insurance and our records. Intake sessions for kids and teens (if residing with a parent) will involve a parent attending for at least part of the intake session unless otherwise arranged. Your private card details are not seen by us, and are not visible in your account (except the last 4 digits). They will never be seen in your child/youth’s account either. Receipts are provided for clients to claim with their private insurance.
What happens after I sign up for my account?
Once this is done, you will have access to your private account on Owl. Keep the webpage in your favorites to access it easily. You will be emailed a link (via OWL) with some forms to complete. PLEASE check your spam or other folders for these, the forms can only be accessed using the link in the email.
Our forms include information about you (as a client, or the parent/caregiver of a client), confidentiality and informed consent, cancellation policies, and online privacy policy and must be submitted at least 48 hours prior to your intake session. If you have trouble, contact info@acornandanchor.com for support.
Owl Practice also includes a private messaging system for you and your therapist which we ask all clients to use. You will also be able to see your next scheduled appointment, and join your online session this way. Owl also sends appointment reminders, and session receipts via email. To cancel an appointment, you can use secure messaging or email your individual therapist.
What if I am not satisfied with the therapist match?
If you have met with your therapist for the intake session or ongoing appointments and you feel that it may not be the best fit for you/your child, please let us know at info@acornandanchor.com and we can help problem solve, or match you with a new therapist here at the Centre.
PARENTS/Families/Couples:
What if my child/youth is the client?
If your child or teen is the identified client we require a parent AND the child to have an active account with us. It is best if they are able to access their own account using a different email than yours as therapists may send check-in messages, activity suggestions, or links to videos. There are also instructions to sign up a younger (under 10) who does not have their own email address. They will still be able to sign onto the OWL account but will not receive notifications using this format. Your child/youth will also receive some forms to submit (if over 10).
We do ask that caregivers have regular check-in sessions, and may recommend parent sessions or workshops at the Centre. It is a key indicator of success for parents/caregivers to be involved in the process of change with their child/youth.
Do you work with families/parents/caregivers?
Absolutely! We provide therapy, psycho-education, and support for parents/caregivers regarding a child or teen's struggles based on the symptoms, exceptionalities and neurodiversity and best practice. Parent sessions may include strategies for parents, and tools to try at home. We also offer parent or family workshops throughout the year. As noted, we highly value trust from your child and will not share information that is confidential without their consent. This may feel counter intuitive, however, when trust is established, most young people are able to have sessions together with their parents, or give consent to their therapist.
If a parent requests their own ongoing therapy, or family sessions, we may recommend a different therapist at the Centre in order to maintain trust and an ongoing relationship with your child.
What if the parents are separated or divorced?
While we most certainly value the perspectives and involvement of each caregiver/parent, if there is a court order in place regarding custody, we will have to explore this on a case by case basis. Depending on the age and ability of a child to give consent on their own, we may require consent from the other legal guardian.
We do NOT provide home assessments, information, or opinions about caregivers, or letters to lawyers/court. Any services provided outside of sessions incur fees as outlined in our policies.
I am the parent, don’t I have a right to my child’s information?
We highly value our child and teen client's privacy and trust. Therapists will not disclose anything from sessions without your child's explicit consent (unless it is exempt from confidentiality rules). We do our absolute best to work with youth to help them understand the importance of parent involvement in therapy.
Do you provide couples or family therapy?
Some therapists offer couples work and some offer family sessions. Please see the “Our Team” page to find out who.
What about psychological evaluations or educational assessments?
If you are seeking a Psychological Assessment or Psycho-Educational Assessment, we can help! For clients at the Centre who are seeing a therapist, we can connect you with out on-site Psychologist for an assessment. It is important that you and your therapist discuss the risks and benefits and determine if an assessment is the right step for you or your child/teen.
Assessments can also be very important in helping to guide your therapist in providing psychoeducation to you and your young person that will help them to understand and manage symptoms, reduce shame or blame of self, enhance self-worth and enhance the parent-child relationship.
Additionally, if you are seeking special school-based support from elementary to post-secondary, a full assessment from a registered Psychologist will be most effective (and is required by most educational systems) at explaining your child/youth's needs for accommodations or technological support.
INSURANCE:
Do you bill insurance directly?
We do not offer direct billing to insurance or third party billing. It is your responsibility to make a claim with your insurance provider directly using your own therapist’s name and registration number (provided on your receipt).
Our practice management system (Owl Practice) uses a secure payment site (Stripe) to charge the payment card on your account. OWL Practice will email receipts after the fees have been processed at the end of each week. You can also access them on your Owl online portal. PLEASE be sure to update your credit card as needed.