Frequently Asked Questions

What is Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is talk-based therapy focusing on mental health and well being, between a client and a regulated mental health professional. There are many varieties of Psychotherapy, including cognitive behavioural therapy, narrative therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, somatic therapies, and solution focussed therapy, . Other forms of psychotherapy include play therapy, music therapy, drama therapy, and many more.

Psychotherapy can be offered in individual therapy sessions, couple therapy sessions, family therapy sessions, and group therapy sessions.

What is a regulated health professional?

Regulated health professionals, are professionals that are required to register with a governing organization, legally in order to provide the service. Usually, this means that the service provided is considered “a controlled act” and defined by law, in terms of what the service entails, and the education and experience and training required to provide it. In Ontario, there are four designations of mental health professionals that can provide psychotherapy services. These include Registered Psychotherapists, Psychologists, Psychiatrists and Social Workers. Medical doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, and speech pathologist are also allowed to perform the controlled active psychotherapy in Ontario.

Psychotherapy is currently regulated in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and the rules and regulations will vary by province. In order for a psychotherapist registered in Ontario to provide services outside of the promised, that therapist must first establish if the practice of psychotherapy is regulated where the client is living, and then they must get consent from that regulatory organization prior to starting therapy. Other services at CHM Therapy such as child life services, family, support, counselling or coaching, or Cogmed, can be accessed by individuals easily outside of Ontario, as they are not regulated services.

What is the difference between the types of mental health practitioners?

Psychotherapists are registered mental health professionals, who are specifically trained to provide psychotherapy and mental health counselling services. Typically a psychotherapist would have a masters degree and extensive continuing education around the practice of Psychotherapy and mental health and well being. A psychotherapist may not diagnose or provide medication, however, they may informally assess clients with a view to treatment.

Social Workers are registered mental health professionals who can provide both psychotherapy and/or counselling services. While both Registered Psychotherapists and Social Workers are trained to offer psychotherapy sessions, Social Workers typically have an emphasis in their training on connecting clients to the community and support services available to them. In Ontario, Social Workers are regulated by the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW). Social workers must have an undergraduate degree in Social Work, and most will go on to obtain a Master of Social Work degree.

Psychologists are required to have a master’s degree or PhD in psychology, and register with the College of psychologists of Ontario. While each Psychologist is different, and their training may be in a specific area of psychology, many in the profession focus on testing, assessments, and research. However, Clinical Psychologists or Counselling Psychologists are also professionally trained to offer psychotherapy sessions along with diagnosis and assessment.

Psychiatrists are medical doctors able to prescribe medication. Unlike the approach taken by a Registered Psychotherapist, psychiatrists work with clients in a psychological and biological capacity. The biological element is an important one and provides psychiatrists with the ability to prescribe medication. If you are seeking medication to aid with any mental health issues you must see a psychiatrist or family doctor. Psychiatrists may offer psychotherapy sessions in combination with assessments, diagnosis, and medication to help individuals suffering from neurological problems, acute illness and complicated medical histories. In Ontario, it is more common that a Psychiatrist will focus on Medication management and refer patients to a different mental health professional for Psychotherapy.

How much is a therapy session?

The prices of therapy at CHM therapy services vary depending on the practitioner that you are working with, and their level of experience.l or training. Prices currently range from $120 to 175, or higher if you are doing couples or family work. Group programs offer the best rate, and we often have special group program and package combinations run by our practical evil therapist in order to be able to offer the accessible price for our clients.

Occasionally, we will offer reduced price sessions or pro bono services if there is significant financial need. These discount sessions are usually limited in the number of sessions that would be offered in order for us to be able to offer those discounts to as many individuals as we can.

Do I need a referral from my doctor?

No. We do not require any formal referral in order to work with our clients. Individual seeking service can reach out to us directly through the contact us page or via the contact information below.

Are your services covered by insurance?

At this time, psychotherapy is not covered by OHIP

Usually, our services are covered. But we strongly recommend that you check with your insurance policy to make sure your third party coverage includes our services. Check to see if your policy covers “Registered Psychotherapist” also known as RP’s. It could also fall under the designation of “Psychotherapy”, “Counselling”, “Mental Health” or even “Marriage Counselling”. Most policies cover one of the aforementioned designations.

We do not charge insurance companies directly. After you have paid for your therapy session, a receipt will be sent automatically to you. You can submit that receipt to your insurance company for reimbursement. Clients are responsible for a payment of sessions regardless of whether they receive reimbursement or not. Typically insurance companies will not reimburse Psychotherapy sessions until after they have been completed and the invoice is marked as paid

Individuals who receive receive funding support from the Ontario autism program (OAP), can use their funds to cover the costs of our services. Typically, this requires a letter from us, outlining the purpose and function of the service. The OAP funding does not come directly to our organization, as such you would need to pay for the invoice and submit the receipt if needed.

Individuals who have a health spending account, can also use that to pay for therapy. And Psychotherapy receipts can also be submitted within your tax return under medical expenses that have not been reimbursed.

What methods of payment do you accept?

We prefer eTransfers (email transfer - EMT) and also accept major credit cards. Typically, we utilize Square services for payment processing. Client can expect to receive an invoice via their email with a direct link to the payment site and instructions on where to send an E-transfer if that is preferred.

What is your cancellation policy?

When you book an appointment, we reserve that time for you/your child. The appointment is confirmed when you and your therapist agree to the time. If you need to cancel your session, please contact your therapist directly, via the messenger function in Practice Better, text, email or phone call. The date stamp on your message will be used to assess timing of cancellation.

We have a clear cancellation policy in order to ensure that all clients have access to sessions as booked and to ensure that availability is prioritized for all clients.

• Sessions must be cancelled at least 24 hours ahead of the session or the following charges will apply.

• Sessions cancelled less than 24 hours ahead of the session time will incur a 50% session fee.

• Missed appointments with no notice will be charged at a full session rate.

Please note that Insurance benefits do not reimburse for missed or late cancellation fees.While we can offer text/email reminders to help prevent missed appointments, attendance is the client’s responsibility.

Sessions booked between 3pm and 8pm are considered high demand appointments, clients who book these sessions and consistently cancel (more than 3 times over 6 booked sessions) within the week of that appointment may be asked to consider other time slots or may be charged a cancellation fee for those high demand session if 72 hours notice is not given.

How long does a therapy session last?

Our hourly sessions last a total of 50 minutes, leaving 10 minutes for your therapist to be able to complete their notes about your session, and book upcoming sessions, and other admin tasks related to your session.

How many therapy sessions will I require?

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.

Is Online or In Person Therapy better?

Online therapy has been an option prior to Covid, although it only really became mainstream during the lockdown. Most individuals feel that in person therapy is best, many people enjoy online therapy sessions. Your therapist may recommend in person therapy over online therapy for working on specific issues or specific ages of clients but ultimately, you know yourself best. If you are the type of person who needs to be in a face-to-face setting, sitting across the room from a therapist to be able to express yourself, you will want to seek in-person therapy. If you are on the fence about online therapy, try a session and see how it feels.

One of the benefits to online therapy is that it is easily accessible, wherever you are. If you live in an area where there are not a lot of therapist, online therapy allows for more variety in selecting a therapist. Online therapy can also be a saver for those whose lives are very busy as it eliminates the hassle of commuting to appointments. Some individuals also find online therapy to be quite comforting as you can do it in the comfort and save space of your own home.

On the other hand, many clients say that in person therapy has a different feel and energy to it. They may feel that it is easier to connect in person with their therapist. And for some individuals, finding a safe space free from distraction and family members is not as easy at home. Some clients are coming to in person. Therapy allows them to be more present and really feel like they are taking time to do something for themselves.

Which ever therapy format you choose, CHM therapy works hard to ensure that your therapy is effective, safe, and engaging.

What can I expect during my first session?

The first session is really to establish if there is a good fit between client and therapist. It is a time for both the therapist and the client to get to assess if they can work well together. For clients it can be a bit overwhelming as you are sharing personal information with someone that you do not know. Our hope is that by the end of that session, you have a sense of your therapist and, perhaps, the beginnings of trust.

To build this trust, it is important that you feel free to ask any questions that you have for your therapist. It is also helpful to think a little bit ahead of time about what issues you want to bring to Therapy and what you hope to gain from the process. You can even write some of these things down and bring it with you to your first appointment.

You might include:

• Issues in your family or other relationships

• Symptoms like changes in eating or sleeping habits

• Anger, anxiety, irritability or troubling feelings

• Thoughts that bother you

• Previous Therapy experiences and what was helpful or not

In your first session, your therapist will spend some time getting to know you and the issues that brought you to therapy. The therapist may ask questions about your presenting concerns, as well as your history and background. Most likely, you’ll find yourself talking about your personal history, current situation, symptoms or struggles, as well saying a bit about your relationships, your interests, your strengths, and your goals. Most importantly, in that first session, you will begin making a connection with your therapist. You should feel safe, listened to, and respected. Not all therapists are right for every person, so use your first session to assess whether the therapist you chose feels like a good match for your personality and to understand you and have a sense of how they can help.

They will also take some time to review consent forms with you and later go over a treatment plan or provide some feedback on methods or treatment options that may be included in your therapy sessions moving forward. This is a great time to ask any questions about how Therapy works and to be clear that your therapist has understood what you have said to them.

You do not need to bring anything to that session, but it is important that you complete the intake and consent forms prior to the session, so that your therapist may review them if needed and all the required signatures are in place.

At the end of the session, if you feel that your therapist at CHM therapy is not a good fit, we welcome you to let us know, and we will happily work with you to find a new therapist that feels like a better fit.