How long is a session and how often will I see you?
Sessions are typically 50 minutes long and are often scheduled weekly, especially in the beginning. Most people have been struggling to deal with difficult situations by the time they come to therapy. Weekly sessions will help to keep you accountable and motivated to work towards your goals in an efficient way. As therapy progresses, we can work together to determine if weekly sessions will continue to be useful. Some people will find that as they begin to heal and grow, fewer sessions are needed. The frequency of sessions can be adjusted in order to best meet your needs and maintain positive change.
How many therapy sessions will I need?
Every individual’s journey and goals are different and so the amount of time required to achieve those can vary. The complexity of your goals and objectives in therapy in addition to the severity of the issues you are working on will factor into the number of sessions that might be needed. Our best answer is to say that you should continue to seek therapy as long as you and your therapist feel there is a need and that you feel therapy is having a positive impact in your life.
What theoretical approach do you use?
I pull from a variety of theories and techniques. I find Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Mindfulness techniques are often helpful for my clients.
Do you accept insurance?
My services are not covered by OHIP. I can provide an invoice receipt to submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement. Psychotherapy provided by a Registered Social Worker are totally or partially covered by many extended health benefits. If you have extended health benefits, please check that you have coverage for a Registered Social Worker prior to our first appointment.
What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is an opportunity to talk about issues that are important to you while having a trained objective person (psychotherapist) help work through not only the current situation, but in dealing with similar situations in the future. Therapy can be about one specific problem, or it can be about multiple. Therapy is a collaborative process, it requires an active role from both the client at the therapist for change to occur.
I’ve never consulted a therapist. I’m used to handling things on my own. How do I know this is for me?
It takes a lot of courage to weather life’s storms alone. It takes even more courage to reach out for help. We all need support now and then, especially when things are difficult. In our work together, we’ll work at your pace and equip you with strategies to help you face life’s challenges, now and in the future.
How does therapy work? What do I have to do in sessions?
Therapy sessions will focus on you and your needs. The initial session will be an opportunity for me to get to know and understand you and your situation. We will work on setting goals for therapy as well as formulating ways to begin working on those goals. Each person has different issues and goals for therapy and we always tailor our therapeutic approach to your specific needs. This means every therapeutic relationship will be different. We know that it can be hard to open up, to feel vulnerable. Ideally, the client is open to sharing their concerns and experiences, is an active participant, and has put thought into their goals or what they want to get out of the process.
Every small step you take is a step in the right direction, and I am a believer in taking action. There may be times that you are asked to complete an exercise outside of session. This is only for your benefit. The work we do inside session should translate to your life outside of session, improve your self-worth and relationships, increase self-awareness and directly address the initial problems you brought into therapy.
Psychotherapy Wellness Centre 