Is therapy worth it?
Counselling can have benefits and risks. SInce therapy often involves discussing unpleasant aspects of your life, you may experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger or helplessness. On the other hand, therapy can have many benefits such as better relationships, solutions to specific problems and significant reductions in feelings of distress. There are no guarantees of what you will experience but as your counsellor, I will be there to help you through the journey. This work is a collaboration and you are not in it alone.
How do I know which counsellor to choose?
Therapy involves a large commitment of time, money, and energy, so you should be very careful about the therapist you choose. You are welcome to ask me about my experience and therapeutic orientation when you first call and/or during our sessions. Likewise, if during therapy, you have questions about my techniques, we should discuss them whenever they arise. If you feel it is simply not a good match, I will be happy to refer you to another mental health professional that may be a better fit.
Do you offer free initial consultations?
Yes, I offer a no cost 15-20 minute consultation by either phone or in person to answer any questions you may have before committing to therapy.
What can I expect in the first session, or two?
Sometimes people arrive at counselling with a very specific concern to address and other times, without a clear sense of the issue. Both scenarios are normal and ok. In our initial sessions I will ask questions to try to get a sense of what brings you in to therapy. We will talk about a plan for your time in therapy, and begin to formulate goals after we have a clearer understanding of what is happening in your life. A plan for therapy can vary widely depending on the person and the concern. All plans involve 'talk therapy' where we explore the concerns in depth by talking about them. In addition to this, some plans include things like art therapy, journalling, worksheets to fill out at home, mindfulness exercises and more.
This is a wonderful blog post by Jackie Saffert that details her decision to go to therapy, her experience once there as well as some tips on how to navigate the whole process.
What is the cost of therapy and will my health benefits cover it?
My fee is $140 + HST per session. Most third-party health care benefit companies will reimburse the cost of your sessions, however, you must verify this as there can be exceptions. You can call your insurance provider and ask if they provide coverage for, "a registered psychotherapist who is supervised by a registered psychologist".
What if I do not have health benefits?
Counselling services are not currently covered by OHIP. I am a registered provider with Non Insured Health Benefits (NIHB), the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) as well as Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), should you have access to those benefits. I am always happy to refer folks to low or no cost counselling services in the city should they not have coverage.
Counselling can have benefits and risks. SInce therapy often involves discussing unpleasant aspects of your life, you may experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger or helplessness. On the other hand, therapy can have many benefits such as better relationships, solutions to specific problems and significant reductions in feelings of distress. There are no guarantees of what you will experience but as your counsellor, I will be there to help you through the journey. This work is a collaboration and you are not in it alone.
How do I know which counsellor to choose?
Therapy involves a large commitment of time, money, and energy, so you should be very careful about the therapist you choose. You are welcome to ask me about my experience and therapeutic orientation when you first call and/or during our sessions. Likewise, if during therapy, you have questions about my techniques, we should discuss them whenever they arise. If you feel it is simply not a good match, I will be happy to refer you to another mental health professional that may be a better fit.
Do you offer free initial consultations?
Yes, I offer a no cost 15-20 minute consultation by either phone or in person to answer any questions you may have before committing to therapy.
What can I expect in the first session, or two?
Sometimes people arrive at counselling with a very specific concern to address and other times, without a clear sense of the issue. Both scenarios are normal and ok. In our initial sessions I will ask questions to try to get a sense of what brings you in to therapy. We will talk about a plan for your time in therapy, and begin to formulate goals after we have a clearer understanding of what is happening in your life. A plan for therapy can vary widely depending on the person and the concern. All plans involve 'talk therapy' where we explore the concerns in depth by talking about them. In addition to this, some plans include things like art therapy, journalling, worksheets to fill out at home, mindfulness exercises and more.
This is a wonderful blog post by Jackie Saffert that details her decision to go to therapy, her experience once there as well as some tips on how to navigate the whole process.
What is the cost of therapy and will my health benefits cover it?
My fee is $140 + HST per session. Most third-party health care benefit companies will reimburse the cost of your sessions, however, you must verify this as there can be exceptions. You can call your insurance provider and ask if they provide coverage for, "a registered psychotherapist who is supervised by a registered psychologist".
What if I do not have health benefits?
Counselling services are not currently covered by OHIP. I am a registered provider with Non Insured Health Benefits (NIHB), the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) as well as Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), should you have access to those benefits. I am always happy to refer folks to low or no cost counselling services in the city should they not have coverage.