Frequently Asked Questions
How is a psychologist different from other mental health professionals?
Doctoral-level registered psychologists in Ontario have a PhD or PsyD (typically in clinical or counseling psychology), and typically have conducted 5-8 years of graduate work, including clinical training throughout, with a capstone one-year residency at the end, followed by one-year to 18-month postdoctoral supervised practice period. Registered psychologists provide assessment, evaluation, and “talk therapy” to help people achieve their emotional/psychological goals.
Do I need a referral?
No – no referral is necessary to see us. However, we will ask you whether you would like us to communicate with other health professional(s) about your care, and if so, we are happy to do so. You may wish to check with your insurance provider to determine whether a they require a referral for reimbursement.
I feel nervous about taking this step. Is this normal?
Almost everybody feels apprehensive booking an initial appointment. It can feel daunting to trust someone you don’t know (yet) with information that can feel fairly intimate. This is very common. It can be difficult – but the people who see psychologists typically have lots of experience doing difficult things, and these uncomfortable feelings typically dissipate in the first few minutes of the initial appointment. Once people feel heard, understood, and cared about, they typically feel a huge sense of relief, and when they start making progress toward their goals, they often feel hopeful and even excited.
What can I expect in the first appointment?
The first appointment is focused on the “nuts and bolts” of understanding important information, getting a sense of each other and the issues, and developing a plan for treatment that works for you
Clients typically choose to complete a background questionnaire prior to our first appointment, to provide useful information and to save time in the first appointment for us to get to know each other, develop a shared understanding of the concerns and goals that lead you to treatment, and discuss a treatment plan
We often begin by describing our confidentiality policies. It is our experience that people feel safest when they understand the parameters around our conversations.
We will ask you to share any information that you feel would be relevant and/or helpful in the initial appointment. We also will ask you questions to help us better understand you, your struggles, and your goals. If you prefer, you can complete a questionnaire beforehand, so that in-session time is used to make progress more quickly.
The first appointment is also an opportunity for you to ask us questions and assess our “fit”. Therapy works best when the client and clinician feel like a strong team that can work together well. People are idiosyncratic, and the same psychologist and approach won’t fit for everyone. If either of us doesn’t feel like we “fit”, we will support you in a referral to someone who you can work with more productively.
The client sets the goals (sometimes with our support). We know the literature and what has worked for other people we’ve treated (and ourselves); you know yourself, your life, your goals, and what it is you want in life.
What can I expect in a subsequent appointment?
Together, we’ll develop a plan to address the goals that led you to seek treatment. Subsequent appointments will focus on that plan, and/or on revising the plan, to support you in living the most meaningful, fulfilling life you can. We will support you, troubleshoot, make recommendations, and work alongside you to help you achieve your goals. We’ll check in with you to ensure treatment is meeting your expectations and/or needs.
Often, the client chooses to take on specific pieces of work between appointments to facilitate faster progress toward treatment goals.
How often and how long would I see you?
Some clients prefer weekly appointments to “build steam”; others prefer biweekly appointments to enable work between sessions. Towards the end of treatment, people may choose to space out appointments (e.g., monthly), to try things on their own, with a “safety net”.
Treatment sometimes is as brief as a single session, or can last many weeks to a year. It depends on the magnitude of the concerns, the goals you may have, and the pace you wish to take in your work.
Funding may also dictate frequency of appointments, or the number of appointments. Please discuss this with us, and we’ll work together with you to tailor treatment to your limits.
You should begin seeing progress very early on in the treatment process. We will discuss this regularly to ensure you feel confident with the treatment plan and progress.