FAQs
Psychological Counselling FAQs
What are the benefits of therapy?
Whether your goal is to reduce distress or increase well-being, therapy can help you lead a more productive, fulfilling, and peaceful life.
Is therapy for me?
We all experience challenges in life that are hard to overcome. Therapy provides a level of awareness and perspective that alleviates stress. You can talk more with your family doctor to determine whether it might be helpful for you.
What kind of therapy do you offer?
At Longwood Psychology we are pleased to offer well-researched and validated evidence-based treatments, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), individual Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), among others. These interventions are psychodynamically informed.
How long does therapy take to work?
Treatment time depends on the number of presenting symptoms and their severity. For many people suffering from symptoms of mild to moderate depression, relief can be experienced in 8-10 sessions. For others, longer-term therapy may be required.
What should I expect?
Intake assessment: 50 minutes
This permits an understanding of your present emotional and psychological state and forms the basis for your treatment plan. Prior to this meeting our team reviews available medical records and/or notes from other relevant providers. You will be asked any questions that cannot be answered from your file review.
Therapy sessions: 50 minutes each
Brief therapy requires 8-10 sessions
Short-term therapy 10-20 sessions
Long-term therapy 20 sessions or more.
Therapy works best when it is collaborative. It is important that you feel free to discuss your expectations together. You are encouraged to give feedback routinely to your therapist. You may be asked to complete tasks in between weekly sessions.
We will meet more frequently at the beginning of treatment, on a weekly basis. As we make progress, the frequency of sessions will likely reduce to bi-weekly, then to monthly. Please note that this is a general framework and every person is different.
How much does it cost?
The 2024 rate is $270 per visit. Many private insurance plans will cover this fee.
Can I stop?
Yes. You are free to stop services at any point. In addition, we are happy to refer you to other psychologists at any point during your experience if you wish.
Do you provide other services besides therapy?
Yes. We offer a full suite of neuropsychological evaluations as well as independent medical evaluations. Please look below for more information about neuropsychology.
Do you offer therapy to children?
At this time, I am pleased to offer psychology services to adults and late teens. Qualified child psychologists can be found via the Ontario Psychological Association.
Do I need a referral to be seen?
You may refer yourself, or have your health provider make a referral on your behalf.
What are my alternatives?
You may find other kinds of therapy, such as psychoanalysis, humanistic approaches, and interpersonal psychotherapies helpful. All forms of therapy are about as equally as effective, the key is to find the one that resonates most with you.
Medications are available as an alternative to talk therapies. They often help in combination with therapy. In some cases, medications are the first-line intervention. Psychologists do not prescribe medications but we are happy to work with your family doctor, psychiatrist, and/or other prescribing provider.
Doing nothing – some symptoms may just go away on their own but this is relatively rare. More often than not, the symptoms go away only to return with more intensity a while later. Addressing the factors underlying the symptoms with therapy prevents their reoccurrence. In addition, therapy shortens the duration and intensity of current symptoms.
Will my privacy be protected?
Yes. Psychologists have the highest duty to protect your confidentiality.
Breaches of confidentiality are permitted in only three circumstances: when a third party has legal rights to your records, when a psychologist is ordered by law to release records, and/or when you or another person is at risk for harm. Outside of these circumstances, your information can only be shared with express consent from you or your legal representative.
All psychologists are regulated health professionals and must follow strict provincial laws that protect the privacy of our patients. The specific Ontario guidelines that we follow are known as Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA). In addition, we are bound by the ethical guidelines outlined in the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists. Privacy is maintained even after the therapeutic relationship has ended.
1CPA-Commissioned Report on Psychological Services. The Efficacy And Effectiveness Of Psychological Treatments by John Hunsley, Katherine Elliott, and Zoe Therrien. Ottawa: The Canadian Psychological Association, 2013.
Neuropsychology FAQs
Do I need a neuropsychology evaluation?
Neuropsychology tests measure cognitive processes (e.g. analysis, memory, planning, organization, attention) that are important for everyday functioning.
Although cognitive processes change normally with age they sometimes change faster as a consequence of brain changes, such as those related to Alzheimer's disease or a traumatic brain injury. Additionally, some people may have longstanding difficulties that are related to underlying neurodevelopmental issues for which they were able to compensate previously.
Neuropsychological assessments can be valuable in diagnosing and determining the impact of:
Memory loss (mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer disease)
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Learning disorders
Mood disorders
Acquired brain injury (e.g. traumatic brain injury)
Substance abuse
Personality disorders
Autism spectrum disorder
Understanding the nature, extent, and cause of your cognitive processing weaknesses is important for intervention approaches. Detailing your cognitive strengths, in addition, permits you and your treatment team to develop strategies to improve your functioning in everyday life.
How long do neuropsychology assessments take?
You should plan for an entire day to complete the assessment. You will be offered breaks throughout the evaluation.
What should I expect during the evaluation?
In-person interview (approximately 1 hour)
We will meet to discuss your symptom complaints and their current impact on your functioning. You are welcome to bring a significant other to the interview though this is not required.
You also will be asked about anything that cannot be discerned from the available medical information and/or notes from other relevant sources.
It may be helpful to collect information from others who know you well, such as family members, teachers, and/or employers. These people will be contacted only with your permission.
You will be asked to complete questionnaires related to your emotional well-being and psychological status.
Neuropsychology tests (approximately 6 hours)
You will be asked to complete a series of tasks such as providing word definitions, naming objects, and figuring out solutions to problems. Some of the tests are easier than others. This is normal as we all have different strengths and weaknesses.
All of the tests are well-established and widely used measures of cognitive functioning. The length and content of the test battery vary depending on the presenting symptom complaints.
Feedback session (1 hour)
We will review the results of testing, and discuss their functional implications and treatment recommendations.
When will I receive my results?
A feedback session is scheduled 2 weeks from the time of the evaluation.
Information collected from the review of your medical records, in-person interview, questionnaires, and neuropsychological test data, are incorporated into your final report.
Please note that if you are seen at the request of a third party, you may not be able to access the results of your examination without due consent from the third party.
How much do evaluations cost?
Evaluations start at $4750. There is no tax.
Private insurance will often cover some or all of these fees.
Please check with your provider for more details.
Do you perform paediatric neuropsychological evaluations?
At this time, we are pleased to offer neuropsychology services to adults and late teens. We happily can refer you to child neuropsychologists. In addition, feel free to consult the Ontario Psychological Association.
Will my information be kept confidential?
Yes. When you initiate an evaluation, your interview information, test data, and report are kept confidential until you authorize their release.
It is important to underscore that when the assessment is requested by a third party (such as an insurance company), they may have the legal right to access your results and your report.
Neuropsychologists are bound by the same ethical duty to protect your privacy as are clinical psychologists. There are the same exceptions to privacy that include: when a third party has legal rights to your records, when a psychologist is ordered by law to release records, and/or when you or another person is at risk for harm. Outside of these circumstances, your information can only be shared with express consent from you or your legal representative.