FAQs

Online therapy is growing quickly in light of our current situation with COVID-19. Although virtual and phones session have always been an option for our clients, it’s important now more than ever to maintain our mental health while self-isolating.

Online therapy is an effective way to stay connected and work through a wide range of concerns. There are some restrictions to be mindful of. Your safety is our number one priority. If your clinician determines that this is not a suitable platform, they will refer you to alternative resources.

Online therapy is not to be used for emergency or crisis services.

Everyone can benefit from therapy because we all have trouble coping with certain problems and unproductive behaviour patterns that hold us back from being our best selves. 

There are many different approaches to therapy. Therapists generally draw on one or more of these. Each theoretical perspective acts as a roadmap to help the therapist understand their clients and their problems and develop solutions. The kind of treatment you receive will depend on a variety of factors: current psychological research, your therapist’s theoretical orientation and what works best for your situation. Your therapist’s theoretical perspective will affect what goes on in his or her office.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is uniquely based on principles derived from behavioural science, social psychology, cognitive science and neuroscience. It appeals to many people because it is problem oriented and is more focused on moving forward to solve problems than going over the past to determine why the problems exist. In cognitive and behavioural therapy, you can learn to identify the connections between your actions, thoughts and feelings in order to develop healthier patterns.

Confidentiality is an ethical responsibility of all therapists and mental health practitioners. Information about our work together is not shared with anyone else without your written consent, with some exceptions, such as a therapist’s legal obligation to report real or suspected child abuse or risk of harm to one’s self or others, and when documents and reports are subpoenaed by the court. It can be useful for your therapist to consult with any medical professionals from whom you may be receiving treatment. In this case, communication is able to be established only after you have signed a release of information allowing such collaboration.

The therapeutic process is different for everyone. Its direction and duration will vary, depending on the individual and his or her goals and intentions. Providing safety and confidentiality, the process of psychotherapy involves self-reflection, recollection and the careful accessing of deeper feelings and motivations. Your therapist will discuss frequency and length of a therapy based on your needs.

A psychotherapist is an individual specifically trained to treat clients with mental health issues, or clients dealing with difficult or distressing issues, using talk therapy.

A clinical psychologist is an individual with a PhD, trained to conduct research, administer psychological testing and perform therapy. Psychologists specialize in the assessment, diagnosis, care planning and treatment of impairment in cognition, emotion, thought, personality, and behaviour.

Neither a psychologist nor a psychotherapist can prescribe medications.

A psychiatrist has a degree in medicine and advanced training (internship, residency) in their area of specialization. Their expertise is in the biological aspects of mental health and they offer assessment, diagnoses and treatment of mental health conditions. They focus on medication management and consulting with family physicians, psychologists and other health care professionals. In some cases, psychiatrists may perform talk therapy. Psychiatrists’ services are covered by OHIP.

You can make an appointment and receive treatment without a referral. However, your insurance company may request a referral note from a medical doctor (e.g. family doctor/nurse practitioner) in order to cover costs for therapy and/or assessments.

Get to know our team members to get a sense of their different areas of expertise in order to determine what would be a good fit for you.

You can contact the clinician or move directly to booking an on-line appt.  Contact information is listed on each clinician page.

Your initial meeting with your psychotherapist is a time for you to get to know each other. You can tell the therapist what you see as the difficulties you are experiencing and the type of help you are seeking.

During your initial session, you will be asked to read and sign various documents.

Psychotherapy sessions run 50 minutes in length and may be conducted on a weekly or bi-weekly basis and/or dependent on your need.

There are times when longer psychotherapy sessions are needed such as the first therapy session or a session for family or couple support.

CMAP Health offers rates comparable with other psychotherapy practices. OHIP does NOT cover the cost of psychotherapy services. If you have medical coverage through your employer or individual plan, before your appointment, please contact your insurance company as many insurance plans do cover a portion of the services we provide. Be sure to understand the procedure for reimbursement, verify if you need a physician’s referral (some plans require this), what psychological services are covered by your policy, and if your insurer reimburses a percentage fee per visit or set amount per visit with a maximum reimbursement per year.

Ask your insurance company if they reimburse services provided by a “Social Worker”, by a “Psychotherapist” or by a “Professional supervised by a Psychologist”.

Please speak with your therapist regarding hourly rates and payment methods. Hourly rates range from $120-$200 per hour and payments methods accepted include credit or e-mail transfer.

Once an appointment is scheduled, you will be expected to pay the cancellation fee agreed upon in the client contract. If it is possible and an emergency has arisen, we will try to find another time to reschedule the appointment. You will also have the option of having a phone or video session rather than coming into the office for that session.

No, Social Workers cannot offer a mental health diagnosis, nor prescribe medication. However, Social Workers can provide many services such as, psychotherapy, counseling (career, employment, addictions, grief, relationship, couples, grief, etc.), stress management, support navigating the legal system and child protection services.