FAQs
FAQs:
We are honored to receive referrals from teachers, accessibility services personnel, physicians and therapists and other professionals. Clients can also self-refer for assessment and counselling support. Please contact us by clicking on Start the Process via email or complete the intake form on the Contact Us page.
Counselling
- What it is: Ongoing conversations with a trained psychologist to help you work through challenges, develop coping strategies, and improve your well-being.
- What to expect: Regular sessions where you talk about your concerns, learn new skills, and practice strategies to feel better. Counselling is a collaborative process in which you and your psychologist work together toward your goals.
- Best for: Managing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, life transitions, or developing better coping skills. No issue is too big or too small for professional support.
- Timeline: Varies based on your needs. Some people benefit from a few sessions, others prefer long-term support.
Assessment
- What it is: A comprehensive evaluation provided by a trained clinician to help understand cognitive abilities, learning style, or identify specific conditions like ADHD or learning disabilities. While many parents book assessments on behalf of their children, adults can also benefit from assessment services.
- What to expect: Testing sessions may include pencil-and-paper tasks, verbal questions, hands-on and online activities, and sometimes interviews. You will receive a detailed report explaining the results and recommendations.
- Best for: Understanding learning styles, diagnosing ADHD and Specific Learning Disorders, identifying strengths and challenges, or getting accommodations for school or work.
- Timeline: Usually completed over 1-3 appointments, with results discussed in a follow-up session.
An assessment may be considered if there are teacher or parental concerns about a child’s learning, attention, hyperactivity, social functioning, emotional functioning or behaviour at school. Your child may benefit from an assessment if he/she is:
- Having difficulty learning new skills as readily as peers
- Not achieving or progressing academically
- Inattentive at home or school
- Starting to lose interest in school or putting in less effort
- Excessively sad or worried
- Expressing a dislike of school or that the work is too hard
- Disruptive in class or at home
- Demonstrating low academic confidence
Typical referral questions can involve questions about the individual’s learning, academic achievement, attention, hyperactivity, social functioning, emotional functioning or behavioural functioning that may be impacting his/her academic, social or occupational success. Some referral questions may be:
- Does my child have a learning disability? / Do I have a learning disability?
- Is my child gifted?
- Is my child’s level of attention unusual for his/her age? / Do I have an attention disorder?
- What are my child’s strengths and weaknesses? / What are my strengths and weaknesses?
- What recommendations/accommodations would benefit me/my child in academic, social, and occupational settings?
- Are my child’s mental health symptoms impacting his/her school performance?/ How are my mental health symptoms affecting my success at school or work?
Parents play a critical role in the assessment process for both minor and adult clients. Specifically, parents are instrumental in providing background information about their child’s academic, family, developmental and health history along with their social/emotional/behavioural functioning. Additionally, parents will be asked to complete rating forms about their child. When the client is a child, it is helpful for parents to provide report cards, school work samples, previous medical/developmental/psychological reports and any other documents that would aid in understanding their child.
Parents of minor clients will be expected to meet with the clinician in two face-to-face meetings to: 1) complete the intake and background interview and 2) receive the results and recommendations of the assessment (case conference). Rating scales can be completed at home and returned to the clinician as soon as possible.
For parents of adult clients, all communication can be completed through email or phone. Rating scales can be emailed and returned through email or fax as soon as possible. It is not necessary for the parent to attend the intake meeting, but they may wish to attend the case conference meeting if approved by the client.
Coverage for assessments depends on your specific situation and needs. There are typically two streams available:
- Funded Assessments: Some assessments may be covered through publicly funded programs or specific funding opportunities.
- Private Pay Assessments: Other assessments are provided on a private pay basis.
The type of assessment you need, as well as your individual circumstances, will determine which option is available to you. Please contact us to discuss your situation and learn more about coverage options available to you.
Our office has a small step at the front entrance. For those who require it, access without a step is available through the back door. Please contact us to make arrangements to use this entrance.
Once inside, all therapy and assessment rooms, as well as the washroom, are located on the main floor for easy access.
If you have specific accessibility needs or questions about our building, please don't hesitate to contact us so we can ensure your visit is as comfortable as possible.