What services are offered by Think Recovery?
Services offered include:
- Mental health education via website articles
- Mental health education via podcasts
- Webinars on behavioural change and mental health topics
- Virtual, group meditations
- Professionally facilitated group therapy (Recovery Circles – cost associated; details here)
- Individual, multidisciplinary assessment (cost associated; details here) and individual followup therapy appointments
- Virtual, on-demand, self-paced courses (not yet launched)
- Online community for support in recovery from behavioural and mental health issues (not yet launched)
You can read more about how we help, here.
Are family medicine services offered at Think Recovery?
No. Only virtual psychotherapy services are offered to people living throughout Alberta with a valid Alberta Health Card. If you are in need of a family physician you are encouraged to call Healthlink at 811, or visit this website: https://albertafindadoctor.ca/ for more information.
How can I access services of Think Recovery?
There are two ways people can sign up to access services of Think Recovery:
- Have your physician send a referral to Think Recovery (click here for detail)
- Book directly by signing up via our secure registration form located here
*Note that a valid Alberta Health Care number is required to access services of Think Recovery.
What services can I access for free?
- Reading the expert-written articles available on the website
- Listening to the podcast on-demand
- Attending live webinars on behaviour change & mental health related topics
- Attending virtual group meditations
Are in-person services available?
Think Recovery only provides virtual services. As part of being referred to the clinic by a physician, or if self-referring, you understand that you must visit your family physician and/or the referring physician for any in-person services you may require. Otherwise, you must seek in-person care at a health care facility local to you (ex. Family physician office, walk-in clinic, urgent care, or emergency department) as required for your health care needs, call Health Link at 811 for health advice/information/assistance finding a family physician, or call 911 if you are in medical distress.
How can I sign up to attend a live webinar, or group meditation?
Complete the patient registration form located here. By doing so you will receive an email with the details to join the online videoconference as well as receive reminder emails. These services are free to attend with a valid Alberta Health Card number.
How can I sign up to a Recovery Circle?
Recovery Circles are virtual therapy groups that are professionally facilitated by a physician and psychotherapist.
Signing up for the Recovery Circles is a 6 week commitment. This is done to to promote accountability, maintain group integrity, maintain group safety, build group cohesion, and group trust. Recovery Circles are facilitated by a physician and a psychotherapist. There is a fee associated with attending these meetings.
Participants are limited to 6 per group and these groups run for 90 minutes once weekly. At the time of signing up, a commitment to attend the group once weekly for six consecutive weeks is required. To sign up for a Recovery Circle, you must first complete an individual assessment to assess whether it would be advisable for you.
What happens in Recovery Circles?
Recovery Circles are virtual therapy group sessions that are professionally facilitated by a physician and a psychotherapist. They are limited to a maximum of 6 participants in order to allow ample time for each participant to share as well as to allow for group discussion at the end.
Each Recovery Circle starts with a participant reading out the Group Agreements for everyone. This is followed by each of the facilitators sharing a check-in of current feelings, stressors, life events, things they are working on in their personal or professional growth.
Each participant will then follow by providing a check-in as well of their current feelings, stressors, life events, prior personal issues or life events that they would like to share, process, or ask for feedback from the group.
Once everyone has shared, each of the facilitators will provide a reflection of the themes that have emerged in the session. The facilitators will then allow for group discussion, inviting participants to share further if they would like, to ask any questions, or to request any feedback on personal issues.
Each Recovery Circle ends with a ritual of one of the participants volunteering to read an inspirational quote from a book provided by the facilitators.
Is there a cost for the Recovery Circles?
Signing up for the Recovery Circles is a 6 week commitment. This is done to to promote accountability, maintain group integrity, maintain group safety, build group cohesion, and group trust. Recovery Circles are facilitated by a physician and a psychotherapist.
The total cost associated with this 6 week commitment is $360. The Recovery Circles take place on the same day per week and at the same time, for 90 minutes, with each group limited to a maximum of 6 participants to allow each participant ample time to share as well as to allow for group discussion. The $360 cost averages out to $40/hr of group session time (6 weekly sessions at 90 minutes per week), which is professionally facilitated by a physician and a psychotherapist.
This is quite economical compared to current rates for individual therapy services where social workers and psychologists in Alberta charge $220 per 50 minute session for individual therapy.
There are further benefits to group sessions as they allow for the lessening of feelings of shame, isolation, and loneliness as participants hear others share similar struggles, they allow participants to learn from others as they hear about how they navigate life challenges, and group sessions also allow for the development of relational skills through improving interpersonal communication and forming new support networks.
What should I do if I am having a medical emergency?
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911 and/or visit your nearest emergency department immediately.
Resources for mental health crises include:
- Distress Line Edmonton (780) 482-4357
- Distress Centre Calgary (403) 266-1601
- Talk Suicide Canada 1-833-456-4566
- Alberta 24/7 Addiction Helpline 1-866-332-2322
Are refunds offered?
No. The only exception to this would be if canceling the initial intake assessment with sufficient advance notice (48 hours or more). If any unpaid balances have been incurred with the clinic then there will be no refunds. Any refunds issued are subject to be minus any processing fees incurred.