What are the fees?
Typically, sessions are $190 and are 50 minutes in length. However, the first assessment session fee is $228 and is up to 60 minutes. Payment is requested via eTransfer and is payable immediately following the appointment.
There is no fee for the initial 15 minute meet and greet.
There is no fee for the initial 15 minute meet and greet.
Do I have to pay HST?
As of June 20, 2024 Registered Psychotherapists (RP) were added to the CRA list of providers that are exempt from HST! This is wonderful news meaning that you no longer need to pay HST for psychotherapy services from an RP. This is thanks to all of the organizations and individuals that advocated for this change in order to reduce barriers to accessing this mental health service.
Are services covered by insurance?
Many insurance companies provide coverage for the services of a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) through their extended benefits plans. Some insurance providers can be billed directly, avoiding the step of taking your receipt to your insurance provider for reimbursement. You will still need to pay any remaining balances not covered by your insurance at the time of your appointment. To sign up for this service, please request an insurance form at your next appointment. This gives permission to the release your attendance and fee information to your insurance provider through OWL Practice and Telus eHealth.
If your insurance company does not cover the services of a Registered Psychotherapist, you may want to learn more about what you can do to change this by going to the linked website.
If your insurance company does not cover the services of a Registered Psychotherapist, you may want to learn more about what you can do to change this by going to the linked website.
What is the cancellation policy?
There is a 48 hour cancellation policy.
If you need to cancel an appointment, please do so as soon as possible. This allows me to offer the session to another client that may need it. Cancellations with less than 48 hours notice will result in a charge of 50% of the session fee and cancellations with less than 24 hours notice will result in the full fee being charged.
If you have a contagious illness, but are well enough to participate in therapy, please consider changing your session from in-person to online rather than cancelling.
I understand that sometimes life happens last minute - emergencies, serious illness, work and childcare responsibilities, deaths in the family, etc. therefore I will waive the cancellation fee twice. After this, the cancellation will be applied without exception. This is not intended as a punishment, but rather it allows me to stay in business so that I can continue to operate and offer this service to you and others.
If you plan to end therapy, it is helpful to have at least one session to discuss this, explore progress made, and provide closure. However, this is not mandatory and you have the right to stop at anytime and without prior notice although the cancellation policy still applies. You are always welcomed to reconnect at a later time.
If you need to cancel an appointment, please do so as soon as possible. This allows me to offer the session to another client that may need it. Cancellations with less than 48 hours notice will result in a charge of 50% of the session fee and cancellations with less than 24 hours notice will result in the full fee being charged.
If you have a contagious illness, but are well enough to participate in therapy, please consider changing your session from in-person to online rather than cancelling.
I understand that sometimes life happens last minute - emergencies, serious illness, work and childcare responsibilities, deaths in the family, etc. therefore I will waive the cancellation fee twice. After this, the cancellation will be applied without exception. This is not intended as a punishment, but rather it allows me to stay in business so that I can continue to operate and offer this service to you and others.
If you plan to end therapy, it is helpful to have at least one session to discuss this, explore progress made, and provide closure. However, this is not mandatory and you have the right to stop at anytime and without prior notice although the cancellation policy still applies. You are always welcomed to reconnect at a later time.
Will what I discuss in therapy be kept confidential?
Yes, what you share is confidential and it is not shared without your permission. However, there some rare exceptions including the following:
- If I have information about risk of abuse or neglect to a child
- If I believe that you are at risk of serious harm to yourself or another person
- If I am required by law to release information (e.g. a subpoena)
- If I perceive the need to report another professional to their professional body (eg. they are abusing their patients)
- If I must defend myself against a complaint filed with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario or any other court action
How do I know if I am working with the right therapist?
The relationship with the therapist is a crucial factor in therapy. Although trust in the relationship takes time to develop, you should never feel judged or criticized. People open up at different rates and the therapist should respect this and help you build your comfort level at a safe pace. You need to feel confident that the therapist knows how to guide the process towards recovery. Also, if you have questions or concerns about the therapy, the therapist should always be willing to discuss this with you in a respectful way.
Do you offer family or couples therapy?
I only offer individual therapy. Some therapists offer individual, family and couples therapy which use diverse skills sets. I chose instead to specialize in individual therapy and have poured all of my learning into this without diluting my efforts. Provided that you agree, there may be a rare occasion to invite a family member or loved one into a session, but this would still be your session and it would be for the purpose of supporting you.
How much therapy will I need?
This is a very difficult question to answer because it depends on so many things. A few factors to consider include the frequency of the sessions, the type and intensity of the problem, how long you have been struggling with the problem, your goals for therapy including whether you are looking for some improvement, full recovery, or ongoing self-improvement.
Some people will feel significantly better after a few session (5-8), however, most require more. Research shows that 16 sessions can be effective in improving symptoms of moderate depression and anxiety in the majority of clients. Those have been struggling for years, whose day-to-day functioning is impaired, or those with issues related to childhood trauma or neglect may require much longer (a year or more).
Most typically, once per week therapy is recommended. This helps to develop a relationship of trust as well as to maintain the gains between sessions, however, some are not able to attend weekly and do so every other week. Once significant improvement is achieved, some people opt to decrease the frequency of the sessions before ending therapy.
Some people will feel significantly better after a few session (5-8), however, most require more. Research shows that 16 sessions can be effective in improving symptoms of moderate depression and anxiety in the majority of clients. Those have been struggling for years, whose day-to-day functioning is impaired, or those with issues related to childhood trauma or neglect may require much longer (a year or more).
Most typically, once per week therapy is recommended. This helps to develop a relationship of trust as well as to maintain the gains between sessions, however, some are not able to attend weekly and do so every other week. Once significant improvement is achieved, some people opt to decrease the frequency of the sessions before ending therapy.
What should I expect when I start therapy?
Starting therapy is a brave step. I want to ease your concerns and support your process every step of the way.
First, contact me to schedule a 15 minute "meet-and-greet" or schedule it online. Here, you can let me know what you want support with and I can make sure it is something that I can help with. It is also an opportunity to ask me any questions that you may have and get a sense of how I work.
Then, prior to the first session, you will be asked to complete a few forms about your demographic information and acknowledging my policies. You will also be asked to complete some questionnaires about your concerns. I do not use these for diagnosis, instead they help me get to know you, guide the therapy, and assess progress. If you prefer not to complete these prior to meeting, they can be done at the first appointment. However, please keep in mind that this will take time away from other tasks in the session.
Over the first several sessions, together we will develop a plan for how to address your challenges. In the first few sessions, we will explore what has brought you to therapy, the context of the issues, your life circumstances, and your goals for therapy. This may include exploring your past experiences, how these have shaped your view of yourself, how you relate to others and the world, and in turn, how this contributes to your current distress. This will help us to create a roadmap for therapy which leads to healing and wellbeing.
First, contact me to schedule a 15 minute "meet-and-greet" or schedule it online. Here, you can let me know what you want support with and I can make sure it is something that I can help with. It is also an opportunity to ask me any questions that you may have and get a sense of how I work.
Then, prior to the first session, you will be asked to complete a few forms about your demographic information and acknowledging my policies. You will also be asked to complete some questionnaires about your concerns. I do not use these for diagnosis, instead they help me get to know you, guide the therapy, and assess progress. If you prefer not to complete these prior to meeting, they can be done at the first appointment. However, please keep in mind that this will take time away from other tasks in the session.
Over the first several sessions, together we will develop a plan for how to address your challenges. In the first few sessions, we will explore what has brought you to therapy, the context of the issues, your life circumstances, and your goals for therapy. This may include exploring your past experiences, how these have shaped your view of yourself, how you relate to others and the world, and in turn, how this contributes to your current distress. This will help us to create a roadmap for therapy which leads to healing and wellbeing.
[email protected]
416-450-6127
416-450-6127
