Questions you might have before reaching out

No. You can start with “I just feel off,” “I’m overwhelmed,” or “I know why I do this, but I’m still doing it.”

You do not need to have the right words or a clear explanation before you come in. Part of therapy can be slowing things down together and making sense of what is happening underneath, at a pace that feels manageable.

You can start with what is happening for you now.

It’s a short, informal conversation to see whether working together might feel like a good fit for you.

You can tell me a bit about what has been going on, ask questions, and get a feel for what it is like to talk with me.

You do not need to explain everything perfectly or tell me your whole story. Fifteen minutes is not about fitting your life into a tiny box. It is just a starting point, and there is no pressure to book after.

 The first session is a chance for us to slow things down and start getting a sense of what has been going on for you.

I’ll ask some questions and we’ll talk about what is happening in your life now, what has been feeling hard, and what you are hoping might be different. You do not need to come in with everything figured out.

You also do not have to talk about anything you do not want to talk about, and you do not need to share something before you feel ready. We can take our time, stay with what feels manageable, and let the conversation unfold from there.

No. We do not have to go into your childhood or past experiences unless it feels relevant and you are ready to.

Sometimes the past helps us understand why certain feelings, reactions, or patterns make sense, but there is no expectation that you need to tell me everything or revisit something before you feel safe enough to do that.

We can start with what is happening for you now and go from there.

That is actually really common.

You can understand a pattern really well and still find yourself reacting the same way when you are stressed, hurt, overwhelmed, or feeling unsafe. Knowing why something happens is important, but insight does not always change what your emotions or body have learned to do.

Therapy can help us slow that pattern down, understand what is happening underneath it, and work toward having more choice in how you respond.

Emotion-Focused Individual Therapy, or EFIT, is an approach that helps us understand what is happening underneath the thoughts, reactions, and coping patterns you already notice.

Instead of only focusing on how to stop a feeling or change a behaviour, we slow things down and get curious about what the emotion is trying to tell us, what happens in your body, what you learned to do to get through difficult experiences, and what you might need now.

The goal is not to get rid of your emotions. It is to understand them differently, so they feel less overwhelming and you have more choice in how you respond.

Sessions happen online by secure video, so you can join from anywhere in Ontario where you have enough privacy to talk comfortably.

You do not need a perfect setup. A quiet room, a reliable internet connection, and somewhere you can settle in is enough. Some people like virtual therapy because there is no travel time and they can talk from a space that already feels familiar.

If something comes up with the technology, we figure it out. It does not need to be complicated.

There is no exact number of sessions that works for everyone, but you also do not have to think of therapy as something that goes on indefinitely.

With EFIT, I often suggest thinking about therapy in blocks of sessions. Some people may begin noticing shifts within the first 6–10 sessions, such as understanding their emotional patterns differently, feeling less overwhelmed by them, or responding in new ways.

For patterns that have been around for a long time, trauma, or deeper attachment work, therapy may take longer. In a recent randomized controlled trial, adults receiving 15 sessions of EFIT showed significant reductions in overall distress, depression, and anxiety across treatment (Wiebe et al., 2025).

We will check in as we go about what is changing, what still feels stuck, and whether therapy continues to feel useful. You are never committing to a set number of sessions when you start.

Many extended health benefit plans include coverage for psychotherapy provided by a Registered Social Worker, but every plan is different. I provide receipts that you can submit to your insurer, and I recommend checking your specific plan to confirm what is covered.

I am also a registered provider with Medavie Blue Cross. Coverage still depends on your individual plan, so it is worth confirming your benefits before your first session.

I am an approved Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) Mental Health Counselling provider as well. Eligible First Nations and Inuit clients may be able to access counselling through NIHB, subject to the program’s eligibility and coverage requirements.

If you are unsure what your plan covers, you are welcome to ask during a consultation and I can help you figure out what information you may need to check.

That is completely okay. Finding the right therapist is not just about credentials or approach. It also matters whether you feel comfortable enough to talk openly, whether you feel understood, and whether the way I work feels like a good fit for you.

That is one of the reasons I offer a free 15-minute consultation. You can ask questions, get a sense of what it is like to talk with me, and decide from there.

You do not have to make a decision on the spot, and you are not obligated to book a session afterward.

Wiebe, S. A., Johnson, S. M., Allan, R., Campbell, T. L., Greenman, P. S., Fairweather, D. R., Ismail, M., & Tasca, G. A. (2025). A randomized controlled trial of emotionally focused individual therapy (EFIT) for depression and anxiety. Psychotherapy, 62(3), 414–423. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000586