What should I expect in the first session?
The first session will be a time for us to start to get to know each other, which is necessary before we jump into our "therapy work" together. My main goal will be to learn parts of your history that are central to understanding the concerns that brought you to therapy. You can expect to spend the session answering questions about your mental health history, the relationships in your life, how you cope with life challenges, your support system and more. Depending on your history, we might spend the first few sessions exploring these pieces together. I often like to finish the first session by asking about the goals you have for therapy.
How many sessions will I need?
All psychotherapists differ in how they approach this question. Since I practice therapy using what is called a "person-centered" approach, I do not offer a prescriptive timeline for how long therapy will "take". You decide how long you want to stay in therapy based on how closely you feel you have met your goals. For this reason, I like to check-in every couple of sessions to give you a chance to reflect on your progress.
Every person has a different story. Sometimes when we start to work on a topic, we might realize that it is more complex than we had thought. Other times, things might "click" faster than we had anticipated. For this reason, people vary quite a bit in how long they stay in therapy. Anywhere between 5-20+ sessions is considered "normal".
However, time and money are important to consider. If you have a limited amount of sessions that you can afford (e.g. insurance coverage), kindly let me know and we can adjust our work to be as helpful to you as possible.
How often should I attend therapy?
This is something we will collaborate in the first session to decide. I recommend beginning with weekly or bi-weekly sessions since, in my experience, it is helpful to "get the ball rolling". In general, you will see results faster when you have more frequent sessions.
Frequency is something we can adjust along the way. Over time, it is common to start to taper off and meet less frequently.
How do I pay for virtual therapy?
At this time, I only accept payment by e-transfer or credit card.
Do you take insurance?
Since I am a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), many insurance companies will cover our sessions. However, every plan is different and I recommend verifying this with your insurance company beforehand.
I do not direct bill (i.e. submit your insurance claims for you). After each session, an invoice will be e-mailed to you which you can then submit yourself to your insurance company to be reimbursed.
I live outside of Ontario - can we still work together?
Every province, state and country has its own rules for how psychotherapy can be practiced. Since I only belong to the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), I am only licensed to practice in Ontario.
However, sometimes there are exceptions. For example, in certain provinces (e.g. British Columbia) psychotherapy is not regulated by the government which means there would not be laws preventing us from working together.
If you currently live, plan to move or regularly travel outside of Ontario, please let me know during the consultation call or as soon as possible.
Don't see your question?
Don't stress! I will be happy to answer any question you have. Kindly reach out to me by e-mail or select "Contact" from the menu at the top of this page.
