FAQ
Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCC) have a Master’s degree and are trained in a variety of areas in the counselling field while Registered Psychologists (PhD or PsyD) have additional training including expertise in assessments. If you are solely looking for an assessment/obtain a diagnosis, we would recommend you to see a Registered Psychologist.
Please be aware: at this moment the term “counsellor” is not regulated in BC, which means that anyone can call themselves a “counsellor” or “coach” without the appropriate training. When searching for the right health practitioner, we advise you to choose a counsellor with at least a Master’s degree in the counselling field.
Registered Clinical Counsellors at Aster Wellness Centre all have a Master’s Degree in the counselling field and are part of the BCACC.
At this moment, our office is not wheel chair accessible since we don’t have an elevator in our building.
If there are any mobility issues, please contact our clinic. We apologize for any inconveniences.
We bill ICBC directly for you!
Initial Appointment:
We require the following information:
- Personal Credit Card Information
- Claim Number
- Date of Accident
- Date of Birth
- Personal Health Number
- Adjuster and Lawyer names and contact
Once we have this information we will book you an initial appointment. Please note: initial ICBC appointments are billed at a different rate than subsequent appointments to cover documentation required from practitioners.
Aster Wellness is not responsible for coordinating claims with adjusters.
Coverage (GST included):
Massage: ICBC covers $112.35 for the initial appointment and $84 for subsequent visits (up to 12 appointments total)
Counselling: ICBC covers $126 for 12 appointments. A report fee is included in the cost of the initial appointment and is covered entirely by ICBC.
Clients are responsible for paying the following: any additional amount for the appointment not covered by ICBC, and for no show/late cancellation fees. No shows/cancellations are charged at the full cost of the appointment. These charges (including GST) are as follows:
| Cost | ICBC Pays | Amount to Client |
Massage Initial- 60min | $112.35 | $112.35 | $0 |
Massage Subsequent- 45min | $94.50 | $84 | $10.50 |
Massage Subsequent- 60min | $115.50 | $84 | $31.50 |
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Counselling Initial- 50min | $225.75 | $220.50 | $5.25 |
Counselling Subsequent- 50min | $131.25 | $126 | $5.25 |
We will do our best to ensure clients get treatment extensions approved by ICBC before the end of their coverage. However, we do require cooperation from clients to make sure this process goes as smoothly as possible.
Timeline:
ICBC preapproves clients for 12 treatments of each massage and counselling. These treatments are to be completed within three months of the date of accident. Treatments that take place outside of this range may not be covered by ICBC
Client Responsibilities:
Clients should do their best to keep us updated on their current adjuster. This makes it easier to coordinate their claim coverage.
All clients are required to have their credit card on file prior to their first appointment.
Treatment is different for everyone as we are all unique. During your sessions with your health practitioners at Aster Wellness Centre, there will be room to discuss your treatment plan.
Please fill out the intake forms that are required for your appointments. They can be found online on your Jane account or we also have paper copies in the waiting area. In case you still need to fill out the intake forms, we advise you to arrive 10 minutes prior to your appointment.
When arriving at our clinic, please have a seat in our waiting area. Our office staff or practitioner will be right with you.
Reception hours are Mo-Fri (9.30 am-5.30 pm) and Saturdays (11 am-3 pm). If your appointment is scheduled outside of the reception hours, we kindly ask you to have a seat in the waiting area. Your practitioner might still be in session and will be right with you.
Clients are required to have a look at their insurance coverage to make sure that any of our services are covered. Most insurances will reimburse for counselling sessions with RCCs, visits with Naturopathic Doctors, nutrition counselling sessions with Registered Dietitians, and Registered Massage Therapy. If any of our services are not covered by your insurance, we advise you to contact your insurance directly to alter your insurance plan.
We offer direct billing to the following insurances for Registered Massage Therapy and Naturopathic Medicine:
- Medavie Blue Cross (Canadian Armed Forces, RCMP, Veterans Affairs) (Only Nina Bartel, RMT)
- First Canadian Group of Companies
- Pacific Blue Cross
- Green Shield Canada
- CINUP
- Johnson Insurance
- Manulife
- Great-West Life
- Chambers of Commerce Group insurance plan
- Desjardins
- Cowan Insurance Group
- Sun Life Financial
- Industrial Alliance
In case we are not able to direct bill for your appointment (due to issues with individual benefits plan, portal issues, or any other concern), clients are required to pay upfront and submit the receipt to their insurance.
We are unable to do direct billing for sessions with Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCCs), Registered Dietitians, and Bowen Therapy except in the case of Green Shield. Payment will be processed at the end of each session, and you will be able to send in your receipt to your insurance, if applicable.