Frequently Asked Questions

What can I expect from the first few sessions?

The first several sessions provide us the opportunity to learn more about you, your background, and what has brought you to therapy. At the outset of our work together we will go over all of the relevant policies and procedures, and ensure you feel appropriately informed to consent to psychotherapy with us. The first few sessions also give you the opportunity to learn about us and what our therapy styles are. If both of us feel we are a good fit, we will collaborate to identify therapy goals and outline a treatment plan for achieving them. Throughout our work together, we will check-in on your progress and adjust our plan as needed. (You can read more about ‘measurement-based care’ here).

How do I know if I need therapy?

Many people can live perfectly functional lives without therapy. However, our team is of the opinion that everyone can benefit from therapy at certain points in their lives (ourselves included!). There is immense value in giving yourself the time, space, and energy to self-reflect, process painful feelings, and ultimately heal emotional wounds, new or old.

If you are considering individual therapy, these are some things (but not all!) to look out for: you find yourself feeling uncharacteristically and/or consistently sad, worried, irritable, or even ‘empty’; you are having trouble focusing, making decisions, or are procrastinating often; you are self-critical and self-judgmental; there has been a significant and unexplained change in your sleeping patterns, libido, or eating habits; day-to-day functioning is difficult; you feel the urge to engage in self-destructive, self-harming, or reckless behaviour; those close to you have commented on a shift in your personality or behaviours.

Couple’s therapy may be of benefit if: you are having the same fights over. and. over. with no resolution; you find yourself feeling lonely in the partnership; a breach of trust has been disclosed; there is little to no intimacy (emotional or physical) in the relationship; you have significantly different visions for your future; you are about to embark on a big life transition as a couple.

Sex therapy may be of interest to you if the main things you’d like to discuss with your therapist are related to your sexuality. Some common themes are desire, arousal, orgasm, pain, and sexual connection. It can also be a place to explore new sexual identity-related or interest-related topics. Sex therapy can also be very helpful if you are finding that your sexual behaviours feel out of control or compulsive in nature. Whether you attend sessions individually or as part of a relationship, most people find that through sex therapy, their ability to communicate effectively and honestly about sex improves (which, just FYI, reliably enhances overall sexual satisfaction).

What is required from me?

Unlike going to your GP for an illness or ailment and getting a prescription, therapy requires ongoing, active engagement and participation. As much as we’d like to, we unfortunately don’t have a magic therapy wand to wave and “fix” what you’re struggling with on our own (though let us know if you’ve come across such a wand!). We encourage our clients to view therapy as a commitment to a collaboration with us, where there is a willingness to put in effort and at times, sit with discomfort, to achieve important and meaningful goals.

What are your fees?

Our rates range from $170 to $225 for a “therapy hour” (50-minute session plus 10-minute administrative time). Our rate for assessment services begins at $235/hour.

These rates are informed by what’s recommended by the provincial professional associations of which we are members. Fees will be discussed with you prior to the provision of services and are collected at the time of service.

At this time, we are at capacity for sliding scale fee adjustments, though a sliding scale option may be available again in the future. .

Are sessions covered by insurance?

Neither private psychological nor psychotherapeutic services are covered by provincial health insurance, however most extended health plans will provide some coverage for these fees up to a certain amount. Please check with your extended health plan provider to find out what type of coverage you have. The fees for services from a registered psychologist or psychotherapist may also be deducted from personal income taxes as a medical expense. Please check with your accountant or tax preparation service provider for more information.

What is your cancellation policy?

If you need to reschedule or cancel a session, please notify us at least 24 hours before your scheduled appointment time, as this allows us to offer that time slot to other clients. We will typically give one “free pass” to allow for extenuating circumstances; after this, all late cancellations or no-shows are billed at 50% of the session fee.

What are your hours?

Our clinic office hours are Monday to Friday, 9 to 5; you can reach out to Chenia, our wonderful Client Care Coordinator (Chenia) by email or phone to answer any administrative questions.

Each clinician will have their own schedule and offer different availability throughout the week; in general, however, we do offer some evening and weekend appointments, but these are limited and typically need to be booked further in advance.

It is important to note that we do not offer crisis services; please see below for emergency resources.