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FAQs
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Therapy sessions are billed at $225 per 50-minute session (this is considered the standard length of a therapy session).
Appointments can be in-person, online, or by phone. Payments are made by e-transfer.
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Psychological services area not covered under OHIP. Most extended health care plans offered through employment or post-secondary education will cover some portion of the cost of these services. Some health care plans offer full coverage. You can consult your insurer to obtain information on coverage for services from a registered, doctoral-level Psychologist. For income tax purposes, psychological services may be claimed as a medical expense. We will provide you with a receipt that you can submit to your insurance provider or claim as a medical expense on your income tax.
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It can be confusing to differentiate among different types of “therapists” or “clinicians.” Clinical psychologists in Ontario are professionals registered with and regulated by the College of Psychologists of Ontario. Psychologists who have a Ph.D. (also called a doctoral degree) can use the title “Doctor”. Mental health services can also be offered by registered psychotherapists and registered social workers, and each has its own regulatory body or College.
Of the various types of therapists available in Ontario, Doctoral-level psychologists have the most intensive training and are among the most highly-educated providers of psychological services. To this point, the communication of a psychological diagnosis is a controlled act restricted to qualified members of the College of Psychologists of Ontario.
There is often confusion about the difference between psychologists and psychiatrists. While both (doctoral-level) Psychologists and Psychiatrists are referred to as “Doctors”, Psychologists have a PhD and Psychiatrists have a medical degree (MD). Both Psychologists and Psychiatrists can diagnose psychological conditions. Only Psychiatrists can prescribe pharmacological treatments.
The Ontario Psychological Association has published a “Professional Comparison Chart” that provides a helpful summary of the education and training background, as well as scope of practice, for mental health practitioners in Ontario. The chart can be viewed online here.
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You do not require a referral from your physician to receive services from us. To arrange an initial appointment, or to find out more about receiving services, the first step is to send us an email or use the Contact Us page to send us a message.
In your email, you can explain what you are looking for help with and include any questions you may have about our services.
We will do our best to respond within 24 business hours, and will provide you with additional information on the next steps.
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You do not need to have specific goals. Often times, individuals seek assessment and therapy because they are aware of a dissatisfaction in their life and that some change is needed, but may be unsure of the nature of their problems. Part of the role of a Psychologist is to explore your circumstances with you and help you attain clarity on how therapy could be beneficial to you.
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Certainly, you can book just an initial appointment and decide thereafter if you would like to continue services through Lambeth Psychology. Some individuals are anxious about pursuing therapy, and feel intimidated by the “uncertain” nature of what it might entail. Booking just one session can feel like a more manageable and attainable goal. This can allow you to experience a sense of your Psychologist, and what the process of assessment or therapy would be like. An initial appointment could also be an ideal opportunity to discuss any anxieties you have about therapy.
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All therapy sessions, including the initial appointment, are 50-minutes in duration. The specific topics discussed during the first session can vary according to each person’s unique circumstances and reasons for pursuing psychological services. Generally, however, one overarching goal of the first session is for your Psychologist to begin to develop a sense of you as a person, and a sense of some of the issues that you are looking to work through or understand better. The first session similarly allows you to develop a sense of your Psychologist and whether they are a good “fit” for you. In other words, the initial session can help you gauge whether your Psychologist is someone with whom you can attain sufficient comfort, such that you may feel willing and ready to speak openly during your appointments.
Usually, by the end of the first session, we will arrive at an initial plan for assessment or therapy, including frequency of sessions.
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Therapy offered at Lambeth Psychology can be short term (12-20 sessions) or long-term (over a year).
The specific duration of therapy can be quite variable and can be influenced by many factors, such as the specific clinical needs of the individual, the level of complexity of what you are dealing with, the goal you are trying to attain, or your financial circumstances (e.g., you may have limited health care coverage).
Typically, we are better able to provide a sense of treatment duration after we develop a more comprehensive understanding of you and your situation.
If you have an initial sense of whether you are seeking short or long-term therapy, or are seeking a specific number of sessions, please share this information with us so that we may better plan a treatment of care that is appropriate for you.
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It is exceedingly easy to book and participate in a video session. At Lambeth Psychology, we use a telehealth provider called “Jane.” This platform is secure and compliant with Ontario’s health privacy legislations. If you wish to book an online appointment, the first step is to inform us of this preference. Prior to your appointment, you will receive the meeting link for connecting with your Psychologist online. You do not need to download any software or app.
In-person or Virtual
OUR SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE IN-PERSON, BY VIDEO, OR OVER THE PHONE.
For video appointments, we use a telehealth provider called “Jane.”
We chose Jane for many reasons. It is compliant with Provincial and Federal privacy laws. The Jane platform is secure and encrypted, and video data is never recorded or stored.
The program is also extremely easy to use and there are no apps to download. Prior to your appointment, you will receive an email with a link that will connect you directly to your video session. Jane also provides you with reminders of your appointments.
Contact us to schedule an appointment or to learn more about our services.