All of us experience painful feelings at one time or another. Sadness, hopelessness, anxiety, and distress are examples of natural feelings that arise in the course of living. For instance, it is normal to feel grief when a parent dies and for students to feel anxious before taking exams. However, in some cases these feelings can be overwhelming, making it difficult for a person to function normally on a day-to-day basis. Some distress signals to look for are:

Most people underestimate the importance or complexity of the issues they are facing. Psychotherapy can provide relief from anxiety, habitual anger, phobias, obsessions, compulsions, and the residual effects of trauma or depression. It can facilitate mourning to enable you to resolve a crisis and to develop effective strategies in dealing with relationship issues. Therapy can help you identify and address needed changes and aid in handling difficult situations. Psychotherapy may also help you to get to know and like yourself a little better. At the end of the process, you should feel happier and more productive. If you are not sure call me and we can talk about how therapy may help you.

Good chemistry between clients and their therapists is extremely important. Feeling comfortable with a therapist is necessary because to get help, you must share private thoughts and feelings. Therefore, you should look for a therapist who listens closely to what you tell him or her and who responds openly and is nonjudgmental. It is part of a therapist's job to evaluate how well the therapy is working for you, so any concerns or questions you have about your progress should be open for discussion. If you feel that your therapist is not being responsive, point that out. One sign of a good therapeutic relationship is a therapist's ability to adapt to the unique concerns of different patients.

The first session is a consultation. We will talk about what is bothering you and I will ask you questions to make sure I have a clear understanding of your specific issues. I will provide feedback and tell you how I might be helpful. We will also go over the more practical aspects of therapy, i.e, confidentiality, appointment scheduling, fee payment, etc. In fact, I encourage new clients to complete the following form and to bring it to the first therapy session.

Individual Intake Form
Couples Therapy Supplemental Questionnaire
Child Intake Form
Parental Consent Agreement for Treatment of Minors
Confidentiality, Fees & Cancellation Policies
Authorization for Release of and Obtaining Information

This is a critical question for both the therapist and client and it is a difficult one to answer. Some issues can be resolved in a few sessions while others take longer. As your therapist, I understand that you want change to happen quickly and I am committed to ensuring that we attain the identified therapeutic goals in as skilled and timely a manner as possible.

In your initial consultation, we can discuss what works best for you considering your emotional, financial, scheduling and therapeutic concerns. Typically, sessions are once weekly and are 50 minutes in length. However, it is possible to arrange extended or more frequent sessions, if that is preferred.

Each session is 50 minutes in length and my rate is $100 per session. Payment is accepted in cash or check at the end of each session and receipts are issued at the end of the month.You may be eligible to claim the fees for my services on your private insurance. I am a member of the Ordre Professional des Travailleurs Sociaux du Québec #DURA05 02 180 (OPTSQ). If you have insurance you should ask your insurance carrier what your mental health benefits are and your coverage amount per therapy session. Also, please note that my fees are tax deductible on your personal income tax.