The Ontario-Wide Psychology Clinic (OWPC) is a growing group practice with a small and intimate feel. Our team of psychologists, registered social workers, and registered psychotherapists meet regularly to learn from, and consult with, one another to help you get the best possible care; as they say, ‘it takes a village.’

While each of us have our own areas of focus, with some of us working exclusively with teens and others with adults or other specific areas of mental health, there are a few special qualities that our founder made sure we, as therapists, each have that you/your child, as the client, would benefit from: (1) an excellent balance of professional knowledge and genuine kindness and humour; we’re here to work with you, not talk at you! (2) training in multiple evidence-based therapies (e.g., CBT, ACT, EFFT, EFT, DBT, FBT), allowing us to integrate/change approaches as needed to find what works best for you, and (3) the mindset that every client, including you!, has strengths and is likely trying their best AND at the same time, there is still room to challenge yourself further and grow.

On top of all this, we also offer flexible scheduling and online therapy that you can access from the comfort of your own home; perfect for anyone with a busy schedule.

In Ontario, anyone can refer to themselves as a “therapist”. There are no educational or training requirements to use that term. Three of the regulated mental health professions in Ontario are outlined below.

Psychologists are trained in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health conditions. Training usually involves a Master’s and Doctoral degree in psychology. During graduate school, most students accrue over 1000 hours of clinical experience through practicum placements and another 1500 hours of experience during their clinical residency. Psychologists then complete an additional year of supervised practice before becoming fully licensed. In Ontario, only physicians (e.g., family doctors, psychiatrists), nurse practitioners, and psychologists can communicate mental health diagnoses.

Psychotherapists are trained to provide talk-based therapy, intended to help people improve and maintain their mental health and well-being. Training for “Psychotherapists” usually involves a Master’s degree in psychology, psychotherapy, counselling, or a related field such as social work as well as clinical supervision and attendance at various workshops for specific treatment modalities/conditions. Registered Psychotherapists as well as nurses, social workers and occupational therapists (OTs) who have received clinical training in psychotherapy can refer to themselves as “psychotherapists.”

Psychiatrists are medical doctors with specialized training in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health conditions. Some psychiatrists provide treatment in the form of talk-therapy, but the main differentiator is their ability to provide pharmacological intervention (i.e., to prescribe medications).

Although all of these regulated health professionals can provide psychotherapy, there are a number of different types of therapy. Each mental health professional will have training in, and preferences for, different types of therapy. Further, each client may benefit from a different approach depending on their therapy goals. We know that “fit” is incredibly important and encourage you to find both a therapist and therapy that works best for you.

Research suggests that virtual or video-delivered psychotherapy is as effective as therapy provided in person (Venturo-Conerly, K. E., et al., 2021; Fernandez et al., 2021).

We provide online therapy to children, adolescents, adults across Ontario (e.g., in Ottawa, Windsor, Guelph, London, Oakville, Waterloo, etc).

For more information about the pros and cons of online therapy, read our full blog post titled, Does online therapy work?

Fees for private psychological services and psychotherapy are not covered by OHIP, but many extended health insurance plans cover psychological services or psychotherapy by a Maste'r’s level social worker.

Although a physician referral is not required to receive private services, your insurance plan may require a referral in order to access these benefits. We recommend that you review your plan to determine your coverage.

At this time, we are not able to bill your insurance directly. Clients are responsible for payment and can seek reimbursement from their insurance provider using the receipts provided.

Our therapy fees vary depending on your therapist’s qualifications and level of experience.

Our psychologist’s fees start at the recommended hourly rate set out by the Ontario Psychological Association (OPA) at $250/hour.

Our psychotherapists’, clinical social worker’s and doctoral clinicians’ fees start at $175/hour.

Doctoral clinicians are individuals training to become psychologists.

Information about assessment fees can be found here

Clients are responsible for payment; we do not bill insurance companies directly. We keep a credit card on your file in our secure system and after your session we process the payment. We email you a receipt that includes your therapist's license number which you can then submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement if you have coverage. We always recommend you check with your insurance provider to confirm what coverage you have prior to beginning therapy.

The length of therapy can vary. We usually begin with weekly appointments and then move to biweekly or as-needed appointments.

For eating disorders, there are usually at least 20 sessions over the course of a year. Additional sessions may be recommended to target comorbid mental health difficulties, such as social anxiety or OCD.

Ensuring the right fit with your therapist is our top priority! If you feel like the therapist is not the right fit for you just let us know! You can e-mail admin@ontariopsychologyclinic.ca or give us a call at 905-971-0209. We are happy to recommend someone else who might be a better fit for you. You can also decide to share your previous session notes with your new therapist if you wish to.

Even though we offer virtual appointments, we typically only provide services to individuals who are physically in Ontario, Canada at the time of the appointment as our therapist's regulating bodies only permit them to provide services to individuals located where each of them are licensed (i.e., Ontario).

There are some exceptions to this for psychologists; contact us for more information if you are unable to find a psychologist in your province and wonder about potentially working with one of the psychologists on our team.

To access your records, please send a written request to admin@ontariopsychologyclinic.ca. In accordance with the Personal Health Information and Protection Act (PHIPA), we will respond to your request within 30 days.