FAQs

While psychological services are not covered by OHIP, they are reimbursed through extended health services, which many people have through their work. Many insurance carriers cover psychological services, so please check with your insurance provider to verify the amount of coverage offered. A receipt will be given to you following each appointment to be sent to your insurance provider for reimbursement. Clinical psychologists have more mental health training and experience than any other health profession.  They are regulated by the College of Psychologists which ensures that psychologists are competent and exceptionally well-trained.  Clinical psychologists have studied at a university for a minimum of nine years to earn a doctoral degree in psychology and several workplace placements.  After obtaining their doctorate, psychologists must complete a postdoctoral year of supervised experience, write two sets of examinations, and pass oral examinations.  Insurance companies will often reimburse you for psychologist’s fees but will not reimburse you for the fees of an unregulated provider. 

While counsellors and social workers often charge less per session, clinical psychologists have significantly more mental health training and are regulated by the College of Psychologists. We have studied at university for a minimum of nine years to obtain our doctorate degrees, completed a postdoctoral year of supervised experience, written two sets of examinations, and passed oral examinations. As such, insurance companies will often reimburse you for a psychologist’s fees, but will not reimburse you for services provided by an unregulated provider. If planning to see a counsellor, it is advised to check their credentials beforehand as it is not required for counsellors to receive specialized training.

While the services of psychiatrists are covered by OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan), many psychiatrists have a medical approach to problems and tend to treat mental illnesses primarily with medication. In contrast, my approach focuses on working with you to a tailored approach suited to your unique situation.

I work with clients who are eighteen years of age or older who have been involved in a car accident, work accident, private clients or who have been in the military. I also do psychological treatment and testing for adults with various mental health issues and life transition issues, including individuals with separation and divorce issues, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), phobias and fears, sleep difficulties, and unresolved childhood issues. Together, we create an approach to best suit your situation. For a full list of conditions I treat and my techniques, please see Services.

How long you attend therapy will be discussed in your first session and can be dependant on your goals and coverage. In the initial session, we’ll work together to set goals and discuss the appropriate time frames in which to meet these goals, keeping in mind that many of my treatment techniques are effective within short timeframes. We’ll also do pre-testing to indicate a starting point.

To best treat an individual’s unique concerns, I limit my direct client contact to individual therapy sessions. At times, when it is important to the progress of the client, however, I may see the client’s significant other. If a client requests a group session, I can offer referrals to hospitals group sessions that discuss depression, anxiety, mindfullness, meditation, CBT and DBT. Other classes are available as well.

Everything that you tell your psychologist is confidential and no information is released without your consent.  However, there are exceptions, including the legal obligation that psychologists have to inform a potential victim of violence of the client’s intention, to inform the Children’s Aid Society if a client is placing a child at risk of sexual or physical abuse, and to report to a health professional client’s regulatory body if that person has sexually abused a client or will harm themselves. As well, if a court of law subpoenas your records, psychologists must comply with this request.