Frequently Asked Questions

Psychotherapy is a purposeful conversation between a trained therapist and a client, designed to help the person understand their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours more clearly. It provides a safe and confidential space to explore difficulties, patterns, and experiences that may be causing distress. Rather than giving advice or quick solutions, psychotherapy helps people develop insight, self-awareness, and healthier ways of coping. Over time, this process can support emotional growth, improved relationships, and meaningful personal change.

Therapy is not about telling you what to do, or simply being nice to you. If a therapist only gave advice, the change would depend on their answers rather than helping you understand yourself and make your own choices. It is also not about reassuring you that you did the right thing, telling you that you behaved well, or saying what you want to hear. While support and empathy are important, therapy is not meant to provide constant validation or approval. When you receive validation or approval for deeper emotional wounds, that reassurance often doesn’t touch that deeper place that it needs to reach. It usually just offers momentary “relief”. Therapy also isn’t just about kindness — although warmth and respect are important — because growth involves challenge, honesty, and looking at uncomfortable truths. Deep change often stems from questioning your patterns, exploring uncomfortable feelings, and taking responsibility for your actions.

Therapy also takes time; it is not a quick fix, and a therapist cannot magically remove pain or immediately resolve suffering—although, we often wish that we could do that. Meaningful change develops gradually through reflection, honesty, and consistent work. Rather than making everything “all better” instantly, therapy supports you in building understanding, resilience, and healthier ways of coping over time.

The therapeutic relationship can be transformative because it offers a safe and consistent space where you can feel truly heard and understood without judgment. Unlike talking to friends or having everyday conversations — where people may interrupt, give advice, share their own experiences, or react emotionally — therapy is focused entirely on your thoughts and feelings. This dedicated and caring attention allows you to explore yourself more deeply. When you experience this kind of steady listening and acceptance, it reduces feelings of isolation and helps you begin to see yourself with greater compassion and kindness.

Within the relationship, you also practice new ways of relating and interacting — such as expressing emotions openly, setting boundaries, or building trust — in a supportive environment. For those who have experienced criticism, rejection, or hurt in past relationships, therapy can provide a corrective emotional experience, demonstrating that relationships can be safe, respectful, and reliable. Over time, these experiences can reshape how you view yourself, others and the world, leading to meaningful and lasting personal change. Additionally, therapy not only offers an ongoing supportive place to talk and express your feelings, but you can develop and practice healthier strategies for coping with difficult feelings and life’s challenges.

Yes, most extended health insurance plans will provide some coverage for fees paid for psychotherapy services. However, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) doesn’t cover our fees regrettably. Please feel free to contact us directly with any questions about fees or insurance coverage.

No, you can contact us directly by phone at 343-887-5222 or email us at info@centretownpsychotherapy.ca or book through our website a FREE 15-minute initial virtual or telephone consultation. No need for any referral.

The initial session is a consultation appointment. In this meeting, we review the policies and procedures relating to our practice. We ask questions to find out more about you, your emotional concerns, expectations for therapy as well as about your personal background. Based on this assessment, we develop recommendations for your therapeutic care. Moreover, this meeting is an opportunity to meet your practitioner, ask them any questions that you may have and discuss the concerns or personal goals that led you to consider therapy. This initial appointment will provide you with assessment recommendations as well as a first-hand experience of your practitioner’s style and approach.

A regular therapy or consultation appointment session is 50-minutes in length. The free virtual or telephone consultation is 15-minutes in length.

Those attending therapy sessions regularly and consistently benefit the most from the therapy. Most clients attend weekly or biweekly because this frequency helps you to develop a strong relationship with your therapist. It also provides continuity of care and helps build momentum toward meeting therapeutic goals. However, you can attend as often as you wish.

Everyone is unique and consequently, the length of therapy depends on you, your needs, motives, wishes and expectations for change.

Psychotherapy is the term we use for talk therapy provided by registered psychotherapists and tends to refer to a more in-depth therapeutic work. It is recommended for more complex emotional concerns. Counselling usually refers to talk therapy/therapeutic work that is narrower in focus.