To see a specialist in BC, you need a referral from a primary care provider saying you would benefit from assessment and treatment, and are able to participate in a group program.

Both the consultation itself and the group sessions are considered medical visits. Without the referral, MSP would not pay for them. In that case, you would be responsible for a fee well in excess of $1000.

At present, no. 

The number of participants in each group is capped at 10-15 per session to ensure a good discussion and to allow everyone to have their questions answered. The deposit is designed to discourage people from signing up but not attending. This takes a spot from someone else. The deposit is due when you register to attend specific sessions. 

If you are experiencing financial hardship, please contact us at [email protected] to explore options to participate.

You can participate in Trauma Foundations or Mental Health 201 without a consultation, but not the Advanced Trauma Skills group.

The subject material in the latter group can be triggering and distressing and is not always a good fit. The consultation will assess if the group will be therapeutic given your current mental state.

By knowing more about each participant, Dr. Lysak is able to better tailor the group to participants' needs and mitigate potentially contentious interpersonal conflicts that can occur when discussing sensitive topics.

No. This is a package deal. You must complete Trauma Foundations before the consultation and be open to participating in Advanced Trauma Skills afterwards. Dr. Lysak invests considerable time into her assessments and therefore has very limited capacity in her practice for them. If you don't wish to do the groups, speak with a primary care provider about a referral to a different psychiatrist.

Groups aren't everyone's thing. But learning from the experiences of others, many who have likely faced—or overcome!—similar challenges as you is invaluable.

And providing this information in a group setting is the best option to reach more people while still making good use of very limited resources.

Any family doctor or nurse practitioner can refer you. 

If you have a consultation, Dr. Lysak will provide treatment recommendations to whoever referred you following the consultation. It is the responsibility of that provider to implement them (i.e., if they require a physician).

You can discuss getting a copy of the consultation report yourself to make sure you know what was recommended.

See also the next question regarding crisis care.

Brief periods of distress during the trauma groups may occur. Dr. Lysak is available to speak with you privately after a session and can usually help during that short conversation. However, she is not able to provide more in-depth individual support. 

Referring providers are asked to remain available to "provide ongoing primary care and therapeutic support if the need arises" while you are participating in the group.

Should this not be possible, an alternative arrangement may be agreed upon. For example, some patients regularly see a therapist who is able to provide this support if necessary.

Not at present. Right now we're only offering sessions online via Zoom. This allows us to offer it to people across BC. The individual psychiatric consultation can be in-person.

Trauma Foundations and Mental Health 201 don't require extensive participation. However, Advanced Trauma Skills does. While you don't need to share personal details including the traumas you have experienced, you are required to participate in general discussions, answer questions, and practice using various tools. This is an interactive group, including small group work during parts of each session.

You can turn your camera off for brief periods of time, but need to leave it on most of the time. The course works well because the small-group format allows for feedback and interaction. That can't happen if everyone is hiding.

Ideally, a tablet or computer will make following the material (much of which is presentation slides) and interacting with a group of other people much easier. You will have handouts available to print ahead of time, which might make it easier to use a phone. Reliable wifi is also required. 

This varies. The groups are either four or eight sessions, one per week, each at the same day of the week and time. Most sessions are weekdays 1-3pm or 5-7pm, but other times are sometimes available. They are not offered weekends or evenings. Sessions are available multiple times throughout the year.

After you're referred, we'll let you know about upcoming sessions as we make them available. You can then register for any set of sessions that fit your schedule.

Ideally, yes. If you do need to miss a session, it's expected you'll review the handouts prior to the next session.

For Trauma Foundations or Mental Health 201, if you miss a session, your $100 deposit won't be returned. Advanced Trauma Skills allows one missed session. However, as that group relies on discussions about the material among participants, you may be asked to withdraw from the group if you miss repeatedly.