Many people feel nervous about starting therapy but you don’t need to be anxious. The first session is typically a chance for you and your therapist to get to know each other. Your therapist will ask you a little bit about yourself and what you’re looking for help with. They’ll tell you about what they can offer and any thoughts they might have about which therapeutic approach might be most helpful for you. You’ll have the opportunity to give them your impressions and ask any questions you’d like. If the conversation is brief, you may move on to some therapy, but most often, the first session is sharing information and making a tentative plan for next steps.

Research shows that more than any specific technique, it is the relationship or connection between the therapist and client that makes therapy effective. For this reason, it is very important to find a therapist you feel comfortable with. You may wish to speak to several different therapists before you make your choice. Ask them questions about their approach, qualifications, and experience. Get a sense of who they are and if you feel comfortable with them. A good therapist won’t be offended if you tell them the fit doesn’t feel right. In fact, they’ll probably give you the names of a few other therapists who might be a better match.

There is no one answer to the question of how long therapy takes. Length of treatment depends on things like the nature of the presenting problem (i.e., what you’re seeking help with), the severity of your symptoms, your treatment goals, current life stressors, and available supports outside of therapy. Sometimes people only need a few sessions to work through a specific issue. Other times, longer-term therapy is needed for effective treatment.

Unfortunately, therapy services are not covered by OHIP. If you have extended health benefits, your insurance may provide coverage for our services. Almost all insurance plans will cover psychologists but and most cover social workers. Not all will cover registered psychotherapists. You may wish to double check with your provider before your first appointment. We do not provide direct billing, but do provide receipts you can submit for reimbursement from your insurance provider. If you do not have insurance, these receipts can be saved for tax time and claimed as a health expense.

The purpose of an assessment is to try to clarify why you might be experiencing problems or difficulties in your life or functioning.

A psychodiagnostic assessment is done when you are having psychological symptoms and impairments that don’t fit neatly into any one disorder or category. Sometime people have talked to a doctor or therapist who has recommended they get this sort of assessment done to help guide understanding and treatment. Other times, people have been diagnosed with several different conditions over the years and are wanting to do a more thorough assessment to figure out which of these are accurate and which are not.

A psychoeducational assessment is done when you have questions about difficulties with learning, thinking, reasoning, memory, and attention. Often people are questioning if they might have a learning disability, ADHD, or another condition that gets in the way of academic or career success.

An ADHD assessment is done when you have questions about attention issues or other ADHD symptoms, but there is no evidence of other issues with learning and thinking. ADHD and psychoeducational assessments are often combined for a fuller understanding of what might be underlying the difficulties you’re experiencing.

There are several steps to the assessment process.

First, we’ll have you come in to meet with your therapist and discuss the purpose of the assessment. You’ll be asked about your main reason for wanting an assessment – if you are seeking clarification on a diagnosis, learning difficulties, etc. You and your therapist will talk about the history of these problems, how they affect you, and what you may have tried in the past to help with these issues. You’ll be asked to bring any relevant documents with you to this appointment – old report cards, IEPs, previous psychological reports or disability forms.

Next you will come in for testing. If you are completing a psychoeducational assessment, this will be a full day of testing, approximately seven hours with a break for lunch and mini-breaks to use the washroom and stretch your legs. If you are completing a diagnositic assessment, you will come in for a 1-3 hour appointment in which you and your therapist will do continue to discuss your symptoms and history and you will complete a number of questionnaires about these issues.

Your therapist will then analyze the information coming out of these conversations and tests. If further information is needed, you may come in for an additional session.

Your therapist will prepare a report with the findings of the assessment. It will explain the results of the testing, any diagnoses that were made, and recommendations for treatment, intervention, and accommodation. Your therapist will also prepare a one page summary of these findings.

You’ll be invited to come in for a feedback session. At this session, the therapist will share the results of the assessment with you. They will explain all results and findings and answer any questions you have. You’ll be given a copy of the report and the summary letter that are yours to keep. You can share these with anyone you chose or ask your therapist to forward them on your behalf. You will need to provide written permission for them to do so.

Unfortunately, assessment services are not covered by OHIP. If you have extended health benefits, your insurance may provide full or partial coverage for our services. It is advisable to check with your provider before your first appointment.

We do not provide direct billing, but do provide receipts you can submit for reimbursement from your insurance provider. If you do not have insurance, these receipts can be saved for tax time and claimed as a health expense.

If you are still in high school, you may be able to access assessment services through your school board but there are typically long waitlists and not everyone qualifies. Speak to the resource teacher at your school for more information.

Nope! No referral is needed. Just call us to book an appointment and we’ll get started.

We are at 190 Wortley Road, Suite 200 in London, Ontario. 

The office is located on the corner of Wortley Road and Elmwood Avenue East in Old South. There is an accessible ramp on the south side of the building. We are on the second floor (accessible by stairs or elevator). When arriving, come in and have a seat in the waiting room.

There is free parking in the building parking lot as well as surrounding side streets.

If coming by bus, the office is directly on the #15 Huron Heights-Westmount Mall bus route. It is a five minute walk west of the #4 Fanshawe College-White Oaks Mall bus route.

Yes, there is free parking at the building. At peak times, the lot may be full, in which case you can find free parking on the surrounding  side streets.

Yes! There is an access ramp on the south side of the building with a push-to-open button for the door. There is also an elevator to access the second floor (where we are located).  The main door to our office suite is does not have a push-to-open button, unfortunately. Please let your therapist know if you would like them to meet you at the suite entrance just prior to your appointment time to facilitate entry.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide direct billing to insurance providers. We do, however, provide you with receipts you can submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement.