FAQ | The Journey

F.A.Q.

Welcome to our FAQ page! Here, we've gathered answers to common queries, ensuring you have all the information you need. Whether it's about our services, procedures, or more, find clarity to help you navigate smoothly. Can't find your answer? Submit a question at the bottom of this page, and we'll contact you shortly.

Who Are The Therapists?

Sessions will be with our student interns. Our interns are fully qualified masters level students who have completed all required course work and are now entering into the field of practice. They will work in the same collaborative team environment as our current therapists and will have the full support and mentorship of our staff. Additionally they will be receiving direct supervision by CRPO qualified therapists.

What Type Of Services Are Covered Under The Affordable Therapy Program?

All of our current services will be offered under the Affordable Therapy Program. This includes youth and adult individual sessions, couples/ relationship and family therapy.

How It Works?

Our waitlist is now open and spots will be open on a first come first served basis. Clients will be provided with a number of sessions based on demand and therapist availability. If you would like more sessions once your allotment is used up, you may be provided with an additional allotment or placed back on the short waiting list so other clients may receive care as well.

If you are a current client who is hoping to utilize the affordable therapy program, you will be required to change therapists from your current therapist to one of our student interns in January. Your therapist will work with the student intern to provide you with a seamless transition and the same level of care you have been receiving.

What Does It Cost?

Clients will discuss their budget for therapy with our Care Coordinator during their free consultation. Together they will determine what is accessible for the client. Rates in the Affordable Therapy program are offered on a sliding scale, under our posted prices. Clients will have to prove financial need to qualify for the sessions and sessions will be subject to availability.

How Do I Prove Financial Need?

Each client will be assessed on an individual basis. You will not be required to provide proof of income. Some factors that would qualify you for our affordable therapy program would be; multiple family members accessing therapy, if you are currently on ODSP, single parent/ single income families, low income households. Assessments will be informal and will be conducted by our care coordinator during your initial contact session. If clients are found to be accessing our affordable therapy program unnecessarily, they will be transitioned to another therapist.

Should my teen be in therapy?

Teenagers are in a constant state of change. Between hormones, interpersonal relationships, school and life directions, they've got a lot on their plate.

Therapy can help teens:

Develop better emotional regulation
Strengthen communication skills
Identify core values
Choose a career or life path
Transition through life milestones
Discuss personal or family trauma
Navigate through depression, anxiety or grief
Build self-esteem and self- worth

If you think your teen would benefit from some support in any of the above areas, reach out to us today to learn more.

What is Parenting Counselling?

Seeking therapy as a parent doesn't mean you are failing or doing it wrong. Parenting is hard work. Just when you think you've gotten it right with one child, your other child will throw you a curveball.

Parenting counselling can help:

Create better communication in the home
Help you identify your needs and care for yourself before reacting to your child
Navigate behavioural issues or challenges with your children
Develop a co-parenting plan with your spouse or your child's other guardian
Plan ahead to prevent difficult situations from developing
Encourage positivity and develop a healthy system for rewarding or punishing behaviour

Will Family Therapy Help?

Sometimes it is hard to determine if you want individual therapy or if your family should come together.

If you have young children perhaps try coming to therapy individually or with your co-parenting partner first. Your therapist will help you to identify if you should include your children.

If your children are older, try coming to therapy as a group first. Again your therapist will help you to identify the best path for treatment. This may include several individual sessions for each member of the family as well as some sessions altogether.

Your sessions will look different depending on your needs and goals for therapy.

How do we find the best therapist for us?

Finding a therapist for teens or families can be quite difficult. At the Journey Counselling and Psychotherapy we have a team of therapists who will work collaboratively with you and your family to identify your needs and support you the best way possible.

We have several therapist who specialize in working with children, teens and families as well as parents individually. Our Care Coordinator will help you identify your best first steps during your consultation call.

What are the signs of anxiety?

Anxiety can feel like many things for many people. Some symptoms include:

Excessive worry, panic or fear.
Headaches, muscle aches, stomach or chest pain, or any unexplained pains.
Fatigue and lack of motivation.
Difficulty concentrating.
Difficulty starting or completing tasks.
Disorganization
Sleep problems (such as falling asleep or staying asleep).
Binge eating or drinking to help cope with emotions.

It’s important to note that some of the feelings that can be labelled as anxiety are actually normal and healthy emotions to experience. If you have experienced one or more of the above symptoms for a period of 2 weeks or longer, consistently, you may be experiencing anxiety. If this sounds like it is your experience, therapy may help to improve or relieve some of these symptoms of anxiety.

What are some different types of anxiety?

There are several different types of anxiety. In addition to the symptoms listed above, you may identify with one of the following categories:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (most common).
Obsessive - Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Panic Disorder
Post Traumatic Stress
Social Anxiety
Test or Performance Anxiety

Can anxiety be treated with just therapy?

There is no one sized fits all approach to dealing with anxiety. For many people, therapy alone can be enough to assist in reducing or alleviating the symptoms of anxiety. Some people may need a combination of therapy and medication. We always suggest attempting therapy to assist in dealing with symptoms of anxiety. Medication alone is often a band-aid solution to provide temporary relief without understanding and treating what might actually be causing the anxious feelings.

What causes anxiety?

The truth is, there are many reasons why anxiety may present itself in your life. You may have a coexisting condition or diagnosis (ie cancer, or ADHD). Many medications include "anxiety" in their list of side effects. General life stress is often the cause for anxiety to develop. Some other reasons or causes of anxiety may be:

A traumatic event.
Grief or loss of a person or thing.
Abuse.
Life transitions and changes.
COVID-19 pandemic related issues.
Social isolation or other issues.
Genetics (especially if other family members have anxiety).

Identifying the cause of anxiety is incredible important when trying to help yourself heal. Working with an online therapist for anxiety can help you develop coping skills to get through the toughest moments, while understanding and moving through the root cause.

What is Emotion Focused Therapy?

Emotion Focused Therapy or EFT for short is a specific therapeutic intervention for learning to identify and manage emotions. It can be used to help mitigate symptoms of a mood disorder like anxiety or depression, or used on its own to help with emotional regulation and development.

Many people are lacking the vocabulary needed to help identify their feelings. What happens as a result is a maladaptive coping mechanism is formed.

Emotion Focused Therapy Works with a 5 step model:

Become aware or identify emotions
Express those emotions
Regulate those emotions
Make sense of the emotions you are feeling
Transform problematic emotions and learn to cope in a more sustainable way

As humans it is healthy to experience all types of emotions, even the ones we would classify as negative. With Emotion Focused Therapy we can learn to better understand ourselves and respond to our needs.

How do I know if EFT is right for me?

Emotion Focused Therapy may not be your primary intervention or focus, but it can help with a variety of symptoms and management. Together with your therapist you will discuss your pain points and your desired resolutions or goals for therapy and your therapist will help to guide you in the direction that is most benefitial for you.

What causes emotional dysregulation?

When we are born we have no idea what feelings and emotions are. We have basic needs that need to be met in order to keep us alive, and we know what it feels like when those needs are not met. We rely on our primary caregivers to meet those needs and also teach us what it is we are feeling. If we did not get taught the proper words to connect to our internal thoughts and needs, we just learned to exist in a disjointed way. Many adults stumble through the world just trying to do the best they can with the tools they have. With emotion-focused therapy, you can develop the tools you need to stop stumbling, and start articulating.

What is Intergenerational Trauma?

Intergenerational trauma can often be called ancestral trauma or multigenerational trauma.

By definition, this type of trauma is experienced somewhere along your family tree and passed through the linage until it reaches you. It usually begins because of a specific event and can be experienced through things like parenting techniques, attachment styles, abuse, and neglect. It can also be passed through genetic changes to a person's DNA after they experienced said trauma.

If you are experiencing isolation, memory loss, anxiety, difficulty finding and or maintaining intimate relationships, explosive conflict, unresolved grief or fear, substance abuse, denial, anger or emotional outburst or depression, you may be experiencing the effects of intergenerational trauma.

What is the difference between PTSD and PTSI?

PTS, PTSD, PTSI and PTG are commonly used abbreviations when talking about trauma.

PTS refers to Post Traumatic Stress. This occurs in the moments, days and weeks after a traumatic event.

PTG refers to Post Traumatic Growth, which one can experience as they heal and emerge from a trauma. It is usually referring to the resilience factor that promotes healing and growth from a difficult incident.

PTSD, refers to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which is the most commonly used and well known term for labelling the after effects of trauma. PTSD is considered a psychiatric disorder, diagnosed only by a professional after the individual has exhibited symptoms of prolonged coping stress and heightened nervous system arousal following a trauma (30 days or more).

PTSI stands for Post Traumatic Stress Injury. In recent years, research and observation of trauma survivors has taught us that the effects of trauma are more an "injury" than a "disorder". Think of it this way; if you fall off your bicycle and break your arm you have an injury. If you experience a trauma that hurts your brain and the way you perceive and process danger, you also have an injury.

The words we use can affect healing or promote recovery. Considering yourself or someone else as injured rather than damaged or disordered is much more kind and gentle. Words matter!

What causes trauma?

Trauma can mean so many things to so many people. Really, there is no one single cause. The potential for trauma is present every day. It can be as small as someone cutting you off in traffic, or as complex as a natural disaster. People have risk factors (things that put them at risk of adverse reaction) and protective factors (things that would protect from or promote healing) that will determine how they process threats or perceived threats.

Since you never truly know what might be a trauma for you, or how you might be affected down the road, makes it hard to pinpoint exactly what causes trauma. What is important to focus on is how you feel and react following a trauma.

Why should I seek therapy for trauma?

Trauma often causes us to live in a heightened state of arousal. This can feel like rapid or shallow breathing, tightness in the chest, fear or panic that never persisted before, or a hyper-vigilance. It can also feel like sadness, shame and loss of hope. After experiencing a trauma, it can be difficult to get through the simplest tasks without a struggle. Coping was never meant to be a long term solution. Developing coping mechanisms can help you to get through the difficult moments, or nervous system stress. They are not mean to be prolonged solutions. Understanding your triggers, accepting how your body wants and needs to process the post traumatic stress, and healing from what happened to you is the most successful way to survive trauma. If you are thinking about starting therapy to unpack your past and begin your journey towards healing, you are in the right place. The hardest part about beginning therapy is just getting started.

Can therapy include pre marital counselling?

Yes! Some people find it incredibly helpful to seek therapy or couples counselling prior to entering into a marriage.

Topics that can be explored during Pre Marital Counselling include:

Communication and establishing a healthy way to deal with conflict
Beliefs, Values and Religion
Finances
Family of Origin and boundaries around how often to visit or include them in decision making as a new family
Fertility, creating your own family, and parenting strategies you would prefer to use
Affection, sex and intimacy
5 Love languages - how to best give and receive love
Roles, expectations and managing schedules

The time with your therapist is yours to discuss whatever you wish.

Why should we seek couples counselling?

If you are questioning whether or not you and your partner should enter therapy together, the answer is probably yes. People seek couples counselling for many different reasons, and the best time to begin therapy is always before you think you have a problem. Therapy is not just for fixing issues and mitigating conflict, it can be a helpful tool to ensure you don't find yourself "off track".

That does not mean that if you feel you have a problem it is too late to start! A therapist can help equip you and your partner with the tools necessary to rebuild your foundation and reconnect with the stranger you wake up next to in the morning.

Therapy is a commitment of time and money. It is important that each party be willing and committed to therapy in order to find success. If your spouse is unready to take that first step, that is okay! Individual therapy can help support you find your strength and resiliency until your partner is ready.

How do we choose the right couples counsellor for us?

When choosing a therapist all parties need to feel safe and comfortable. Your therapist will seek to promote equality in session to ensure that both parties can speak and be heard. Your therapist will also seek to promote safety and ensure confidentiality between all parties involved.

Participating in a free consultation together is an ideal way to get your opinions and needs heard in order to be matched effectively. Prior to this call ask yourself; what do I want to get out of therapy?

During your first session your therapist may request to see each participant for an individual session to engage and promote open communication. Your therapist will not take sides, and will ensure impartiality during sessions.

If you and your partner wish to participate in regular therapy individually in addition to the group sessions, our care coordinator can arrange for each of you to be assigned to a different therapist than the one conducting your couples sessions.

Are there books or resources I can utilize to help me learn more about Co-Dependency?

Yes! Codependent No More by Melody Beattie is a fantastic resource.

In her book, Melody identifies several definitions of Co-Dependency, shares her own personal story and discusses the benefits of Al-Anon, a support group for spouses or co-dependent partners of alcoholics.

Make sure you get the newest edition!

She also has a great workbook if you're not quite ready to engage in therapy.

Why should I seek codependency counselling?

If you are wondering if you should begin therapy, the answer is likely yes! When people start to identify and name "problems" in their lives, they are generally in the contemplative stage of change. This means they are beginning to identify a problem and they are almost ready to make a change.

Co-Dependency is a tricky, and sticky pattern to break, and you would greatly benefit from the support of someone else. Therapists are trained to offer a variety of assessments, tools and techniques to help you identify and understand why you are co-dependent and how you might change your way of being.

People who identify as co-dependent often have a history of trauma or unstable relationships and healing requires time, commitment and professional support.

How do I know if I am co-dependent?

As mentioned earlier, there is no one size fits all definition for co-dependency, so there are no set of criteria that a co-dependent will fit. Here are some common examples of co-dependency:

Feeling responsible for solving others' problems
Feeling responsible for explaining others' emotions, behaviours or actions
Feeling like you must fix everything
Difficulty making decisions
Desire to remain in control of yourself and others, all the time
Anger, anger and more anger
Difficulty regulating your emotions
Feeling used or not appreciated
Difficulty setting and maintaining boundaries
People-pleasing
Difficulty saying NO!
Inability to make decisions on your own

Can Therapy Be Covered by OHIP?

No, Psychotherapy and Social Work services are not eligible for OHIP coverage. Our services are covered by most insurance providers, as well as NHIB. Therapy services are also an eligible medical expense that can be claimed through your personal income tax with the CRA. Read more on our services and fees page.

How Do I Choose The Right Therapist For Me?

Finding the right therapist is the most important component to the success of therapy. First yourself what you want to get out of therapy. This is what our care coordinator will ask you in order to begin the matching process. Once therapy begins as yourself, "Do I feel safe" and "Do I feel heard". Read more about each therapist on our team page.

What Is The Difference Between Psychotherapy and Social Work?

In a private practice setting, like our clinic, there is no difference in services provided by a social worker or psychotherapist. The main difference is the education path taken and the regulatory body. To learn more visit each therapist's page to see their education and credentials.

What Causes Mental Illness?

There is no one trigger or cause for mental illness that applies to everyone. Mental illness can be a combination of genetic and environmental factors that influences your biology and your emotional process. Some common triggers may include: a traumatic event, abuse, side effects of medication, life changes, genetics, or the COVID-19 pandemic.

What If I Don't Like My Therapist?

We are committed to ensuring you find the best therapist for your care. Our care coordinator carefully listens to your concerns during your intake call to match you with the therapist best suited for your needs. If after 2-3 sessions you are not feeling comfortable, we will happily match you with another therapist.

Why Is Therapy So Expensive?

Therapy is an investment of both time and money. Our therapists charge a rate that is comparable to other professionals and their respective level of education achieved.

Check out our blog post to learn more.

Will My Therapist Diagnose Me?

No, Psychotherapists and Social Workers are not able to provide a diagnosis or prescript medication. Instead your therapist will focus on understanding your symptoms, managing your symptoms and trying to discover and heal the cause of your discomfort.

Will My Therapist Judge Me?

Sometimes curiosity and compassion can feel like judgement and shame. Your therapist will strive to meet you where you are at and create an emotionally validating environment free of intentional judgement or bias.

How Long Will Therapy Last?

Therapy will last as long as you want and need it to. Your therapist will help you to determine the correct frequency of your sessions as well as the length of time you are in therapy. For some people 2-3 sessions may be enough, for others it may take 2-3 years. Your desired goals and life experiences will dictate the need/ frequency.

Does Equine Assisted Psychotherapy include riding horses?

No. Clients will be in the presence of horses and may come in physical contact (ie. touching, brushing, feeding), but will not ride the horses.

Is Equine Assisted Psychotherapy dangerous?

Working with animals, especially large animals does come with inherent risks. Michealah, our EAP therapist is extensively trained and certified to work with horses, and will teach you safe ways to be around animals. Prior to commencing your session Michealah will walk you through a series of waivers and consent forms thoroughly detailing the risk. She will be able to answer any questions that you may have. If at any time you do not feel comfortable to continue, you can move your session to a different location.

Where do your EAP sessions take place?

The Journey Counselling and Psychotherapy has a partnership with Robinson Riding Academy to use their farm and horses to provide EAP services to our clients. Prior to visiting the farm for the first time, Michealah will host you in a virtual session (either a consultation or full session) to determine if EAP is best suited for your needs. During this call she will walk you through where and how to find the farm and get ready for your first EAP session.

What should I wear to my EAP sessions?

Farm-appropriate attire is highly recommended. Closed toed shoes are required, and long pants are recommended. Your shoes and clothing will get dirty, so please consider what your preference is for attire.

Are We Missing Something?

If you'd like to learn more about anything you've read above, or if you have any additional questions please send us a message we're ready to support you.

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