FAQS
Common Queries
Is psychotherapy for me?
Psychotherapy, like everything in life, has both benefits and risks.
Sometimes psychotherapy involves recalling and talking about unpleasant events in your life. Because of this, the risks of psychotherapy sometimes include experiencing uncomfortable levels of feelings like sadness, guilt, anxiety, anger, frustration, disappointment, loneliness and helplessness. For some, it is not uncommon to feel worse before you feel better.
Despite this, psychotherapy also has been shown to have incredible benefits for people who undertake it, and the goal is that you will experience a significant reduction in feelings of distress, better coping techniques, and/or the resolution of specific problems.
If it is decided that you may benefit from the addition of medications to your treatment plan, each medication along with its risks and benefits will be discussed prior to being prescribed.
What happens in my first appointment?
The first session will involve a complete assessment and evaluation of your needs and goals. This is also a time to get to know your clinician and decide on whether or not it will be a good fit to work together moving forward.
By the end of this session, you will have the opportunity to discuss your goals and start to develop a treatment plan. This may include ongoing psychotherapy, it may include recommendations on medications that may help, or both. You and your clinician will work together to determine a treatment plan that best suits you.
*Please keep in mind, that we ALWAYS see our clients as the expert in their care. Your clinicians are here as a resource to offer ideas/tips/tools and guidance but please always feel free to provide feedback if something isn’t working or doesn’t feel right for you.
Length of Therapy
Your sessions will normally be scheduled for 50 minutes in length. Once a treatment plan has been decided on, you and your clinician will decide will decide on the frequency of appointments. Normally, it is helpful to schedule appointments once a week or every other week in the beginning, but they may be less frequent depending on the support you need. Typically we work with individuals over the course of 6-12 months, but this will depend solely on the treatment plan, goals and stage of progress. You are free and welcome to terminate services at any time.
Do I have coverage for these services?
We are a fee for service clinic meaning that our services are not covered by OHIP & clients are required to pay for the services provided. Registered Social Workers are covered by many employer insurance benefits. Check with your insurance provider to see if you may have coverage through your work benefits.
The Role of the Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatry
Nurse Practitioners (NPs) have the ability to complete comprehensive psychiatric assessment to screen for, and identify, a variety of mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and more. Our team of NPs have over 30 years of combined experience working in the area of mental health & addictions.
NPs also have the authority to prescribe medications to manage symptoms of mental illness such as anti depressants, mood stabilizers, anti psychotics, stimulants, etc.
As Nurse Practitioners & Psychotherapists we offer a unique and combined approach to managing your mental health & wellness as we can offer both counselling and medication management in one session.
This means that instead of having to see both a therapist & psychiatrist, we are able to fill both those roles in one session.
After the first session, our NPs will work with you to develop a treatment plan specifically designed to meet your individual needs. We seek to provide a safe and trusting space so our clients feel empowered in attaining the optimum level and mental health & wellbeing.
