I am a Registered Psychotherapist with the Ontario College of Psychotherapists. Only a medical doctor can bill through OHIP, however, almost all Extended Health companies (such as Manulife, Sun Life, Liberty Health, Greenshields, Great-West Life, Desjardins, etc.) will reimburse you if you see a registered psychotherapist.
Psychotherapy services provided by Registered Psychotherapists (RPs) are sometimes excluded from coverage in group benefits plans and private health plans. Some group benefit plans do not cover RP services because no one has asked for the inclusion of this benefit.
If you work in a unionized setting, ask your union representative to add RPs (Registered Psychotherapists) to the list of professional services included in the group benefits plan during the next contract negotiations. Although your company’s insurance may cover Psychologists, they are ore expensive and it is extremely difficult to find one who is accepting patients. The ratio in Ontario is 1 Psychologist for every 4,000 people.
If you work in a non-unionized setting, ask your employer or human resources department to add RPs to the list of professional services included in the group benefits plan.
Registered Psychotherapists are specialized in providing psychotherapy with the emphasis on individual, couples or family therapy and focus on mental health diagnosis and treatment. In 2015, the government of Ontario proclaimed the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), ensuring a standardization of competency and qualifications of Registered Psychotherapists. The minimum educational requirement is a Master’s Degree, usually in Counselling Psychology. As it is now a regulated profession, it is illegal to call yourself a psychotherapist in Ontario if you are not registered with the College. Most people who seek therapy are well-served by seeing a Psychotherapist.
A Psychologist has a Doctorate degree in psychology and has to be licensed in Ontario with the Ontario Society of Psychologists (OSP). The Ph.D or Psy.D typically takes 4 years of study after a Bachelor of Arts Degree and Master's degree have been obtained, and includes a minimum of two years of full-time clinical experience under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. Psychologists’ training emphasizes diagnosing and treating psychological and behavioral issues. They are more expensive than a Registered Psychotherapists as they have a Doctorate degree.
A Psychiatrist is a medical doctor with an additional specialization in Psychiatry. Due to doctor shortages, nowadays it is rare to find a Psychiatrist who does therapy. Most are overseeing prescription management and dealing with more serious mental disorders and co-morbidities. They are covered by OHIP.
Social Workers have a Master’s Degree in Social Work and will sometimes call themselves a Psychotherapist. Most of their training, however, is in community-based interventions and working in institutions. They may run group therapy, such as for cancer patients in hospitals, or bereavement groups, or help place elderly patients in nursing homes. They may work at CAMH on addictions and run groups for substance abuse, alcoholism or sexual addiction. They also work in the community with the homeless, welfare recipients or with Children’s aid.
My fees range from $175 to $225 per hour depending on several factors, including reduced fees for those who do not have 3rd party insurance. (3rd party insurance usually covers 80% of the session.) I have limited sliding scale openings, please discuss this with me and I can advise if I am accepting sliding scale at this time.
Psychotherapy requires a commitment. Most people see me on a weekly basis, especially in the beginning. If you want to feel better, you need to see your therapist regularly. Bi-weekly therapy sessions can be discouraging, and you may see minimal results, because they are too infrequent. Too much time is spent catching up and you don’t remember what you took out of the last session nor what your homework was. If you miss a session for work, vacation, illness, etc., then you are down to once a month and at that point it is not going to help you at all. Down the road, after we have been seeing each other weekly, we may change to bi-weekly sessions for “maintenance” or to give you time to do any homework I have assigned.
Everything you say within the counselling session is kept absolutely confidential except under the following conditions when I am obligated by law to report it:
- If I suspect, or you report, that a child or vulnerable adult is currently being abused or neglected or is at significant risk
- If you inform me that you are going to cause serious harm to yourself or another person
- If you are in a safety-sensitive position and you report a substance abuse problem
- If you have seen another health-care professional and they have sexually abused you
- If a court order is made to release my records I am obliged to comply with this.
I will not disclose any information to a third party without your written permission, this includes releasing case notes to third party insurance companies.