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what to expect in therapy

a guide to getting started in psychotherapy and counselling

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Psychotherapy FAQ

If it’s you first time looking for a therapist, we’ll help you get a sense of what to expect, and the first steps to take.

If you’re new to our clinic, you’ll find more info about how we work below.

what is psychotherapy?

what does psychotherapy look like?

At the heart of psychotherapy is a therapeutic relationship with a therapist who you feel is able to get you. You and the therapist work together to bring about positive change in how you are feeling, thinking, acting, and connecting with others.

The direction of change is based on a collaborative plan you and your therapist make together. The plan involves your therapist’s professional expertise in mental health, development and human experiences, and well as your personal values, goals, knowledge, creativity and wisdom.

Psychotherapy is most often talk-based, but some therapies can include other processes like mindfulness, body awareness or movement, creative play and arts-based activities. You will always have information and choice about the ways a psychotherapist proposes you work together.

who can practice psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is a regulated health profession in Ontario. Only people with recognized credentials in good standing with a regulatory body can practice psychotherapy or call themselves a psychotherapist.

Several different health professions can practice psychotherapy, most commonly Psychologists, Social Workers (RSWs) and Registered Psychotherapists (RPs).

RPs have an education entirely focused on the interpersonal art of psychotherapy, while other health professions may develop this expertise as a sub-specialty. RPs are licensed by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).

Some common mental health titles are unregulated, so anyone can use them with no oversight or qualifications. Take note that counsellor, coach, therapist and guide are titles with no official protections in place.

psychotherapist vs. psychologist vs. psychiatrist

Psychiatrists are medical doctors with a specialization in mental health. Often they focus on diagnosis and treatment by means of medication. You most likely encounter a psychiatrist in a hospital setting or by referral from your family doctor.

Psychologists have expertise in assessment, diagnosis and research. You most likely encounter a psychologist for a psychological assessment for insurance or accommodations. Many clinical psychologists also have a private practice offering psychotherapy.

Registered Psychotherapists have focused their education on the art of psychotherapy. This includes study of human psychology and our social context, specific evidence-based modalities, as well as the interpersonal skills of the therapeutic relationship such as their ability to be present, genuine and non judgmental.

psychotherapists CAN:

psychotherapists can NOT:

what does psychotherapy cost?

what's the price range for therapy?

The range of fees for psychotherapy will be affected by the therapist’s level of education, level of experience, and setting.

The average cost for a standard 50-minute psychotherapy session in Ontario tends to fall between $150-$250, and up to $300 for couples therapy.

In publicly-funded, non-profit or educational settings you may find psychotherapy services for free or low cost, but often wait lists are long for these underfunded programs.

New therapists and students may charge a lower fee as they start to fill their practice and seek experience hours.

what are the fees at mindfulness for life?

Our therapists have different fees based on their level of experience. See our therapist profiles for detailed information.

Our most experienced therapists charge between $180-$200 for individual therapy, and moderately experienced therapists charge $160-180.

A 50-minute couples therapy appointment is between $190-$230

We also offer an affordable therapy program involving master’s level intern therapists with fees from $60-$100.

things to consider for your therapy budget :

is psychotherapy covered by insurance?

is psychotherapy covered by OHIP?

Your psychotherapy sessions at Mindfulness For Life will not be covered by OHIP.

Generally OHIP does not cover psychotherapy services, but there are a few GP Psychotherapists practicing, and family health teams will have social workers on the team who may offer some psychotherapy as part of your circle of care.

Most people in Ontario will be paying for psychotherapy services out of pocket, or through their extended health benefits plans.

will my benefits plan cover my psychotherapy sessions?

Every plan is different.

While most private benefits plans cover psychotherapy with a registered psychotherapist, you must check your individual insurance plan to know whether you will be reimbursed for your sessions, and if there is a limit to the coverage available.

do you do direct billing?

No, we don’t do direct billing. Payment is due at the time of your appointment, and you will recieve a reciept by email that you can use to be reimbursed by your insurance company.

Some larger therapy clinics with admin staff will do direct billing, but you often won’t see smaller independent therapy clinics like us able to take on the task.

key info for checking your insurance coverage:

how do I find a therapist?

finding a good fit matters

Research shows that feeling like it’s a good relationship with your therapist has more of an impact than anything else on how effective therapy will be for you. So it’s okay to take your time to research. Listen to your gut when you’re browsing a therapist’s website or having an introductory call.

ask friends, family and community

Internet searches might show you an overwhelming number of options. A lot of people find a therapist through word-of-mouth. If someone you know has a therapist they are happy with, chances are that you may get along with them too.

learn about different styles of therapy

There are a lot of different modalities or approaches to therapy. They represent different perspectives on what helps people work through challenges and improve well-being. Research shows that overall, no one therapy approach is more effective than any other – what matters more is that the approach feels like it makes sense to you at this time.

Therapists tend to integrate more than one approach and adapt to what fits the issue and the client. But if you learn about some different approaches and what you’re drawn to, that will give you more clues about who is a good fit for you.

some questions to ask :

how would I describe the ISSUE I'm looking to address in therapy?
is there part of my IDENTITY I want to make sure the therapist will understand? My language, culture or religion, my gender, sexuality, experiences as an immigrant, indigenous or racialized person?
are there APROACHES to therapy I am interested in, or definitely NOT interested in?
Do I have a good feeling about this therapist?
Does this therapist have training and qualifications that I can trust?

discover our skill set :

how do I know if a therapist is qualified?

are they a regulated health professional?

In Ontario, only members of six regulated health professions may practice psychotherapy. The purpose of these professional colleges is to protect the public by ensuring that the professionals are practising in a in safe, effective and ethical manner. Each College has different but similar standards of competency and ongoing professional development.

Students interning as part of an official postgraduate training program in psychotherapy may also practice psychotherapy if they are being supervised by a psychotherapist who is a member of one of the professional colleges.

Each professional college has a searchable register where you can verify that your therapist is in good standing. If you believe a psychotherapist has acted in an unethical or unsafe way, this is also where you may make a complaint and the psychotherapist will be investigated.

what is their level of education?

Some of the regulated health professions do not require a postgraduate degree, or accept credentials from training programs that are not part of an accredited institution.

Check what level of education and training program a therapist attended if these are important factors to you.

what specific training and experience do they have for your needs?

Psychotherapists continue to develop their skills and expertise over the course of their career. Some areas of practice will require additional training to gain competence.

A good psychotherapist will be honest with you if they feel that they don’t have the training or experience to work with your issue. Look for a therapist who does some kind of introductory call or screening to make sure it’s a fit before you book and pay for a first session.

The colleges that regulate psychotherapy

what's the first step to start therapy?

book a free introductory call

Expect an introductory call with a therapist to be between 10-20 minutes, where where you will briefly go over what is bringing you to therapy and what you are looking for in a therapist. You will get more information about the therapist’s approach, their fees and scheduling availability. The therapist may ask you questions to help them understand if they have enough training and experience to help you with what’s going on.

The therapist shouldn’t actually try to do therapy with you on this call, so you’ll probably talk at a high level and not get into anything too emotional or detailed. However it is good to be in a private and quiet location so you can focus on the call and notice how you feel about the person you’re talking to.

questions you might ask

is this an issue you work with?
how do you think we might approach this issue?
what does a therapy session with you look like?
is there an approach to therapy that you use the most?
have you worked with people with my identity?
how often and how long to you expect clients to attend therapy?
how do you measure progress in therapy?
do you expect your clients to do homework?
can you work with my schedule?
where did you train and how long have you been practicing?

ways to book a first appointment at Mindfulness For Life :

what will my first therapy appointment be like?

1 . the therapist makes sure you are informed and empowered

Your first therapy session will start with making sure that you know your rights and some of the ground rules for therapy. Rather than just see this as a bureaucratic task, notice how understanding the boundaries of therapy helps it be a safe, clear space for you.

This info will include how therapists protect your privacy, what may happen in emergencies, expectations for how sessions begin and end, how to contact your therapist and how to cancel, schedule and pay for your appointments.

2 . you take time to get to know eachother

A lot of the process of a first therapy appointment is for the therapist to learn more about what you are coming to therapy for, and the history and context for this, what strengths, resources, values and goals you have, and how to help you feel listened to and understood. This information gathering is helping them identify the psychotherapy approaches, process and direction that could serve you best.

At the same time, you are getting to know the therapist, by getting more of a sense of how they listen, how they understand and communicate, and what kind of responses they have. It’s helpful to the therapist if you let them know when you feel like they don’t understand, or missed the point of what you were saying. Their response to this will also give you a good idea of how your therapy relationship will go.

3. you make a plan together

The goal of a first session is to feel like you and the therapist are on the same page about what’s going on, where you are trying to get to, and how you might try to do that. Even if you only talked about part of what’s going on, its good to feel some sense of shared direction.

Sometimes the plan is very focused and clear, and sometimes the plan is more open and flexible – this will be an exprssion of the unique therapy relationship you have. But if you ever feel unclear about what the point of therapy is, or how your therapist’s approach is meant to help – ask your therapist.

preparing for a first therapy appointment

it's normal to be nervous
it's okay to not know where to start, to not have the words yet, or to not have a goal yet - your therapist will help you discover these things
talk about traumas when you are ready - it's okay to let the trust develop
give your therapist room to respond, and listen for how they are understanding you
all questions are welcome - there's nothing you're supposed to know how to do
you are welcome to say no, disagree, or ask for more info

do I need psychotherapy?

do I need a doctor's referral for psychotherapy?

We do not require a referral or a diagnosis for starting psychotherapy.

who is psychotherapy for?

In psychotherapy it matters less what is bringing you and how good or bad you feel, as much as whether you a motivated to talk reflectively, build a trusting therapeutic relationship and have a desired direction of change or growth.

People with racialized or otherwise marginalized identities may not feel welcome in every therapy space. Research shows that you will have the best experience in therapy when working with a therapist who shares at least some of your identity, so it is important that mental healthcare is a diverse profession! Ideally you can find a therapy practice where you feel a sense of belonging.

is what I'm going through worth the therapist's time?

A lot of people feel this way. Many go through years and years of dismissing their feelings or struggles as not a big deal, not as bad as other people’s. You might worry that paying attention to it will just make it worse. You might see therapy as a form of weakness or self indulgence.

You can feel this way and still come to therapy. We’ve heard it all, we’ve felt it ourselves.

Therapy isn’t the only way to help ourselves, but it is available to you, and every therapist will say the same thing – you are 100% worth it.

psychotherapy CAN:

psychotherapy can NOT:

how long does psychotherapy take?

how many sessions will it take?

The length of time you spend in therapy will be a collaborative decision with your therapist, and varies person to person. Let your therapist know what’s important to you about how long and how frequently you want to work together.

According to psychotherapy research, many people will find new perspectives and skills in the first 6-12 meetings that make a significant difference in their lives. When people are able to do long term individual therapy work over the course of a year or more, they can find they are able to experience a deeper and sustained process of transformation and personal growth. Couples usually attend an average of 12-20 appointments.

how often do I come to therapy?

How frequently you attend therapy should something you are able to discuss with your therapist and change according to your needs.

Keep in mind that it can be effective to attend more frequently when you are starting therapy, and then consider spacing out your appointments as you feel ready.

Many people benefit from attending weekly or biweekly on a regular schedule, but you can discuss the fit for you if you want a more infrequent check in.

when does therapy end?

In simplest terms, therapy ends as soon as you say it ends. You have the right to pause or end therapy at any time.

Some people feel ready to end therapy when they have some new tools and perspectives they want to continue working with on their own. Others end once they notice sustained change and well being in their lives. Others reduce their sessions to meeting a few times a year to help keep up with the positive changes they’ve made.

Your therapist should check in with you every so often about continuing or ending therapy. It is part of their ethical responsibility to not continue therapy when they don’t believe you will further benefit from it.

reasons to consider a change in direction or a change of therapist :

reasons you might complete therapy

why are you called Mindfulness for Life?

what is mindfulness?

The basis of mindfulness is learning to treat oneself with kindness. As human beings, we long to be accepted for who we are. Mindfulness is the practice of extending this unconditional friendship to ourselves, through a process of attending to here-and-now experiences with acceptance. Mindfulness is about coming to feel at home in our own bodies and our minds – even in times of pain and confusion.

Often, when difficult experiences arise, the struggle to avoid or control them actually increases the difficulty. In a fight to win the battle against “the problem” – be it depression, anxiety, craving, shame or procrastination – we are setting up a situation where we are our own enemy. Unfortunately, in a war against ourselves there is no way to win. Mindfulness is a different strategy.

Instead of automatic reactions of judgment, control or avoidance, we try to slow down, get curious, bring warmth – and let ourselves reconnect with who we are.

What you’ll notice again and again is that we hurt where we care. Intertwined with pain are some of the most important, tender and beautiful parts of what we value and who we want to be.

what does mindfulness have to do with therapy?

Our therapists understand psychotherapy itself to be a form of mindfulness. Together, you and your therapist pay attention to your experience with curiosity, warmth, and non-judgment.

Therapists at Mindfulness For Life have different backgrounds and experience with mindfulness and embodiment. What we have in common is an interest in therapies that prioritize bringing awareness to here and now experiences – which is the place where new possibilities can be found and new experiences can happen.

do you teach meditation?

We don’t offer meditation classes at this time.

Many of our therapists are trained meditation instructors, and are able to integrate guidance in meditation for clients who request it. However if you want to learn to meditate, we recommend attending a meditation program, course or community group – so we can keep the focus on your therapy goals. The role of your therapist can then be to complement or deepen this learning through the process of psychotherapy.