Frequently Asked Questions for Trusted Ottawa Therapists

There can be many benefits to engaging in a counselling process. Counselling provides the opportunity for you to explore any situations, relationships, behaviours, thoughts, or feelings that may be causing difficulty in your life as well as offers support during a crisis, or a challenging, difficult time. It can also provide you the space to gain deeper awareness and insight into yourself and others and develop better ways of understanding and coping with problems or challenges. Better communication and functioning within relationships can be a benefit of the counselling process as well.

You do not require a referral to access our services, however, some insurance plans may require a doctor’s note for sessions to be covered. If you are unsure, it is best to check with your insurance provider. If you are a health practitioner and would like to send a patient referral, please see our Referral information here.

Services provided by Registered Psychotherapists are not covered under OHIP at this time. Many extended health insurance plans do include some form of coverage for mental health services. It is highly recommended to refer to your plan details or contact your provider to find out which services and service providers are covered under your specific plan.

If your plan covers services provided by a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) or Certified Canadian Counsellor (CCC), your plan will recognize our credentials. For more information, see the Fees page.

Each session lasts up to 50 mins at a rate of $150-$170 plus HST depending on practitioner. Payment methods currently accepted include e-transfers or credit card.

Appointments can be booked online through our secure booking page. You may also email or call to inquire if you are not quite ready to book. Click the Book Now button for online booking or email info@robertsontherapy.ca with questions.

We understand that things come up unexpectedly and at times, appointments need to be cancelled or rescheduled. In the event that you need to cancel your appointment, we ask that you inform us at least 24 hours in advance. Clients who cancel an appointment without any notice will be charged a cancellation fee. Exceptions will be made for emergency situations.

Clients arriving more than 30 minutes late for their scheduled appointment will be considered to have missed their appointment and a no-show fee equivalent to the full session amount will be charged (except in the case of an emergency).

There are no specific requirements for how often you need to attend a session. You can decide what feels right for you. Most clients find it beneficial to come in once a week or once every two weeks, especially at the beginning. Over time, sessions may taper off until they are no longer required. Whether you choose to come in weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, attending sessions on a consistent basis provides the best results because it keeps you on track and motivated. 

In the first session you will meet with your therapist and fill out an intake form and a consent form. Your therapist will want to know more about the issue(s) that bring you to counselling, about your history, and about your goals for counselling. 

Yes, everything is kept completely confidential between you and your counsellor with a few exceptions:

• If you are in danger of seriously and immediately hurting yourself, your therapist is legally and ethically required to take appropriate actions to ensure your safety.
• If there is a danger that you will immediately hurt someone else, your therapist is legally and ethically required to inform the person (s) and/or the appropriate authorities to keep that person(s) safe.
• If your therapist has reasonable grounds to suspect a child presently under the age of 16 is in need of protection, in other words, has been, or is in danger of physical, sexual, or mental abuse or neglect, they are legally and ethically required to inform the appropriate authorities.
• If a known sexual perpetrator is in close contact with a child presently under the age of 16, your therapist is legally and ethically required to report this individual to the appropriate authorities.
• If your therapist becomes aware of sexual abuse being committed by a member of a regulated health profession, they are obliged to report this to the College that the individual is associated with or to the proper authorities.
• In the event that there is a court order, your therapist’s records may be subpoenaed by the courts.