Practice Policies
How the practice runs
Availability, booking, cancellations, payment and everything else worth knowing before you start. Written plainly so there are no surprises.
Communication
Availability and communication
Flora is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. If she doesn’t reply immediately she may be with another client, and will respond within one business day of receiving your email, or sooner where possible. Messages received outside those hours may not be answered until working hours.
In-office appointments are Thursdays, 11am to 6pm (last session 5pm). These times are subject to change.
Therapy cannot be provided over text or email, because neither is a confidential platform. If something comes up between sessions, note it down and bring it to the next one. If you need to be seen sooner, you are welcome to ask, and we will do our best to accommodate.
This practice is not a crisis service. If you are in crisis, at risk of harm, or need immediate support, contact 911, the Distress Centres of Greater Toronto on 416-408-4357, or 9-8-8. All operate 24 hours a day, every day of the year. For children and youth, Kids Help Phone is 1-800-668-6868.
Appointments
Booking
Please book as early as you can, because the schedule fills quickly. Time slots cannot be held or promised. If you want a weekly recurring session, it is strongly advised to book several weeks ahead.
Flora checks in at the end of each session and offers you the chance to book the next one. Schedules change, and we will do our best to accommodate.
Cancellations and no-shows
The 24-hour policy
When you book an appointment, that time is set aside for you and only you. Flora never double-books. In return, please arrive on time, or give enough notice if you need to reschedule.
- Cancelling: email at least 24 hours before your appointment. Without that notice, the full session fee applies.
- Running late: if you have not arrived 15 minutes after the start time, the session is treated as a no-show and the full fee applies. Email if you still want the appointment and we will try to accommodate.
- In-office appointments follow the same policy. Email if you cannot attend and we can usually switch you to phone or video instead.
- Genuine emergencies such as sudden illness or a family emergency may be excepted, at your therapist’s discretion. Tell us as early as you can.
- If Flora cancels because she is unwell or has an emergency, you are not charged, and she will reschedule as promptly as she can.
Keeping track of your scheduled session is your responsibility. Missed appointments prevent other clients from being seen.
Payment
Fees and how to pay
Payment is due either before your session or within 24 hours of completing it.
Fees are subject to yearly increases. If rates change, existing clients are notified 30 days in advance and stay at their original rate for those 30 days.
Documentation
Notes, reports and documentation
Reports and letters are billed at $150, because they require additional time for a case review. Please give seven business days’ notice. Requests made in a shorter window cannot be guaranteed.
A summary is provided rather than raw case notes.
Requests for clinical documents or administrative work outside standard session summaries, including forms, insurance documentation, or correspondence with third parties, are billed at the current hourly session rate, prorated to the time required. This is consistent with the standards of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and Ontario regulations on fair and transparent billing.
You will be told the expected fee before the document is prepared, and payment is required when the request is made. Following up with insurers, lawyers or employers about reimbursement is the client’s responsibility.
Legal
Court and legal matters
Flora will not appear in court, or supply file information on behalf of either party, in a marital or child custody dispute.
If your file is subpoenaed, an administrative fee applies for preparation time, at your therapist’s discretion. If Flora is subpoenaed as a witness, you may be responsible for the costs incurred, including legal consultation, travel, and time lost from practice.
Termination
Ending therapy
If four weeks pass after your last appointment without another booked, Flora may email to check in. There is no obligation to book; it is simply a check-in.
If she doesn’t hear back within four weeks of that check-in, she will assume services have ended and begin closing your file. If you get in touch after that, a spot cannot be guaranteed and you may be placed on a waiting list.
Questions about any of this? Ask before you book
The free 15-minute consult is a good place to raise anything here.