Clinic Policies and Procedures

Solstream Counselling and Psychotherapy

Last updated: May 4, 2026

1. Purpose and Scope

These Clinic Policies and Procedures set out the administrative and operational terms that apply to services provided by Solstream Counselling and Psychotherapy (“the Clinic,” “we,” “us,” or “our”).

These policies form part of the service agreement between the Clinic and the client and apply to all professional services offered by the Clinic, including psychotherapy, consultation, documentation, and other related professional services.

For the purposes of this document:

Client, you, or your refers to the person receiving services from the Clinic.
Therapist refers to the regulated clinician providing your care through the Clinic.
Services refers to counselling, psychotherapy, consultation, documentation, and related professional services provided by the Clinic.

By proceeding with services, you acknowledge that you have reviewed and accepted these Policies & Procedures.

2. Virtual-Only Practice

The Clinic provides virtual services only.

Clients must be physically located in Ontario at the time services are provided. At the beginning of each virtual session, your therapist will confirm your identity and your physical location. If you are located outside Ontario at the time of a session, services may need to be postponed, rescheduled, or discontinued, depending on regulatory and clinical considerations.

Additional terms relating to virtual care, privacy, technology, and emergency planning are set out in the Informed Consent & Client Rights document.

3. Appointments and Scheduling

Appointments are scheduled in advance and are reserved specifically for you.

Session lengths are selected at the time of booking. If you would like to request a different session length, this should be discussed with your therapist in advance so that the appropriate time can be reserved.

If you arrive late, your session will generally still end at the scheduled time and the full booked fee will apply.

4. Session Lengths and Fees

Current fees are as follows:

Individual initial assessment (50 minutes): $165
Individual psychotherapy (50 minutes): $165
Report writing / letters: $165 per hour, billed in 15-minute increments
Records review: $165 per hour, billed in 15-minute increments
Other non-session professional services: billed at the applicable hourly rate, in 15-minute increments, unless otherwise stated in writing
Court, legal, and third-party involvement: $300 per hour, subject to the terms set out below
Late cancellation / missed appointment: full scheduled session fee

Fees are charged for professional time reserved or services provided. Services provided outside of scheduled psychotherapy sessions are billed separately at the applicable professional rate, in 15-minute increments, unless otherwise stated in writing. Non-session professional services may include, without limitation, letters, forms, reports, record review, case conferences, collateral contacts, insurer communication, care coordination, and other clinically relevant third-party or professional communications where applicable. Where possible, fees for these services will be discussed in advance. Reimbursement by third-party insurers or benefit plans is not guaranteed.

The Clinic may update its fees from time to time. Clients will be provided with reasonable notice of any fee changes before those changes take effect.

5. Payment and Insurance

Payment is due at the time of service unless another arrangement has been made in writing.

The Clinic accepts e-transfer and credit card.

If payment is not received as required, the Clinic may pause, suspend, or discontinue services until the account is brought current or another arrangement is made.

If an e-transfer is reversed, declined, or not successfully completed, or if a credit card payment is declined, disputed, or otherwise not processed, the outstanding balance remains the client’s responsibility.

For returned payments, failed payments, chargebacks, or non-sufficient funds (“NSF”), the Clinic reserves the right to:

require an alternate form of payment before future appointments are confirmed
place future bookings on hold until the outstanding balance is resolved
charge any reasonable administrative or bank fees actually incurred by the Clinic in relation to the failed payment, where permitted

Clients are responsible for verifying their own extended health insurance coverage, including whether services provided by a Registered Social Worker and/or virtual psychotherapy services are covered under their plan. The Clinic does not currently provide direct billing. Receipts will be provided for clients to submit to their insurer. Clients remain responsible for all fees regardless of insurance reimbursement.

Annual payment summaries may be provided upon request.

A reduced fee or payment arrangement may be offered in limited circumstances at the Clinic’s discretion.

6. Cancellation, Rescheduling, and Missed Appointments

Your appointment time is reserved specifically for you. The Clinic requests at least 48 hours’ notice whenever possible for cancellations or changes.

Appointments cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice, and missed appointments, will generally be charged the full scheduled session fee. This fee is the client’s responsibility and is typically not reimbursed by insurance plans.

Exceptions may be made at the Clinic’s discretion in circumstances such as sudden illness, medical emergency, or other exceptional situations.

Repeated late cancellations, missed appointments, or difficulty attending scheduled sessions may result in review of whether services can continue appropriately.

7. Communication and Administrative Boundaries

If you need to contact the Clinic between sessions for administrative matters, you may leave a voicemail at 437-783-5689 or email admin@solstream-therapy.com.

Messages are not monitored continuously. The Clinic aims to respond to routine administrative communications within approximately 1 to 2 business days, but response times are not guaranteed.

Email and text-based communication should be limited to scheduling, billing, and other administrative matters. These methods of communication are not intended for urgent concerns, emergencies, or detailed clinical discussions.

To protect confidentiality and maintain appropriate professional boundaries, the therapist does not accept friend, contact, or connection requests from current or former clients on personal or professional social networking platforms.

8. Non-Emergency Nature of Services

The Clinic does not provide emergency or crisis services and does not monitor voicemail, email, or other communication channels continuously.

If you are in crisis or require urgent support, do not use email, voicemail, or the virtual session platform to seek emergency help.

In case of a mental health crisis in Ontario:

Call or text 988
Call 911
Attend your nearest emergency department

Where there are serious and immediate safety concerns, the therapist may take reasonable steps permitted or required by law and professional obligations, including contacting emergency services where clinically appropriate.

9. Records and Administrative Practices

The Clinic maintains records of services provided in accordance with applicable law and professional standards.

These records may include administrative information, booking history, billing records, clinical notes, and other documentation reasonably related to services provided.

Requests for access to records, transfer of records, or correction of records should be made in writing. Such requests will be handled in accordance with applicable privacy law and professional standards. Under Ontario privacy law, access requests must generally be answered within 30 calendar days, unless a lawful extension applies.

Records are retained in accordance with legal and professional requirements. The current published OCSWSSW standard states that client records must be stored and preserved in a secure location for at least 10 years from the date of the last entry, or, if the client was less than 18 years of age at the date of the last entry, at least 10 years from the day the client became or would have become 18.

Further information about privacy practices, use and disclosure of personal health information, safeguards, and access/correction rights is set out in the Clinic’s Privacy Notice / Notice of Information Practices.

10. Third-Party Services, Reports, and Legal / Court Involvement

Services that fall outside regular psychotherapy sessions are billed separately.

This may include, for example:

letters
forms
report writing
records review
case conferences
telephone consultations with third parties
requests from insurers, employers, lawyers, or other third parties, including clinically relevant communication or coordination related to care
court-related preparation, attendance, testimony, waiting time, travel time, and related communications

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, non-session professional services are billed at the applicable hourly rate in 15-minute increments. Court, legal, and third-party involvement is billed at $300 per hour.

Court-related and legal services are not included in psychotherapy fees and may require:

advance review of the request
the therapist’s agreement to participate
a minimum time commitment
advance payment before any time is reserved
a signed authorization, where applicable

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, court-related work is subject to a minimum 5-hour commitment. This minimum may include preparation, document review, report writing, consultation with legal representatives, travel time, waiting time, attendance, and testimony.

Payment for court-related or legal services must be received at least 5 business days in advance of the scheduled court date, deadline, meeting, or other reserved professional time. Once time has been reserved, payment may be non-refundable, regardless of whether the matter proceeds, is adjourned, settles, or is withdrawn.

The Clinic may decline involvement in legal, court, employer, insurer, or other third-party matters where such involvement is outside scope, clinically inappropriate, ethically problematic, or otherwise not feasible.

Where a subpoena, court order, or other legal process is received, the Clinic will respond in accordance with legal and professional obligations.

11. Suspension, Discontinuation, and Termination of Services

Therapy may end when treatment goals have been met, when the client chooses to stop, or when the therapist determines that services are no longer clinically appropriate or cannot be provided safely, effectively, or ethically.

The Clinic may pause, suspend, discontinue, or terminate services in circumstances including, but not limited to:

repeated missed appointments or late cancellations
non-payment or unresolved account issues
needs that are outside the therapist’s scope of practice or competence
circumstances in which continued care would be unsafe, clinically inappropriate, or unethical
inability to provide services in compliance with applicable regulatory or jurisdictional requirements

If services are discontinued or terminated, the Clinic will, where appropriate, provide information about alternative supports or referral options. Clients may also seek services from another provider at any time.

If no appointment is scheduled or attended for 4 consecutive weeks and no other arrangements have been made, the file may be administratively closed.

12. Feedback, Concerns, and Complaints

The Clinic values feedback and encourages clients to raise concerns directly where they feel comfortable doing so.

If you have concerns about services provided, you may discuss them with your therapist. You also have the right to make a complaint to the therapist’s regulatory body:

Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW)
Phone: 1-877-828-9380
Email: investigations@ocswssw.org

Privacy-related concerns may also be directed to the Clinic in accordance with the Privacy Notice / Notice of Information Practices.

13. Policy Changes

The Clinic may update these Policies & Procedures from time to time.

Material changes will be communicated through appropriate means, which may include Jane App, email, updated intake documents, website posting, or other reasonable notice. Updated policies apply as of the effective date indicated in the revised version.

14. Contact Information

Joselin Lai, MSW, RSW
Solstream Counselling and Psychotherapy
Phone: 437-783-5689
Email: admin@solstream-therapy.com