Frequently Asked Questions

A referral from your family doctor is not needed, however, always welcomed. Many clients refer their child, adolescent or family themselves. However, your insurance provider may require a doctor referral prior to your first appointment, so please inquire ahead of time.

The initial session is used to get to know your youth and family. This typically involves information gathering to help obtain a better understanding of your concerns. 

If your child is under the age of 12, parents are recommended to attend the first appointment alone. This provides an opportunity for parents to get to know their child’s clinician, and to speak freely while describing their concerns and goals. At the end of the session, treatment options will be discussed, and together a treatment plan will be developed. This treatment plan will review the interventions that will be used, and provide some structure in regards to the number and frequency of sessions.

That is completely up to you and your youth. Sometimes it is recommended for you to be present in the session, other times your youth may wish for you to attend. For elementary school-aged children, it is beneficial for parents to be available during treatment to share how things are progressing at home and discuss strategies worked on in session that may be useful for you to review and practice with your child at home or school. Many adolescents may prefer to meet individually. In these cases, it will be discussed with your adolescent how to best involve you in treatment.

All personal information you or your youth disclose will be treated with great care and respect. Anything shared over the course of treatment will be kept strictly confidential and will not be released without your youth’s consent (or that of a legal representative/guardian). There are, however, certain circumstances where it may be required by law to break confidentiality for safety reasons. These include:

1. If a youth’s records are subpoenaed by a court order.

2. If there is any reason to believe that a youth is at serious and imminent risk of physically harming him/herself or another person. This usually means telling others about the threat, for example, the police or a parent.

3. If there is any reason to believes that a youth has been, or will be, abused or neglected, it is required to report this to authorities.

4. If there is any reason to believe that a youth has been sexually abused by another regulated health professional, it is required to report this to his/her governing body.

These limits of confidentiality will be reviewed at the first appointment and an opportunity for any questions will be provided. You and your youth will also be asked to sign a form consenting to these limits.

If communication is made via unencrypted email, please be aware that email is not completely confidential or secure. Although unlikely, please be aware of possible risks to your privacy if you communicate personal information over email. Any email received, and any responses that are sent, will be kept in the clinical record.

Unfortunately, psychological services are not covered by OHIP. However, many people have extended health benefits through their employer or that they obtain themselves that offer coverage for psychological services. Many companies offer plans that cover individual family members for a certain amount per year, which often significantly helps with the costs of treatment. Please contact your insurance provider to determine what your coverage entails. The cost of psychological services can be deducted as a medical expense on your income taxes.

Payment for service is due at the end of each session and you will be provided with a receipt that you can submit for reimbursement to your insurance company. Cash, etransfers or cheques are currently accepted.

Your youth’s appointment time is set aside specifically for him/her. Should you need to cancel an appointment, please provide as much notice as possible. If you cancel an appointment with less than 24 hours notice or if you miss a scheduled appointment, you will be charged the full fee of your session.