How do I know if I need therapy?
If you're considering an area in your life that you feel you would benefit from support on, therapy might be the right fit for you. Therapy is different from friendship, and is also not professional advice, but rather a safe, intimate relationship with a trained professional who will listen to you, explore your concerns with curiosity, and utilize a variety of tools to explore next steps for developing strategies to propel you forward. I know that I'm biased... but I strongly believe that just as everyone benefits from a family doctor across their life, so too do we all benefit from therapy! 

How will I know if my therapist is a good fit?
Determining a good fit is important - this is going to be a person you share vulnerable parts of yourself, and your inner world with! It will be important to consider factors like:

Do I actually like the person in front of me?
Does their vibe work for me (their tone, their personability, their humor, their way of seeing the world)?
Are they trained in types of therapy that could support me, and can they provide their background of training in this area?
Do I feel seen, heard and understood?
Do I feel safe with my therapist?
Am I able to bring my whole self to the table, and be honest when something isn't working for me?

What kind of questions would be helpful to ask in an initial consultation?
Here are a selection of questions that could be helpful:

How long have you been a therapist and what types of people/issues/settings have you worked with?
I'm bringing (general area of concern) to therapy. Do you feel comfortable working with this area, and what type(s) of therapy would you use?
How do you build trust and safety in the therapeutic relationship?
Do you access supervision for your practice, and do you/have you accessed therapy for yourself?
How do you support people with multiple areas of concern?
How will you support me if we are not a good fit?
Why are you a therapist, and how do you think about the work that you do?
Any questions about the technicalities - things like availability, frequency of appointments, payments, etc. 

What type of therapy would be a best fit for me?
The answer to this question very much depends on what areas you are seeking support in, how you already care for yourself and previous therapeutic work you may have completed, and what your desired outcomes are in accessing therapy. I will discuss recommendations for types of therapy and treatment planning with you, and explain the process every step of the way. Therapy is collaborative, not some great secret to be held by the therapist!​

How long will therapy take to be effective?
While this answer varies depending on what you are working on, you can begin seeing benefits of therapy as early as the first session. Generally, you will notice I ask questions about where you want to be in 3-6 months, and create a realistic plan with you to explore this. If your therapy is time limited by financial barriers, we will also discuss how best to maximize your support in the allotted time. 
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How long is a typical therapy session and how much does it cost?
Typical sessions are 55 minutes where the last few minutes are spent on winding down and scheduling (if needed). Depending on the type of therapy, and if this is beneficial to you, 110m sessions are also available.

Individual Therapy fees are $150/session.
Family Therapy fees are $175/session.

Please refer to our fee schedule for detailed information on our equity approach to services. Sliding scale spots are available on a tiered basis, and a waitlist is maintained for these spots if not currently available.
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Is my therapist a regulated professional and how do I know whether they are maintaining their registration?
Next Chapter Psychotherapy is presently made up of an independent Registered Social Worker, which is a regulated profession in the province of Ontario. Registered Social Workers are required to maintain annual registration and engage in both individual professional development, and continuing competency plans. 

You can find out more about Registered Social Workers at the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers website. You can confirm your therapist's registration by requesting their OCSWSSW Registration Number, or referring to this information in the Next Chapter Psychotherapy consent and confidentiality agreement. ​

Is virtual therapy as good as in-person therapy?
Absolutely! For some people, it can even be more beneficial than in-person therapy, and create a unique opportunities to connect and explore issues that otherwise may have never come to the therapy room. All of the therapies I offer can be easily adapted, if required, for virtual services. 

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When do you offer therapy / What is your availability? 
While I can generally offer consultations and complete admin work throughout the daytime, my sessions are available primarily on evenings and weekends. At this time, I offer appointments Tuesday through Thursday, from 3:00pm - 9:30pm and on Saturdays from 8:00am - 2:30pm. 

Can you describe the process from first contact to first session and beyond?
Absolutely! Here's what you can expect from me: 

1) After you reach out by phone or email, I will endeavor to return your message within 24-48 hours. At that time, I will answer any quick questions I can, but suggest setting up a free 20 minute phone consultation to discuss what services you are seeking, and determine whether we are a good fit.

2) At the end of our consultation, I will ask you whether you'd like to book an appointment that day, or, if you would prefer to take some time to consider your options and reach back out for me to schedule. 

3) Once your first appointment is scheduled, you will receive a few different emails from my online, privacy compliant software, Jane App:

• An email prompting you to create an account.

• An email requesting you complete a consent and confidentiality form, and an intake form.

• An email confirming the date and time of your appointment. 

4) 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment time, you will receive an email from Jane containing the link for our appointment.

5) Our first appointment will be slightly more structured than subsequent appointments, where we get a chance to get to know each other, ask questions, and ultimately determine what brings you to therapy, how we would know if therapy is helpful, and create a plan for our work together. This may look like setting some loose goals, discussing types of therapy for your presenting concerns, and frequency of appointments. 

6) At the end of our first appointment, I'll give you the option to book a standing appointment day/time at your frequency preference, or we can book session-by-session together at the end of each appointment.

 

7) All subsequent appointments are flexible and follow a flow and structure we determine collaboratively (i.e., some people like to be asked "what do you want to talk about today?" and some people prefer a bit more structure/direction based on previous sessions or the type of therapy we are using).