Billing & Fees
Fees, Billing & Insurance
At Onyx, we provide counselling services to individuals (adults and teens) and couples.
Counselling sessions can be accessed in person at our office located in Sherwood Park or online or by phone across Alberta. We are unable to provide services if you are located (temporarily or permanently) outside of Alberta.
Counselling sessions are 50 minutes in length and billed at the therapist’s rate per hour.
Additional services outside of regular counselling sessions, such as report writing, telephone consultation, letters, and form completion are billed at the therapist’s rate per hour.
Our therapists have different designations/titles, and session fees vary according to each designation.
At Onyx our therapists include: Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, Canadian Certified Counsellors, Mental Health Therapists and Practicum Student Therapists.
Session fees are as follows:
Registered Psychologist or Registered Provisional Psychologist
$220 per 50-minute session
Registered Social Worker
$220 per 50-minute session
Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC)
$160 plus GST per 50-minute session
Practicum Student (Masters Level)
$60 plus GST per 50-minute session
*Student therapists are NOT licensed and are NOT covered by insurance/extended health benefits.
Mental Health Therapist (MHT)
$100 plus GST per 50-minute session
*MHTs are NOT licensed and are NOT covered by insurance/extended health benefits.
Our Psychologists and Social Workers do not offer sliding scale. Lower cost options are provided by our Student Therapists and Mental Health Therapists (MHTs).
If you have insurance coverage, we cannot lower the cost of sessions with a Psychologist or Social Worker to ensure you maximize your benefits. This leaves you with two options: 1) use your benefits on a full-fee provider or 2) pay out of pocket for a lower-cost therapist.
Payment of Fees
At the time of your session, fees are processed to either the credit card we have on file, your health benefits plan, debit, cash or Interac e-transfer payments.
As a client, you are responsible for the full payment of sessions. Any outstanding charges or fees owing will be processed to the card on file unless previous arrangements have been made. This is a standard policy for any business providing a service. Please remember that our services are not funded by the government, and we do not receive grants to operate. If finances are a barrier to receiving therapy, our clinic has other options we can explore or you can be referred to a suitable provider.
Our clinic requires a valid credit card or debit card on file to reserve your appointment times. This does not mean that your card will be charged for the session as you can arrange to pay via the methods below. However, our clinic can refuse service or cancel a session if a valid form of payment is not on file.
Payment Methods: You can choose to pay via debit on site, cash, or e-transfer (info@onyxtherapy.ca). If you are making cash payments, please ensure that you have the exact amount as we are unable to provide change. We still need a valid credit or debit card on file.
If payment is declined, you will need to connect with our office administration to ensure that payment arrangements are made. If arrangements are not made, future sessions may be cancelled or booking suspended until payment is received. Our clinic is very flexible and we want to ensure you can access therapy. If you have any questions or concerns regarding payments, please communicate with us and reach out so we can find a suitable solution.
If you are booking a couples session, each partner is required to have a credit card on their profile (as per our policy). The same card can be used on both profiles if there is consent from both parties. If you are experiencing high conflict or disagreement around payments with your partner, that is something between you and your partner and will need to be sorted out either in or out of session. Again, if you attended a session, you are responsible for payment. While frustration is understood, aggression or abuse will not be tolerated by our administrative staff when they ask for payment.
Cancellations / No-Shows
Counselling services are in high demand and we want to ensure that those who are needing a session can3 schedule with their therapist. We also value the time that our therapists are available to do this work. If you need to cancel or rebook a session, we require a minimum of 24-hours notice.
While we understand that unexpected situations arise, appointments that are no-shows or cancelled with less than 24hrs notice are subject to being charged for the full session time.
This policy is in place to respect the therapists time and allow waitlisted clients the opportunity to be contacted with enough notice. Please ensure you provide sufficient notice if you are unable to make it to your session. Additionally, if you are running late for an appointment, please contact our office so we can inform the therapist or potentially move the appointment to online. If you cannot make it to your in-person session, we can switch to a phone or online sessions to avoid incurring charges.
If you reserve multiple spots and are frequently cancelling, we will need to re-evaluate your readiness for therapy. Your therapist can support you in this decision-making process. Please be aware that reserving a spot and not attending impacts other clients who are waiting for an appointment.
Insurance & Direct Billing
Our clinic offers the complimentary service of direct billing to several providers, depending on the therapist designation.
It is your responsibility to check with your insurance provider before booking to determine if direct billing is allowed for counselling services; which type of therapist is covered under your plan; and the amount of coverage you have. Coverage varies from person to person and plan to plan. At Onyx, we don’t set the rules about coverage. These are determined by your employer and your specific benefits plan.
If we are unable to direct bill, we will issue a receipt for you to submit for reimbursement. Please inform our administrative staff of any billing requirements upfront so we can provide you with the necessary information to make an informed choice.
Note: Sunlife does NOT allow direct billing.
Our Registered Therapists (Registered Psychologists and Registered Social Workers) are typically covered under most insurance plans and we may be able to direct bill to Alberta Blue Cross, Medavie, GreenShield, Canadian Benefit Providers and those that are under the Telus portal including:
For Registered Provisional Psychologists, we can direct bill to Alberta Blue Cross, GreenShield, and Medavie only. For all other plans, you will have to pay the clinic directly and manually submit the receipt for reimbursement.
Clinical Counsellors or CCCs are unable to submit for direct billing – the insurers do not allow it. You will need to pay the clinic directly and manually submit the receipt for reimbursement. CCCs may be covered by
Student Therapists and Mental Health Therapists (MHTs) are not covered under any insurance plans since they are not licensed. Submitting a claim for these therapists using their supervisor information may be considered fraudulent by your insurance provider.
At Onyx, we strictly adhere to the policies and coverage dictated by each individual’s insurance company. We don’t make the rules around billing to insurance plans – your insurance company does. We cannot and will not engage in any billing practices that are fraudulent or that places our practice in a legal or unethical situation.
While we understand that the billing process can be stressful, our clinic holds a zero tolerance policy for aggressive or abusive behaviour, both in-person and over the phone. Please refrain from making demands or engaging in rude or disparaging behaviour towards our staff.
When booking a session with our administrative staff strives to match you with the best-fit therapist for your needs, considering things such as which therapist is best equipped to work with the issues you are seeking therapy for, your availability, and cost considerations. However, we do not know which types or designations of therapist your insurance will cover, nor the amount of coverage you will receive until we bill for the session. Please do not engage in disparaging behaviour if your plan does not cover the therapist or the full amount of the session. Coverage is set by your employer and the plan they have available for you. It is your responsibility to understand what your plan covers and inform us so we can make the best recommendation based on the provided information. If you are unsure about the details of your coverage, we recommend that you contact your insurer(s) before your first appointment.
