Victoria BC Practice of Krystyna Kinowski

To inquire further or to make an appointment, call 250-380-0361 or e-mail me at kkinowski201@hotmail.com.

Teletherapy hours
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: 11am to 3pm
 

Informed consent for teletherapy
After our initial contact, I will email a document called Informed Consent for Teletherapy  that has information about confidentiality and technical/practical  issues.  Read this over and send me a signed and dated copy if you wish to proceed.  I will then email a service planning document and complete p2. after we have talked about your goals in seeing me. 

You can be anywhere in BC for teletherapy provided your internet speed is at least 8mbps. You can check your internet speed by going to www.fast.com.  Please note that a satellite internet connection may not be stable enough for teletherapy, especially in stormy weather.

Teletherapy preparation
We establish a time for our session by email or phone.  Approximately 15 minutes before your session, I will email you a teletherapy link to click on at our appointment time.  

Find a private place where you can sit with some back support.  Have a water bottle, or a cup of tea/coffee nearby.  Gather up an extra pillow, a blanket, a box of tissues, and a notebook and pen.  And last, check the volume setting on your computer.

Fees and payment 
My hourly fee is $190.  After your teletherapy session, sign into your online banking and select email transfer.  Then send $190 via Interac e-Transfer to my direct deposit account at the Royal Bank using kkinowski201@hotmail.com. You do not need a password.  I receive a confirmation email from the Royal Bank and then I email a paid-in-full invoice to you. This includes my registration number, 0941, with the College of Psychologists of BC.

The fees for psychological services may be partly covered under an extended health plan, the same plan that reimburses you for medications, eyeglasses and so on.  The Federal Government, for instance, has an extended health plan that covers $2000 for registered psychologist fees.  Read the fine print in your extended health plan to see how the coverage is structured over time and if a doctor’s referral is required.  There is no GST on direct, face-to-face psychological services.

Appointments and cancellations
I make and change my own appointments.  If I'm not in session, I even answer my own phone!  If you leave a message on my voice mail, no-one hears it except myself.
If you need to cancel or change an appointment, leave a voice mail message at 250 380-0361 or email  kkinowski201@hotmail.com.  Please try to give me 24 hours' notice.  No-shows without notice cost $50 unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Confidentiality
Our appointments are confidential.  This means I don’t talk to anyone about your test results or therapy without your permission.  The exceptions to this are a court-ordered release of your clinical file, suspected child abuse, or if I think you or someone else are at imminent risk of harm.  I regularly participate in consultation groups with other psychologists.  I may discuss your case anonymously as part of my ongoing continuing education.  Please note that email communication is not completely secure so avoid emailing a lot of personal information about yourself.

Length of sessions
Teletherapy sessions are usually an hour.  I space my appointments so we can go a little longer if you want or need to.  EMDR sessions in trauma work may be 75 minutes.  My fee is prorated by time for longer sessions.  If a teletherapy session is interrupted by a power failure, you will only be charged for our actual session time.

Your file
I am required by the College of Psychologists to keep my clinical notes for seven years.  You may see your file at any time and have a copy at cost.

Telephone consultations
If you wish to talk something over with me in between appointments, just call 250 380-0361.  If I’m not available, leave a message with some possible times when I could call you.  These consultations are billable if over 10 minutes, but they are cost-effective and invariably helpful.

FAQ
The most frequently asked question is what is the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist.  Psychiatrists are medically trained first, and then they specialize in psychiatry. There is a lot of overlap in the coursework and supervised training between the two professions.  Psychiatrists also prescribe medication.  In BC, psychologists cannot although they can in certain USA states.