Qualifying Registered Psychotherapist

I often respond to this question by saying that Psychotherapy is what you want it to be. According to the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, Psychotherapy occurs when “the Registered Psychotherapist (RP) and client enter into a psychotherapeutic relationship where both work together to bring about positive change in the client's thinking, feeling, behaviour and social functioning”.

With this definition, it is up to you to decide what psychotherapy will look like. It can look like having a safe space to unpack uncomfortable or happy feelings or a place to explore coping mechanisms and tools to help reach your goals. For couples and families, psychotherapy can be a place to mend broken and hurt relationships, or it can be a place where you can find peace in moving on without one another. In any case, my role remains the same — your best interest is my number one priority and I am your collaborative agent (in whatever capacity you need me to be in).

I will usually recommend booking sessions more frequently in the beginning (i.e., once a week/biweekly), giving us time to build rapport and establish trust and security. Following that, sessions can be a little bit more infrequent, depending on your needs, timetable, and insurance coverage.

This is a difficult question to answer as I truly believe that therapy will always lead to a positive outcome, resulting in increased self-awareness, growth and change. However, I will often say that the heaviness of therapy and the vulnerability that comes with it can make therapy feel raw, difficult, and overwhelming. As a qualifying Registered Psychotherapist, it is my job to support you during these difficult emotions, while also targeting your goals. I will never push my clients to speak about something they are not ready for, but I will always encourage honesty and vulnerability as we continue to build our alliance together.

Individual sessions are typically 50 minutes to allow time for clinical note-taking and preparation between clients. Couples and family therapy, on the other hand, requires more time due to the complexity of multiple perspectives and dynamics, so these sessions are 60 minutes. The slightly higher fee reflects the additional coordination, emotional processing, and clinical skill involved in supporting more than one person in the room.

The first session is 60 minutes long and serves as an initial intake. It’s a space for us to begin building a therapeutic relationship, where I take time to deeply listen to your story, understand what’s bringing you to therapy, and explore what support might look like moving forward. I tend to take a reflective, listening-based approach in this first meeting so I can get a fuller picture of your experiences, challenges, and goals. The session is $180, as it is longer and allows for a more comprehensive assessment.

We accept all major credit cards as payment methods. For your convenience, payments can be made securely online.