Frequently Asked Questions

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You've probably noticed that at Evans Family Counselling & Psychotherapy we use this term a lot to describe our services. Being trauma-informed starts with us acknowledging that an individual is more likely than not to have a history of trauma, and that the way that they cope with it and interact with the world (ie their behaviours) makes sense given the context of this. 

Experiencing trauma doesn't mean that you've lived through a catastrophic experience either. More often than not, trauma occurs in the context of a relationship with others, and often what others do to us isn't intentional but it is still experienced as harmful. So it can look like a child who had a parent with a mental illness and found that scary, experiencing bullying in school, or growing up with an emotionally immature parent that couldn't meet our normal developmental needs.

We emphasize being trauma-informed here because we feel strongly about acknowledging that many of the diagnoses that people receive (such as ADHD or anxiety) are normal functions and coping related to the trauma that they experienced vs a "disorder". In therapy we often switch the question of "What's wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?"

Facilitator, educator, guide, helper, explorer, coach ... These are some words used to describe what a therapist does with their clients.  People who come to therapy usually have a problem or concern - we call that the presenting issue.  From there, the therapist works with you as you define your goals for therapy and the therapist will decide what the best approach will be.  Therapists are trained and experienced in different approaches which can be used by themselves or in combination to provide the best outcome for the client.  Regardless of the approach used, working with a therapist allows the client to express difficult feelings such as anger, resentment or fear.  They also help the client to examine parts of themselves or their life that are difficult, or help them to explore how and why they react the way that they do and how to change behaviours that create difficulty in their life.  It's important to note that therapy is NOT about telling the client what to do or giving advice.

The first step is to contact Evans Family Counselling and Psychotherapy by sending an email* (helloEFCP@gmail.com) .  We will schedule a quick consultation by phone with one of our therapists to see if we're a good fit for the problem you are experiencing and what you are looking for. You will be  provided with general information about appointments, fees, and availability. This process usually takes about 20 minutes.

Alternatively, you can go direction to our Scheduling system to book a consultation call.

* Please note that we cannot guarantee that email is secure and as such you should send general inquiries only.  A phone number must be provided in order to complete the consultation process. 

Once you have scheduled your first appointment, you will be asked to complete an information/intake form and consent forms, all of which will be sent to you via email.  At the scheduled appointment you will meet with the therapist who will review the information you provided on your intake form, assess what your needs are, and get some more background information from you.  This first meeting is usually scheduled for 90 minutes. 

In subsequent meetings, you will typically meet with your therapist for 60 minutes.  Your therapist will likely take a holistic approach in understanding your situation and how it impacts you, and in understanding different aspects of your life (such as social functioning, physical health, relationships, work, family, support systems, etc.).  Sometimes it takes a couple appointments for the therapist to develop a clear appreciation of the difficulties and whether Evans Family Counselling and Psychotherapy would be a good fit for you.  During this time, you can also see if your therapist is somebody that you want to work with.

At some point near the beginning of therapy (i.e. the first or second appointment), you and the therapist will collaborate in setting goals for therapy.  At each subsequent appointment the therapist will work with you to help you to achieve these goals.  Sometimes homework may be assigned for you to complete before your next appointment.

Questions from you are welcomed at any time!

Evans Family Counselling and Psychotherapy offers individual counselling appointments in person, via telephone or encrypted video.  More information about this is found under the Services section.

Unfortunately OHIP does not cover psychotherapy.  Many insurance companies cover services provided by a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) or a Canadian Certified Counsellor (C.C.C.) - please check with your insurance provider for your coverage information and speak to your therapist for information about how to make a claim. 

This really depends on many factors, such as the specific problem/challenge that you want to work on, how long this issue has been a concern for you, your availability, your financial situation (including insurance/benefit coverage), etc. Some research shows that on average 15-20 sessions are required to help with symptom management and/or to reach your therapy goals. And many others benefit from longer-term work over several years. In my experience, many clients stay in therapy because they really benefit from having a safe place and dedicated time to explore their concerns and challenges. Please ask your therapist if you have any questions about this.

The work that psychotherapists and clients do together is kept private and confidential.  There are a few limitations to confidentiality which may occur under special situations – these will be outlined to you by the therapist on the consent form at the beginning of therapy.  Your therapist is bound by the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice through the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association CCPA, and the Professional Practice and Jurisprudence for Registered Psychotherapists/Code of Ethics through the transitional College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario CRPO.

There may be times where it makes sense to share some information with other individuals, for example, sharing information with a healthcare provider (e.g. your physician).  When this happens, your therapist will discuss it with you and you will sign a special consent form to allow the sharing.  

Your personal information is stored securely and your information kept private in accordance with current privacy legislation PHIPA.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) believes that the mind is naturally multiple, and this is a good thing! IFS helps to identify parts of your inner system, understand why they do the things that they do, while helping more vulnerable parts to heal so that we can be more integrated and whole. It has been called a "powerfully transformative, evidence-based model of psychotherapy". IFS is useful for working with clients with a variety of symptoms including anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma, etc. This is Marta's main area of practice.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps individuals to develop psychological flexibility through acceptance that life comes with a full spectrum of emotions that we must tolerate and by connecting to the values that matter most to us.  Many times we spend a lot of energy trying to suppress, manage, and control emotional experiences and this creates unnecessary challenges and suffering.  Mindfulness skills are taught as part of ACT to help individuals develop distress tolerance and the therapist also helps the client to live in ways that reflect their personal values.  ACT can be useful for a wide variety of presenting issues and difficulties such as anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, etc.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of PTSD (see www.EMDRIA.com for more information). EMDR has also been used successfully to treat other mental health problems and somatic symptoms. In simple terms, EMDR helps the brain to integrate traumatic or disturbing adverse life experiences in an adaptive manner which reduces symptoms and distress.

Person-Centered Therapy takes a holistic view of individuals, and is based on the belief that people have the capacity for self-awareness, personal growth, and positive change within themselves. The therapist creates a safe, supportive, and empowering environment where clients feel free to explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Through this process of self-exploration, clients can gain greater self-awareness, insight, and self-acceptance. This is Heather's main area of practice.

There are many other techniques or methods, but the majority of psychotherapists do not claim allegiance to only one therapeutic school or method.  Instead most psychotherapists practice from an integrative approach that utilizes the right method with each client at a given moment in time.