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C2W would encourage you to attend as a couple for marital sessions. It is really difficult to do couple/family therapy with one individual, but this isn’t always possible. Having said that, we think it is equally important to ask yourself are there any personal goals that are more important to work on prior to starting marriage/couples therapy.

At C2W we know that looking for a therapist can be a daunting task with all of the information online and thousands of therapists to choose from. We would encourage you to take some time to visit the website of a particular psychotherapist you are interested in seeing. In particular, read their “ABOUT ME” section, you can get a sense of their understanding of psychotherapy, specific skills, personal life experiences and ask yourself: Can I work with him/her? Can she/he offer me something? Also, many therapists including the ones at C2W will provide a free 20 minute telephone consultation that you can access before scheduling your initial session.

At C2W we often have individuals whom will arrive at the first session discussing what they have read online, spoken to friends, colleagues, or medical practitioners about as “the key to getting better”. While research has looked at the effectiveness of certain approaches what remains more important is your “therapeutic alliance” or connection to your therapist. We would encourage you to focus on whether you can connect to your therapist and if you feel cared for, listened to and supported by him/her.

It goes against many therapists’ practice to give “advice” or “solutions”. Generally, the desire to ask for solutions means that you have not yet understood something about yourself. Rather, your therapist will help you to build insight into yourself; this involves looking at your patterns of behavior, thoughts and emotions, in order for you to better grasp the issues in your life and to strengthen your capacity to make your own decisions. Psychotherapy is a process of self-exploration and insight building. Change is believed to occur once you have gained insight into your maladaptive patterns. After building insight, and having time for reflection allows you to contemplate change. Your therapist will support you to use your autonomy and practice more responsibility for your life decisions.

This is a very personal choice, at C2W your therapist will often begin by working with you and your medical practitioner to understand your current symptoms and expectations in psychotherapy and the influence that medication may have on that process. From a clinical perspective,  we can inform you of the multiple research studies that have looked at the effectiveness of medications in alleviating mood disorders, in order for you to make an informed decision about medication use. Medications usually influence individuals differently, and if you choose this route, it is vital to ensure that you work with your medical practitioner to use one(s) that work well for you.

This is a question that your therapist will discuss with you personally, since it is really difficult to predict how long therapy will last. The length of treatment is usually dependent on the individual, the goal that they would like to work on, their budget and the frequency of their sessions. Your therapist will discuss this during the first session, and will regularly review this with you throughout the course of treatment.

We do have a sliding-scale approach at C2W, but we reserve those spots for clients that encounter finanial hardship that have already started therapy. For clients that are beginning counselling,  we have a fixed rate for sessions.

The practice of psychotherapy involves respecting privacy and boundaries. At C2W we take ethics very seriously, we understand that you will disclose very sensitive and personal information during sessions which we guarantee to protect. All of our therapists members of The College of Social Workers, The College of Psychotherapists and we pledge to uphold both colleges’  legislation concerning confidentiality and disclosure.

At Counseling2Wellness, all of our clinicians strive to provide a safe environment where you can begin to discuss, explore and analyze your life and personal history. Individuals can explore a range of topics including: work, friendships, relationships, health challenges, life transitions, traumas, mental health and family of origin.

Your clinician at Counseling2Wellness will complete an assessment, at which time they will make recommendations about your treatment plan. Often, your clinician will initially recommend weekly counselling sessions, followed by bi-weekly to monthly appointments. 

Most of the clinicians at Counselling2Wellness have many years of counselling experience. You will be matched with the clinician that is best suited to address your concerns. In the event that rapport is not built, you have the opportunity to change your counsellor.