Frequently Asked Questions

  • Finding the right therapist that is a good fit for you is important! We recommend setting up a consultation with the therapist you are interested in working with to discuss your questions and therapeutic needs. Together you can work to identify whether your therapist’s skills and therapeutic style feel like a good match for what it is that you would like to work on.

  • Within a first session, your therapist will ask questions and gather information about your situation, current difficulties experienced, background, and goals for therapy. It is also your opportunity, if you did not complete a consultation, to determine whether this therapist is a good fit for you. You are encouraged to express your therapeutic goals, the difficulties you are experiencing, and of course to ask questions and assess whether you would like to continue with future sessions.

  • There are numerous benefits to therapy. Some possible benefits are:

    • Increased self-awareness

    • Improved relationship with yourself and others

    • Increased coping skills

    • Lower distress or impairment

    • Increased insight into the area of difficulty that led you to seek therapy

    • Resolution of the area that led you to seek therapy

    There are also some potential risks. Some risks are:

    • Feeling worse before feeling better

    • Feeling worse and then leaving therapy before things get better

    • Feeling strong aversive emotions during therapy

    • If you decide to make a change in your life, change can sometimes be associated with various costs, disruption, and distress

  • Yes, your sessions are confidential. At TCCFT we ensure that the personal health information that is shared during the sessions will not be disclosed to a third party without your (client’s) consent or the consent of a substitute decision maker in accordance with PHIPA – the Personal Health Information Protection Act in Ontario.

    However, there are some exceptions to confidentiality:

    - To eliminate or reduce a significant risk to serious bodily harm to a person or group of persons (either yourself or others)

    - For the provision of emergency healthcare when it is not possible to obtain your (client’s) consent in a timely manner and you (client) has not prohibited such disclosure.

    - To report a client who is a member of a regulated health profession and where mandatory reported under the Regulated Health Professions Act 1991 applies.

    - To report a child in need of protection in accordance with the Child and Family Services Act (1990) (e.g. if a child is being abused or neglected)

    - In response to a court order (e.g. a subpoena) or as otherwise required by law.

    - To report sexual abuse by a regulated health professional.

    - To report the abuse or neglect of an individual in a residential care facility or retirement home.

    - For the purposes of the Quality Assurance Program of the College of Psychologists of Ontario or the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario.

  • Sessions are 50 minutes (or 80 minutes) long and can occur weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly depending on your needs. The session itself is 50 minutes (or 80 minutes) in length, with the final 10 minutes of the session devoted to note-writing. You can either choose to book a 50 minute or 80 minute session.

    Often it is recommended to meet weekly or bi-weekly at the beginning of session in order to develop a strong therapeutic relationship and establish momentum towards your therapeutic goals. It is sometimes difficult to predict how long therapy will last as this depends on your therapeutic goals, the strength of your relationship with your therapist, and other factors which are unique to your situation. Therapy can be short-term if this meets your needs or if you experience significant improvement (e.g. 4-8 session is considered more short-term), however generally treatment length ranges from 12-20 sessions.

    Therapy at TCCFT is intended to be a highly collaborative process in which you and your therapist frequently check in on your progress and goals. Ultimately you are in charge of how often you attend therapy and how long you are involved in therapy.

  • We ask that you provide at least 48 hours notice before your scheduled appointment if you need to cancel the session. If you provide less than 48 hours notice, you will be charged for the the full session.

    If you are running late, please let us know when you can. Your therapist will wait up to 15 minutes into your session before your absence is recorded as a ‘no show’ as well as charged for the full session fee. Please note that in such a case your absence will also be recorded as a ‘no show’ on the receipt for your session. In the event of an emergency or an extenuating circumstance, please contact us when possible.

  • Registered Psychotherapists and Social Workers

    The fee for individual therapy with a Registered Psychotherapist or Registered Social worker is $160 - $210 per 50-minute session, depending on the clinician.

    Currently in Ontario, HST is charged for psychotherapy services provided by a Registered Psychotherapist (a member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario), but HST is not charged for psychotherapy services offered by a nurse, occupational therapist, social worker, or psychologist.

    Fees for Registered Psychotherapists will require the addition of HST at a rate of 13%. For instance, a session rate of $160 will total to $180.80 paid per session ($20.80 HST).

    Psychologist, Psychologist in supervised practice, and a doctoral associate:

    The fee for therapy and consultation with a registered psychologist and psychologist in supervised practice is $250 per 50-minute session for individual therapy. The fee for individual therapy with a doctoral associate is $200 per 50-minute session.

    Insurance Coverage:

    Please check your specific insurance plan to determine the details of your coverage, particularly which type of clinician you have coverage for. We do not offer direct billing to insurance companies. We will provide you with a receipt at the end of your session, which you can use to seek reimbursement through your insurance.

  • As TCCFT offers exclusively online sessions, we accept e-transfers, and major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX) as forms of payment. E-transfers are required to be sent before your sessions begins.

  • Our clinicians offer sliding scale or reduced fee services with limited availability and at their discretion. Please contact your therapist to discuss their availability for sliding scale or reduced fee.

  • In Canada, psychology and psychotherapy are regulated at the provincial/territorial level. Clinicians at TCCFT are regulated within Ontario.

    Psychologists and Registered Social Workers at TCCFT can only provide services to individuals located within Ontario.

    Registered Psychotherapists at TCCFT can provide services to individuals located in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Yukon, North-West Territories, Nunavut or Newfoundland. They cannot provide services to individuals located in Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.

  • Psychologists can provide psychological assessments, diagnose according to the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), and cannot prescribe medication.

    Registered Psychotherapists and Social Workers can not convey a diagnosis or prescribe medication.

  • Psychiatrists: Medical doctors who specialize in treating mental health disorders. Psychiatrists are able to diagnose mental health disorders and prescribe medication, as well as offer psychotherapy. Currently there are no psychiatrists at TCCFT. Information about psychiatrists can be found at the Canadian Psychiatric Association: https://www.cpa-apc.org/.

    Psychologists: Individuals with a master’s and doctoral degree in psychology that specialize in assessment, the diagnosis and treatment of mental health difficulties, and the provision of psychotherapy. Psychologists are not licensed to prescribe medications. More information on Psychologists can be found here: https://www.psych.on.ca/.

    Registered Psychotherapist: Individuals with a master’s degree in counselling psychology or similar recognized education and training program in psychotherapy. Psychotherapists specialize in the assessment and treatment of cognitive, emotional and behavioral difficulties through the provision of psychotherapy, and are not licensed to prescribe medications or diagnose mental health disorders. More information on psychotherapists can be found here: https://www.crpo.ca/.

    Social worker: An individual registered with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers that is licensed to provide psychotherapy. Registered social workers may have a master’s, bachelor’s, or a social service worker certificate. Social workers support individuals by providing psychotherapy and may also focus on social interventions at the community level. Registered social workers are not licensed to prescribe medications or diagnose mental health disorders. More information on Registered Social Workers can be found here: https://www.ocswssw.org/.

  • TCCFT is not an emergency service and we cannot guarantee same-day bookings. When you contact us to book a session we will do our best to offer you the next available session with your therapist. We can also provide you with information for walk-in counselling clinics or crisis lines in case of an emergency:

    Emergency Numbers:

    Emergency: 911

    Toronto Distress Centre: 416-408-4357 or text at 74174

    The Distress Centre of Peel: 905-278-7208

    Gerstein Crisis Centre: 416-929-5200

    Talk Suicide: 1 833 456-4566 or text 45645

    Assaulted Women's Helpline: 416 863-0511; Toll-free: 1 866 863-0511

    Kids Help Phone: 1 800 668-6868

    LGBT YouthLine: Text: 647-694-4275 Chat: youthline.ca Phone: 1-800-268-9688

    Talk 4 Healing: Support for indigenous Women 1-855-554-HEAL (4325), Text: 1-855-554-HEAL (4325), Chat: talk4healing.com

    Victim Services Toronto: Phone: 416-808-7066

    Emergency services:

    CAMH 24/7 Emergency Services: at 250 College Street (phone: 416-535-8501)

    911 - Emergency Department

    Walk-in counselling:

    Family Service Toronto: 355 Church Street, Toronto. Wednesday 3:30-7:30 pm

    Woodgreen Community Services: 815 Danforth Ave. First Floor Unit 102, Toronto. Tuesday and Wednesday 4:30 – 8:30 pm

    Sherbourne Health Centre: 333 Sherbourne Street, Toronto. Tuesday 1pm onwards