Privacy & Confidentiality
Is everything I say confidential?
Your privacy and confidentiality are crucial. The information that you share will not be disclosed without your consent. There are some exceptions to this (required by Ontario law):
- you disclose information that indicates you or someone else is in imminent danger
- you disclose information about abuse or neglect of a child under the age of 16
- you disclose information about abuse by a health care professional
- you disclose information about the abuse or neglect of a senior
- the court subpoenas your records
- the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario requests your records as part of an audit
Before you begin therapy you will discuss these circumstances in detail and have an opportunity to ask questions.
How do you store my personal health information?
Your personal health information is stored on a secure and private PIPEDA and PHIPA compliant electronic record management software, Jane Practice.
- PIPEDA: The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act
- PHIPA: Personal Health Information Protection Act
Payment and Insurance
What fees do you charge?
Fees vary depending on the nature of the service being offered, clinician’s training, and in-person vs online. Fees for individual and couples therapy range from $160-$250 and will be shared with you in detail when you contact New Moon Psychotherapy.
What forms of payment do you accept?
All major credit cards are accepted as forms of payment. For your convenience, payment can be made directly online.
What is your cancellation policy?
If you are unable to attend an appointment, we require at least 48 hours notice to cancel without penalty. Full session fees will be applied to no-show or late cancelled appointments.
Is psychotherapy covered by OHIP?
Psychotherapy is not covered by OHIP. Many extended health insurance or employee benefit plans, partially or fully, cover psychotherapy services. New Moon Psychotherapy does not bill directly to insurance. You will be provided with a receipt for the service.
You may find it helpful to ask your insurance provider the following questions:
- Does my health insurance plan include psychotherapy or services offered by a registered psychotherapist?
- Do I have a deductible? What is it and have I met it?
- Does my plan limit the number of sessions per calendar year? What is the limit?
- Do I need a referral from my primary care physician to cover my services?
Getting Started
Are you offering in-person services?
We are currently accepting clients for in-person sessions at our 500 King Street location. In addition to in-person appointments we are continuing to offer virtual appointments via video conferencing or telephone. You can find more information about virtual or online therapy here.
Do you have a waitlist?
We appreciate that if you’re looking for a therapist, you likely need support now, not 2 or 4 months from now. We are committed to connecting you with a therapist that is skilled in the areas you are looking to improve as close to when you reach out as possible. If the therapist you are interested in working with is full, you will be given an estimated wait time and given the option to connect with another therapist who will be able to see you within a week.
I’m in crisis and I need to see someone ASAP!
If you require urgent care, or if your or someone’s safety is at risk, please seek emergency services at your local emergency room or call 911.
New Moon Psychotherapy does not offer crisis or emergency counselling.
How long will therapy take?
Everybody has unique circumstances and goals making this an impossible question to answer on an FAQ page. Once you’ve completed the intake and assessment, you and your therapist will discuss a treatment plan to address your goals and needs.
There are things that I I don’t want to talk about, do I have to talk about them?
The short answer is no. You will never be pushed into discussing something that you don’t want to. It can help to think of therapy like driving a car – you’re in the driver’s seat, the therapist is in the passenger seat. They can suggest you make a turn, but ultimately the decision to turn is yours. You can always discuss the pros and cons of discussing a certain topic with your therapist.
What is a 15 minute consultation?
An important predictor of success in therapy is fit between client and therapist. While it will take you some time to develop trust, after this call you should have an idea of whether this is someone you’d like to work with.
During this free 15-minute video or telephone call, you will meet with the therapist, review basic questions that you have, and determine if fees and appointment availability work for you.
If it felt like a fit, we can schedule an intake appointment. If you’re not sure, get back in touch with admin and they can connect you with another therapist for a consultation – we promise we won’t take offence! It’s actually really important that you do this.
You do not have to make a decision during this call about proceeding with therapy. You can take your time, think about it, and reach out at a later time to schedule your appointment or ask for another consultation.
How can I get the most out of therapy?
Regular attendance, active participation, and completion of home practice will be crucial to your success! It can also be helpful to
- take some time to reflect on what it is that you would like to see change in your life before attending your first intake appointment,
- keep a therapy journal to keep track of important insights during session, thoughts that arise between sessions, and items to discuss during your next appointment,
- try not to schedule something immediately before your appointment so that you can winddown from the prior activity before beginning therapy – use that time to reflect on your week and what you might want to check in about,
- try not to schedule something demanding immediately after your appointment. Chances are we will stir up some emotions and so taking time to yourself afterwards (even if it’s just 15 minutes) to feel your emotions and self-soothe before returning to your responsibilities can be helpful. Self-soothing will look different for everyone. If you’re not sure how to self-soothe, chat about it with your therapist. It’s a great skill to develop.