FAQ

If you are ready to book an appointment, please click here.You can also drop a message. If you have any queries, please click here and we will contact you.

You can also contact our clinic directly over the phone and one of our team members will be happy to talk to you for a brief free consultation to learn more about your issues to understand what help you are looking for. We can help you to know which psychologist/therapist will be suitable for your needs.

You can call us at (416) 438-3800 or email info@scarboroughpsychology.com

You do not need a referral from a general physician if you wish to consult one of our clinicians. New clients are always welcome, and all effort is given to provide you with an appointment as soon as possible. When you contact us, an intake will be conducted over the phone to gather vital information to understand your needs and accordingly, the right therapist will be matched with you. Going through our website, if you have any preference for a therapist, you can also indicate that. If you have extended health benefits for psychological/psychotherapy services, please check your coverage with your extended health insurance to ensure that your insurance policy does not require a physician’s referral for reimbursement.

We offer both in-person/in-clinic and online/virtual therapy sessions. You can choose as per your convenience and comfort level. Please indicate your preference to the intake person before making the appointment. The therapist will meet you via a video platform that is fully encrypted to protect your privacy. We also provide our services by phone if that is convenient for you. Please feel free to discuss these options with your therapist. If needed, some sessions can be done in person and other sessions can be conducted virtually. For virtual therapy, distance is no longer a barrier, and it allows for service to clients all across Ontario.

Psychotherapy is a process in helping clients develop a better insight about themselves and develop better cognitive and emotional skills, to reduce symptoms of emotional pain, behavioural difficulties and cope with various life challenges to improve their lives. There are various evidenced based psychotherapeutic modalities. It is a talk-based therapy and the clinician and client enter into a psychotherapeutic relationship where both work together to bring positive changes in the client’s thinking, feeling, behaviour and social functioning intended to help people improve their mental health and well-being does not use medicines.

Psychologists have regulated health professionals. They have completed Ph.D. in psychology and have extensive knowledge in administering psychological tests, and assessments and can make mental health diagnosis. They are extensively trained in various psychotherapy modalities and can treat multiple psychological conditions. They cannot prescribe medications. A psychologist often attends University education for 10-12 years to study how people think, feel, and behave and do internships at various mental health facilities. Following the Ph.D degree, they work under supervised practice for a year before completing a series of licensing exams. They are governed by the College of Psychologists of Ontario. The College of Psychologists protects the public’s interest by monitoring and regulating the practice of psychology in Ontario.

Psychological Associates are also regulated health professionals and governed by the College of Psychologists of Ontario, which monitors and regulates their practice. They have completed master’s in psychology and possess extensive knowledge in administering psychological tests, and assessments and can make mental health diagnoses. They are also extensively trained in various psychotherapy modalities and can treat multiple psychological conditions. They cannot prescribe medications. A psychological associate attends around six years of University education to study how people think, feel, and behave. Following that master’s degree, they obtain six years of supervised practice before they can appear for the series of licensing exams to become eligible for autonomous practice.

Registered Psychotherapistsare licensed mental health professionals governed by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. They possess master’s degrees and are extensively trained in various psychotherapeutic modalities to help clients with diverse mental health issues. They are trained in providing talk-based therapy to help improve mental health. They cannot provide a mental health diagnosis or prescribe medication. 

Clinical Social Workers are also master’s level mental health professionals in Ontario, governed by the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, who are extensively trained in mental health settings and have extensive experience in providing psychotherapy. They generally study 6 years in University, focusing on social work and an individual’s relationship with family/ community and society at large and its impact on mental health. They cannot provide a mental health diagnosis or prescribe medication. 

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who are specialists. They specialize in brain health and can prescribe medications. Some psychiatrists also provide psychotherapy treatment. Their service is covered with OHIP. You need a referral from a family doctor /physician to see a psychiatrist. Scarborough Psychology Clinic does not have a psychiatrist.

Our professionals are bound by professional standards and it is their ethical and legal obligation to maintain confidentiality. Your information is kept securely at our office, and it will not be released to anyone without your permission except for when it will be mandatory by the law in Ontario. At Scarborough Psychology Clinic we will discuss our confidentiality policies with you before our first treatment appointment.

No. Psychological treatment is not covered by OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan).

Most of the extended health benefits through work or separate health insurance plans cover services provided by registered psychologists. Many of the benefits also cover the treatment rendered by a registered social worker or by a registered psychotherapist. Please check with your insurance company which providers (psychologists/psychotherapist/social workers) are covered under your plan. It will be also helpful for you to get an estimate of the total amount of coverage you have on an annual basis. Some of these plans can provide full or partial coverage for treatment. Please note that we do not directly bill to the insurance company. We bill our clients directly and in return we provide a receipt that can be used to claim reimbursement from your insurance company. So, payment of fees is still required at the time of the service regardless of coverage. If your treatment is not covered by your benefits, it can be written off as a medical expense for taxes.

Our fees are charged on an hourly basis, and the fees range from $165-225 per session. The sessions are typically 50 minutes long. The other ten minutes of the hour are typically kept for clinical record keeping purposes. The fee for each associate is based on their level of professional degree, training, and years of experience. The rates are set within the suggested fee guideline from the Ontario Psychological Association and guidelines of other regulatory bodies (for Social Workers and Psychotherapists). However, please ask your therapist about fees before your sessions, so you know what to expect.

Sometimes longer sessions may need to be scheduled, especially for couple therapy sessions or for some complex trauma processing sessions and then the fee will be decided as per the length of the sessions. Please feel free to ask questions or concerns you have regarding the fee with your therapist or with the intake person.

One has to pay the fees at the time of service in the form of an e-transfer or credit card. You will get a receipt at the time of payment. For online sessions, payment is required at the start of each session in the form of e-transfer or credit.

We accept Cash (for only in-person sessions), E-transfer, and Credit Cards (Visa and Mastercard).

Fees for Psychological assessments vary as per the time and complexity of the assessment process. It can involve several hours, sometimes over several days, and the administration of various psychometric tests and writing up the report detailing the findings. Please contact the psychologist/psychological associate who will conduct the assessment before making any appointment to obtain an estimate of your cost.

If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, we kindly ask you to notify us as soon as possible so the time set aside for you can be given to someone else. Except under unforeseen/ serious circumstances, you will be charged the full session fees for the appointment that gets missed or cancelled with less than 48 hours notice.

Each session is typically 50 minutes in length. Couple’s sessions are usually longer and are typically 75 minutes in length. However, the frequency of meetings depends on your concerns. The sessions can be scheduled according to your availability and need. We may often schedule weekly or bi-weekly sessions to make sure that we can establish a good therapeutic relationship to understand the problems you would like to address during treatment. Treatment is also voluntary and can be discontinued at any time. It is essential to discuss your ongoing progress with your therapist. If for any reason, you feel that treatment is not working for you, then you can request to see a different therapist. We can also provide recommendations for other resources for you. 

The total number of sessions will vary from person to person and the level of severity of the issues they are dealing with. Typically, clients need 6-12 sessions to deal with their initial issues and then remain in follow-up with longer intervals to ensure that they are taking the best care of their mental health needs.

During your first appointment, you will have the opportunity to talk to your therapist about your concerns and ask them any questions that you may have about the treatment process. Sometimes it takes a couple of sessions to fully understand your situation and specific problems to develop reasonable goals and an appropriate treatment plan. All of this is done with your collaboration. This process also allows you to create a rapport with your therapist.

Yes. We work with WSIB; if you have sustained a work-related physical or emotional injury and then you do not need to pay us. You have to get approved for assessment/treatment by your WSIB case manager. You can get approved through the Community Mental Health Program of WSIB. If you have a claim number, you can also request your family doctor to initiate a referral directly to the psychologist.

In case of a motor vehicle accident, we also work with your auto insurers. If your auto insurer approves psychological assessment or treatment, the clinician can seek to get direct payment from the auto insurer. However, if you have some psychological services-related benefits, they need to be exhausted before the auto insurer reimburses the amount.

If you cannot return to work due to some mental health disability, your disability case manager may approve you for some psychological treatment sessions to facilitate you in returning to work . We will be happy to work with your disability case manager and bill them directly for the treatment directly. You can request psychological services and ask your disability case manager to contact us and we will be happy to help them, with all kinds of queries.

No, there is no direct billing as of now. Usually, the clients pay after their sessions and we issue them a receipt which they can submit to their insurance for reimbursement. Also, note that payment is still required at the time of service regardless of your coverage. If psychotherapy is not covered by your benefits, it can be written off as a medical expense for taxes.

We kindly ask 48 hours notice for cancelling or rescheduling an appointment. In the event 48hours notice is not provided or you “no-show”, you will be charged the full session fee. In unforeseen circumstances, such as medical emergencies, please contact us to discuss.

We accept payments by Cash (for only in person sessions), E-transfer, Credit Cards (Visa and Mastercard). We will provide a receipt for reimbursement.