Before and at the First Appointment
Do I need a referral?
You don't need a referral to see me. I welcome you to contact me directly. Referrals from professionals, such as mental health practitioners, physicians, naturopaths, collaborative law and divorce lawyers, insurance companies, etc. are also welcome. You may want to check with your extended health benefits program to see if you need to have a physician referral for psychological services if you plan to submit for reimbursement. Some insurance providers require a physician referral.
How do I make an appointment?
You can contact me directly to book an appointment. I am often in appointments during clinic hours and may not be able to answer my phone when you call, so please leave me a message on my confidential voice messaging system and I will get back to you as soon as possible. You can also reach out via email message or the contact form on the contact page of this site. I strive to reply to messages within 24 business hours.
What are your clinic hours?
Daytime and evening appointments are available from Tuesday to Friday.
What happens in a first appointment?
The first appointment is a big step and it's very common to feel some nervousness before and at the first appointment. I hope to help you to feel at ease from the beginning of our first meeting. Two important factors to pay attention to at the first meeting are (1) whether you feel there is a "fit" between us and (2) if you have confidence that I can be of help on your path towards healing and change. By the end of the first appointment, clients often tell me that they feel very comfortable with me, feel hopeful about the work we can do together, and look forward to a next appointment.
I really need relief. Will it be immediate?
I work with clients to identify and achieve their goals, from early symptom relief to lasting personal and relationship change, healing, and growth. All of this occurs within a safe and collaborative environment.
We will target your most distressing symptoms from the first appointment and I will work collaboratively with you to make recommendations for early symptom relief. Most importantly, lasting change does take time and work, so we will be working with the ultimate goals in mind of lasting, long-term change so that those most distressing symptoms don't keep reappearing, or if they do, you'll know what and how to do what is required to bring relief.
How often will I be coming to appointments?
That depends on your reason for coming to therapy and your level of discomfort. Many clients come every week in the beginning of therapy, and as treatment progresses and goals are realized, they attend less frequently. Some individuals and couples come more frequently early on when in significant distress. I'll make a recommendation that fits with you coming as often or as rarely as best suits your situation, and I'll help you make an informed decision about what works best for you, given your life circumstances, in terms of frequency and duration.
Ultimately, this question can best be answered in collaboration between you and I in a first appointment. Factors that will be considered included your short-term and long-term goals, the degree of your present struggle, and practical considerations such as frequency that your schedule allows.
Some gains happen quickly, while others take longer, especially when we're working at deeper level of change that will be long-lasting. We'll work together to consistently evaluate progress in symptom relief and movement toward goals throughout treatment.