Q’s on Therapy
- Won’t talking about it fix my issue?
- Will I ever get better?
- What days and times are appointments available?
- How many sessions will I need? How often will I need to come?
- Is counselling covered by my health benefits or OHIP?
- What are your fees?
- What if I need to cancel an appointment?
- What about confidentiality in therapy?
- What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?
- What is Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT)?
- What is Narrative Therapy?
1. Won’t talking about it fix my issue?
Talking about it is a good start. My clients often say after the first few sessions that they feel better just talking and opening up about their troubles. Therapy is a deeper process though, which involves more than just talking about it. I will try to take you deeper so you can reflect, increase your self-awareness, and decide what you want out of life and what is keeping you from getting that.
I cannot promise for certain that you will get better. What I can say is that seeking counselling or therapy has been helpful to many people.
Every person is different and at a different place in their life and level of readiness for change, growth and challenge. Therapy can be a long, challenging process. You may find that you feel worse before you feel better, as you work through old wounds or difficult feelings or aspects of yourself or your life that you’d rather just forget or ignore.
3. What days and times are appointments available?
I have day and evening appointments available Monday through Friday.
4. How many sessions will I need? How often will I need to come?
A serious commitment to therapy is essential if you want to make positive changes to yourself, your relationship and/or your life. Appointments are generally once per week, but there are times when more or less then this (twice per week or every other week) is most helpful for your therapy process. Attending therapy sessions regularly is important so that there is a sense of momentum – this rhythm can help the change process to occur more smoothly.
5. Is counselling covered by my health benefits or OHIP?
As an RSW (Registered Social Worker – my professional designation), many people have health benefits coverage for therapy or counselling with me. If you or your partner are employed, check with your Human Resources Department to find out what kind of coverage you have for an RSW and what coverage is provided by your extended health benefits. If you are 25 years old or younger, and your parents or guardians have coverage through work, there is a good chance that you will be covered under their health plan. Services of trained professionals in social work, counselling, and psychology are not covered by OHIP.
Session fees are $120 per hour or $150 for an hour and a quarter. Session length is up to you. You can pay by cash or cheque. Payment is made at the end of the session. You will receive a receipt which you can submit to your workplace for reimbursement.
7. What if I need to cancel an appointment?
I require 24 hours notice for the cancellation of an appointment. You will be expected to pay for the cost of a missed session if you are unable to keep your appointment. The fee for services is waived if you need to cancel due to an emergency or illness.
8. What about confidentiality in therapy?
My profession and professional ethics require me to keep everything we discuss in the strictest confidence. Your information is kept securely. Information is only released with your informed, voluntary and written consent. There are a few exceptions to this rule:
- When I assess you may be a danger to yourself or others.
- If I suspect child abuse or neglect.
- If records are subpoenaed to court.
9. What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a therapy technique that allows you to explore how you think, feel and behave within a “thoughts, feelings and actions” framework. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on specific challenging situations in the “here and now” – rather than focusing on possible causes of your difficulties from the past.
CBT is effective with challenges like:
- Anxiety
- Panic
- Low Self Image
- Depression
- Anger
- Low Self Esteem
- Stress
- Frustration
- Phobias
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can help you:
- Identify thought patterns that are impacting your emotions and feelings
- Make better sense of what seem to be overwhelming problems
- Break a downward cycle of negative thinking, feeling and actions
- Figure out whether your thoughts and feelings are unrealistic or unhelpful
- Find alternative ways of behaving and thinking in “negative” situations
10. What is Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT)?
Emotion Focused Therapy was developed about 25 years ago by Drs. Sue Johnson and Les Greenberg and has been validated by 20 years of empirical research. This couples’ (or marriage) therapy requires an 8-20 week commitment. The process for Emotion Focused Therapy is collaborative and respectful of clients.
Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) seeks to nurture the development of a secure emotional bond between marriage partners or romantically attached couples. Clear strategies and interventions are associated with it. Based on the sociological concepts of adult love and relationship (marital) distress, the process involves nine clear steps and three change events.
In Emotion Focused Therapy, the counsellor and clients work collaboratively to change emotional responses between partners, to alter couples’ positions in interactions and to teach couples to embrace new ways to interact. Ultimately, couples replace negative patterns of relating with healthy and positive patterns – bringing permanent change to the relationship.
11. What is Narrative Therapy?
Narrative therapy is a respectful, non-blaming approach to therapy and counselling. A narrative approach assumes that people are the experts in their lives and that they have the skills, values and abilities to lessen the impact of problems on their lives. Life problems and challenges are placed as “outside” or “separate” from the individual in narrative therapy.*
Some notable characteristics of narrative therapy are:
- Respectful, non-blaming approach
- The client is the expert
- Problems are separate or outside of the person
- Honest questions and honest curiosity for the counsellor and the client
- Conversations are free flowing – their direction is not known from the outset
Narrative Therapy can help you:
- Understand your actions/behaviours in your own values framework
- Separate problems from self and let go of negative self-judgments
- Uncover your life stories beyond the “one big problem” story
- Deconstruct problematic life stories
* Taken from Alice Morgan’s book, “What is narrative therapy? An easy-to-read introduction
