Therapy near Hamilton

Try to come a few minutes early to your first appointment. This will allow you time to park and feel comfortable with your surroundings. Parking is available in front of the building. We are on the second floor; elevators are available. Come right into the office and make yourself comfortable. Our booking system, Jane, allows you to sign in right on your mobile device to let your therapist know you're ready and waiting.

Sessions are 50 minutes in length, which is standard practice.

During the first session, your therapist will ask you questions about yourself, your background, and the difficulties you are experiencing. They may also ask about your goals for therapy and what you hope to achieve. This information will help your therapist get a better understanding of your situation and how they can best help you. It is also important for you to ask your therapist any questions you may have about their experience, training, or approach to therapy. This can help you feel more comfortable and confident in the therapeutic process. Overall, the first session is an opportunity for you and your therapist to establish a working relationship, clarify expectations, and begin to develop a plan for future sessions.

Our session fees align with what is suggested by the Ontario Association of Social Workers at $160 - $200 per session. Please check with your Extended Health Benefits to determine if you have partial or full coverage. You will be asked to add your credit card to our management software Jane to make payment easy and seamless for you. Please contact us at 905-412-3730 or email info@cwtherapy.ca to discuss the current rates. If you must change or cancel an appointment please notify us as soon as possible. The cancellation policy requires at least 24 hours notice otherwise you will be billed for the full session. Occasionally, exceptions may be made if there is a family emergency or illness. In such situations we can discuss the possibility of waiving the session fee. Be sure to contact your therapist as soon as possible.

Many insurance companies cover the cost of treatment for Registered Social Workers who hold a Masters Degree. All of our therapists hold this credential. Some benefit plans provide coverage up to a specific dollar amount per year while others pay a percentage towards each visit. It is up to you to explore your insurance coverage. It is also possible to claim Social Work and Psychotherapist fees as a medical expense on your Canada Revenue Tax Return if your medical expenses are over a specific amount during the tax year. At the end of each session we will provide you with a receipt with the therapist's name, designation and registration number with which you are able submit to your insurance company or use for your income tax purposes.

Go to your nearest emergency department. In Burlington it is Joseph Brant Hospital at 1230 North Shore Boulevard: 905-632-3737. In Oakville it is Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital at 3001 Hospital Gate: 905-845-2571. The following organizations offer 24 hour crisis support by phone: COAST Halton 1-877-825-9011 COAST Hamilton Crisis Line 905-972-8338 Suicide Prevention Hotline 905-522-1477 SAVIS Sexual Assault Centre 905-875-1555 Halton Women's Place 905-332-7892 Barrett Centre for Crisis Support 905-529-7878 Salvation Army Suicide Crisis Line 905-522-1477

All of our therapists are highly qualified to provide therapeutic support and each have areas of specialty. Please read through the profiles located under the 'therapy team’ section of our website.

Did you know that the strongest predictor of change in a client is due to the relationship developed with their therapist? The key to a strong therapeutic relationship is trust, emotional warmth and safety. For example, let's say you've been to therapy before, you and your therapist worked through CBT together. Maybe you stuck with it for about 6-10 sessions and then began to notice you weren't making any further improvements so you chose to terminate for the time being. Flash forward to now, you've found a new therapist and maybe they too have suggested a CBT approach. If you find that with your present day therapist that you've developed a stronger or different relationship (i.e: you feel more content, comfortable, safe, open) then you will likely notice a more significant change in your symptoms and improvement with the CBT approach than you did previously! We recommended trying 2-3 sessions with a therapist and be as honest as possible about your needs. If you feel like it’s not the right fit, we are happy to book you with someone else.

The number of sessions that you will need depends on your goals, needs and use for counselling. Some clients come for a specific purpose and only require only a few sessions to gain some tools and get things off their chest. Others may attend for a much longer period of time (months or even years) as they may be working through traumas, significant life events or even enjoy the ongoing support of the therapeutic relationship. Feel free to discuss this with your therapist at your first session.