Scheduling / Fees

Appointments are available Monday through Friday.  A limited number of appointments are available in the evenings and on weekends.  Evening and weekend appointments tend to fill up quickly, so if you require a session in the evening, or on the weekend, it is recommended that you schedule your appointment well in advance.Individual psychotherapy sessions are usually 50-minutes long, while couple counselling sessions can be scheduled for 50-minutes or 80-minutes.

A lot of clients wonder: how often should I plan to meet with my psychologist?  The answer is: it depends.  The client’s objectives, availability, budget, and personal preference, all influence the frequency of sessions.

In many cases, clients benefit from weekly sessions to begin with.  Then, after they have attained their highest-priority goals, they transition to meeting every second week.  In particularly difficult periods they can temporarily increase the frequency of sessions.  In short—it’s flexible, and you have the right to decide how often you want to meet with your psychologist.

To schedule an appointment, please call 250-532-1845, and my administrator can set up an appointment for you.  Or, to reach me directly, please email michael@drmichaelberry.com.  For emails and voicemail messages, you can expect to hear back promptly, usually within 2 business days.

My standard rate for psychological services is $250/hour.  I ask for 48-hours notice if you wish to reschedule or cancel an appointment (notwithstanding emergency situations). If 48-hours notice is not provided, I may ask you to pay for the missed session.

If you have private health insurance (i.e. insurance provided by an employer, for example), you may be able to get reimbursement for some portion of the fees you pay for psychotherapy.  You will need to find out if your insurance plan covers services administered by psychologists licensed by the College of Psychologists of BC.

Cash, cheque, e-transfer, debit or credit card (a 3-percent transaction fee applies to debit and credit card transactions).

My fair service policy is a “sliding-scale” program, which is designed to accommodate those in financial need, by allowing people of limited means to pay a reduced rate for my services.

For me, helping others is a great privilege, and I do not want money to be an obstacle for the people I work with. So, I allocate a portion of my weekly work hours to providing services a reduced rate, to motivated clients who have limited financial resources. For these appointments, priority is given to:

• students
• artists whose income is derived solely or primarily from their artistic work, and
• members of the lgbtq+ community.

If you would like to meet with me, but money is tight, please get in touch. I may be able to accommodate you at a reduced rate, or provide a referral to accessible services in the area.