FAQ

You can either email [email protected] or fill out the contact form and lets us know briefly what brings you to therapy. 

If you have already decided which therapist you would like to work with- please feel free to specify that.

Otherwise, we will discern from your email which therapist might be the best fit and email you to schedule a free consultation call.

After the call, we invite the client to take a day or two to decide if they would like to proceed with therapy. 

If you would like to start therapy, they can book an appointment.

Intake forms and consent forms will be emailed to the client and therapy can start. 

This process can be as fast or slow as you need it to be!

*Please note that for couples therapy, both partners must be present for the consultation video call.*

Yes! Our therapists are currently accepting new clients. You do not need a referral, you can simply email [email protected] or fill out the “contact” form and we will get in touch with you. If our therapists availability does not work for you schedule, or we are not a good fit for whatever reason- we are happy to refer you to another practitioner. 

Most insurance providers cover Registered Psychotherapist’s services. 

Inquire with your individual servicer provider to see if our services are included in your benefits. Please not that we do not direct bill. We will provide you with a receipt for services which can be submitted to your provider. 

Our hope is that you find the best therapeutic fit (therapist style, personality, experience and training) possible. A free (no pressure, no obligation) call is used to discern if the client feels like the therapist is someone the would feel comfortable working with. The consultation call is also used for the therapist to assess for whether or not they have the skill set to serve the client with integrity. It would be unprofessional to work with clients whose presenting concerns are outside of our qualifications.

After the consultation call, we encourage clients to not make an immediate decision, but to take a day or two to think on how the interaction went and make their decision when ready. 

Should you choose to start working with a therapist, there is no obligation to continue. You may end therapy at any time, for any reason. If you do not find that your therapist is a good fit once you start working together, we would encourage you to discuss this with your therapist (as they can pivot or change what isn’t working) but ultimately, we want what is best for you. You are free to terminate therapy at any time.

We are also happy to help refer you to someone who might be a better fit. 

For individuals:

After the first session, your therapist will give you an idea of how many sessions you can expect, depending on your hopes for therapy. 

You are never obligated to continue sessions, and you are always welcome to continue booking as long as sessions are helpful. 

For Couples:

Treatment using Emotionally Focused Therapy (created by Dr. Sue Johnson) can fall between the range of 8-20 sessions (or more if desired). Research has shown that 70%-75% of couples move from distress to recovery and 90% show significant improvements when therapists use EFT strategies and techniques. Couples are encouraged to attend at least 8 weekly sessions before assessing if couples therapy is helping. 

The first session is known as the “information gathering session” where the therapist will get to know you, your history, your current state, strengths and any hopes and expectations you have for therapy. The first session can also include assessments.

The first session also offers a chance to discuss the limitations of therapy, review the therapeutic contract. Its also a great time to voice any hesitations or concerns you might have about therapy.

Therapists are trained to know what questions to ask so that they can help formulate a treatment plan. Don’t worry if you don’t know what to say, or feel nervous. Trust is earned, and we work very hard to make our clients feel comfortable and safe in session.

We acknowledge that this can be a very challenging situation to be in. 

It is not uncommon for one partner to feel more ready/comfortable or willing to attend couples therapy.

According to research from the Gottman Institute, couples wait on average of 6 years to reach out for help once a problem presents itself. 

Often times the stigma of therapy, uncertainty about the process or a feeling that “we can solve this on our own!” stops one partner from wanting to participate.

If that is the case, we encourage the ready partner to consider individual therapy- to get the support they need. 

Please note that in most cases, if you begin individual therapy with a therapist, you cannot “switch” to couples therapy with that same therapist in the future if your partner decides they are ready.

But don’t worry! Many people attend individual therapy with one therapist and couples therapy with someone else- at the same time.

We can also refer you to our other therapist for couples work. 

In a nutshell, the relationship is the “client”.

Over the first 4 session of therapy, your therapist will do a very thorough assessment of your relationship history, any relevant individual histories, relationship strengths & growth points and will hear the similar or differing goals that the couple is coming in with.

This works in this order:

The first session will be a 90 minute session in which the couple will meet with the therapist together. This time will be used to review limitations and risks of therapy, to review the psychotherapy contract and to start the assessment process. There are many details about your dynamic that the therapist is trained to assess.

The next two appointments will be (one time) individual one-on-one appointments with the therapist to gather any relevant information pertaining to individual histories. 

After these two individual sessions the couple will come back together again to discuss the treatment plan, and if agreed upon- the plan will begin.

If possible, these 4 sessions are done quickly (within the same week if possible) so that therapy can begin.

Many couples come to therapy with an urgent concern or a desire to bring change quickly and we want to capitalize on that motivation.  

Yes! If you are interested in working with any of our practioners, please reach out to [email protected] and we can help you determine which therapist is the best fit for you. From there the therapist can let you know their availability. 

Some clients come to session with a list to things to discuss, others bring in journals with thoughts/ emotions/ physical sensations that have come up between sessions. Some clients make notes in session. 

Others come in with a desire to talk about whatever comes to mind, or follow the therapists lead. 

Please know that we understand life is busy, so don’t feel you have to skip a session because you don’t feel prepared enough. 

It’s your session, you may use it however you would like. 

Absolutely not.  Therapy can be both proactive and reactive. It can be a safe space to process and reflect.

We will evaluate if you are done therapy when you have made movement toward your goals, and you feel confident about the direction you have taken. 

We have also encountered clients who can feel the difference and just “know”. 

We will always be here cheering you on, and will be available if you want to come back to therapy.  

You might feel all kinds of things upon seeing your therapist in public. It can be a little like seeing your teacher outside of school. 

Because we take confidentiality very seriously, we will not approach you or acknowledge you in any way that might signify that we know one another. This is to avoid any of the people you are with, or the people we are with, from asking how we know each other. 

We might smile or politely say hello- much like we would when saying hello to a stranger at the grocery store, but we will honour confidentiality regardless of the circumstance.

We can discuss the interaction in our next session.  

Confidentiality is one of the core components of safe and effective therapy. 

There are a few exceptions, however, where a therapist is obligated to break confidentiality. 

These limitations are set by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario.

These limitations are stated clearly in the contract that you sign before beginning therapy, and will be verbally explained as well.

As stated by the CRPO 

“legally, there are a limited number of circumstances where disclosure of personal health information is required without consent. Notable limits to confidentiality include:

• where the registrant believes on reasonable grounds that disclosure is necessary to eliminate or reduce a significant risk of serious harm (includes physical or psychological harm) to the client or anyone else, e.g., suicide, homicide. Note: If the registrant believes a significant, imminent risk of serious bodily harm exists, there may be a professional and legal duty to warn the intended victim, to contact relevant authorities such as the police or crisis intervention services, or to inform a physician who is involved in the care of the client.*
• where a mandatory report is required (see Standard 1.3);
• where necessary for particular legal proceedings (e.g., when the registrant is subpoenaed);
• to facilitate an investigation or inspection authorized by warrant or by any provincial or federal law (e.g., a criminal investigation against the registrant, their staff, or a client). Registrants should seek legal advice when they are unsure whether a warrant or law permits them to disclose personal health information.
• for the purpose of contacting a relative, friend or potential substitute decision-maker of the individual, if the individual is injured, incapacitated, or ill and unable to give consent personally; and
• disclosing information to a college for the purpose of administration or enforcement of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (e.g., when a complaint has been made about a registrant)”

You can follow their professional account if you would like. 

Please note that your therapist cannot follow you back. 

Also know that your therapist would never share client stories or give examples based upon actual clients and situations. 

Please note that social media is not therapy, and that following someone on social media is public.

If the friend or family member is over 18 years of age, they must reach out to us themselves. 

A core component of psychotherapy is the client’s desire and willingness to change. Sometimes well-intentioned family or friends want change for them, but when we speak to them ourselves, we are able to discern if this is what they want at this present moment. This is why it is valuable for clients to reach out directly so we can discuss how ready they feel for change.

In short- yes, but, there are many things that affect the effectiveness of therapy.

Some of the factors may include:

-the clients readiness to change

-the clients willingness to implement new skills

-therapeutic approach and rapport

-various individual, social and environmental factors