Fees & Payment Options
Our fees range from $30 to $180 per session depending on the type of session required and which therapist you see. GST will be added to all Counsellor fees. Social Workers are GST exempt.
A valid credit card number is required in order to book any sessions however we have a variety of payment options available including cash, cheque, debit, credit card and Interact eTransfer. (***UPDATE: Due to COVID-19, we ask that you avoid paying in cash or cheques, and are requesting on file credit cards whenever possible to eliminate traffic into the admin office)
Payment of Fees & Receipts
Stewart & Associates requires payment prior to the commencement of each session. A receipt will be provided to you either physically or by email (if remote or specifically requested). You may be required to submit your receipt to your extended health benefits plan provider for reimbursement (if your plan covers our services). Therefore, it is your responsibility to retain the receipts for your records.
Sliding Scale Fee – We are accepting new clients!
We are proud to offer a sliding scale fee to ensure that our services are accessible to low income families and individuals. However, our Counsellors only have a limited number of sliding scale spots available. This scale is based on your gross family monthly income (before taxes). This helps to ensure that your fee is proportionate to your income. Therefore, please be prepared to provide your financial information if you are requesting a sliding scale fee.
We realize that your financial circumstances may change. If that happens we would be happy to reassess your fee which could increase or decrease depending on your circumstances.
Periodically our fees may increase and we will do our best to provide one month’s notice for current clients. However, if you haven’t attended recent sessions you may need to confirm your rate.
Please note that the number of sessions provided by interns are limited as our Interns are only here for a short period of time. After your 6th session, you and your counsellor will evaluate how the counselling is going and decide on how many more sessions are required.
Many of our payment options require you to pay up front for your session with the exception of EAPs, RHAP, Nisga’a & First Nations, CVAP and ICBC. Your payment options will be confirmed at time of Intake.
When you are ready to schedule your first appointment, please complete our Intake Form and someone will call you as soon as possible.
Extended Health Medical Plans
Our team consists of highly skilled Masters Level Registered Clinical Social Workers (RCSW), Registered Social Workers (RSW) and Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCC). All of our therapists have extensive training and experience to work effectively with a wide variety of commonly presented issues including anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, grief and loss, self-esteem and personality and relationship conflicts.
Our services are covered by many extended health benefits plans; however, this depends on your specific plan. In order to ensure we match you with the right therapist you must confirm with your plan provider which of our 3 designations you are covered for. Please note we do not have any Psychologists at this time.
RCSW – Registered Clinical Social Worker is a separate class of Registered Social Worker which also requires the social worker to have extensive clinical experience and coursework and to pass a national board exam. RCSWs are members of the BC College of Social Workers. Ruth-Ann Stewart is our only RCSW.
RSW – Registered Social Worker is a designation available to social workers with a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral degree in social work, providing they also meet other professional standards. RSWs are members of the BC College of Social Workers. Richard Marquez , Meena Hukam and Karen Tennock and John Segui are our RSW here.
RCC – Registered Clinical Counsellors is a designation open to practitioners with counselling-related Master’s degrees and meeting other clinical standards. RCCs are members of the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. Currently we have five RCCs – Susan Giles, Laura Chiarenza, Ronak Samadi, and Teah Scotten.
At Stewart & Associates the main difference between our Social Workers and our Counsellors is simply their designation. They each provide similar therapeutic mental health services. However, Social Workers are a member of a college whose mandate is to serve and protect public interest by regulating the practice of the profession and governing its members. The BC College of Social Workers (BCCSW) also has particular legislation, defining their member’s scope of practice, that members are required to abide by. Unfortunately there is no college or regulatory body for counsellors. The main mandate of the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) is to represent the “voice” of the profession.
Before you contact us:
You must contact your plan provider to determine whether your plan covers our services. Most plans do not cover all three of these designations so it’s important to know what coverage you have before you contact us.
1. Which designation does your plan cover?
- Registered Clinical Counselors (RCC)
- Registered Clinical Social Workers (RCSW)
- Registered Social Workers (RSW)
2. Does your plan require that the therapist hold a specific Master’s degree (i.e. Masters of Social Work, MSW)?
3. How much does your plan cover per calendar year?
We do not offer direct billing to plan providers. Therefore, you will be required to pay our fee upfront then submit the receipt to your plan provider for reimbursement.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
We contract with most of the Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), and Employee Family Assistance Program (EFAP) in BC including HCEAP and Arete, and have extensive experience with workplace conflict. The number of sessions available depend on your plan.
Please consult with your Human Resources Department in order to determine whether or not you are covered by an EAP or EFAP.
Ruth-Ann Stewart, Richard Marquez, Ronak Samadi, Meena Hukam and Susan Giles are all contracted service providers to the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA). If you have Status, you may be eligible to receive funding for counselling services. You will also need a Personal Health Number (PHN) also known as a BC Care Card.
Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP)
If you have been a victim, are an immediate family member of a victim, or are a witness to a crime in British Columbia and have a claim number, you may qualify for financial assistance (funding) for our counselling services. For more information on the Crime Victim Assistance Program click here or email cvap@gov.bc.ca
All of our licensed therapists with the exception of Karen Tennock are registered service providers with the Crime Victim Assistance Program.
If you have been in a motor vehicle accident you automatically qualify for up to 12 counselling sessions within 12 weeks of the accident, paid for by ICBC. When you complete the intake form please make sure to include your ICBC Claim # and the date of the accident. Visit ICBC Subsidized Counselling for more information. While you can see any counsellor here, only Laura Chiarenza, Meena Hukam, and Teah Scotten are registered to direct bill to ICBC. If seeing our unregistered counsellors, you would pay for the appointment upfront and submit your receipt to ICBC for reimbursement.
Residential Historical Abuse Program (RHAP)
The Residential Historical Abuse Program (RHAP) funds counselling for adults who were sexually abused when they were a child living in a provincial government foster home, group home or residential facility. Richard Marquez and Laura Chiarenza are registered service providers with RHAP.