Frequently Asked Questions

Regular talk therapy sessions are usually 50 minutes long. Most clients are seen once a week in the beginning, then, as time goes on, less frequently. EMDR and hypnotherapy sessions are usually longer, at 90 minutes.Shamanic healing sessions start at 90 minutes in length, but can go on longer. 


The length of time a client is in counselling or coaching depends on the nature of the problem, and the goals you would like to achieve. Some clients have a very specific problem that can be worked through in a set course of sessions. For others, counselling or coaching is an on-going learning process, and they choose to receive our services over a longer period of time. The number of sessions depends on what your current needs are. I see some clients for only 3 to 5 sessions, and others on and off for 3 to 5 years. At Toronto's Mindful Solutions Clinic, your needs will be re-evaluated with you periodically as your goals are achieved and you set new ones for yourself. It's a very collaborative process! You are the ultimate decision-maker as to how long our working relationship will last.  


As a mindfulness and acceptance-based psychotherapist and life coach, a session with me typically consists of talk therapy, along with some in-session mindfulness teaching practices that will help reconnect you with your mind, body and spirit. Our work together may also involve regular home practice assignments that will encourage you to keep up your new skills between sessions. There will be a lot of psychoeducation involved in our work together, to help you learn and practice new life tools.


I do not currently have a waitlist. This means that our first session likely can be booked within one week after your free 30-minute phone consultation. Only clients who have participated in a free 30-minute consultation can book an initial session with me. The free consult is an opportunity for both of us to see whether we would be the right fit to work with one another.


No, you do not need a doctor's referral to begin counselling or coaching at Toronto's Mindful Solutions Clinic. However, such a referral may be required by your extended health insurance carrier, if you have one and would like to be reimbursed for any psychotherapy sessions. Please check with them to see whether this is the case.


Yes! My psychotherapy services are indeed covered by all extended Canadian health insurance plans (e.g.: Great-West Life, SunLife, Manulife, Blue Cross, etc.).  As each extended health plan can differ, depending on what your employer negotiated with the insurance carrier, please check your insurance plan regarding your specific coverage (i.e.: maximum dollar amount or percentage covered per session, maximum dollar amount covered annually, whether your plan runs on a calendar year or other, such as June  1st to May 31st, and whether they reimburse for psychotherapy or psychology).


Please note that neither psychotherapy, life coaching, hypnotherapy or spiritual healing services are covered by OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan, aka Canadian Universal Health Care).


No. Registered Psychotherapists are not legally allowed to prescribe medications, as we are not medical doctors.


However, based on a joint assessment of the mental health problems you are facing, it may be advisable to consult with a psychiatrist or family doctor to determine whether medication is warranted. I may also suggest alternative treatment options for you, such as naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, etc..  We can talk about possible referrals should the need arise.


As your psychotherapist and life coach, I will always respect your right to privacy and confidentiality. This means that your information will not be communicated, directly or indirectly, to a third party without your informed and written consent. However, there are some limits to confidentiality.   Having said that, I do have legal and ethical obligations, as a regulated health professional, which may limit your right to privacy and confidentiality in the following circumstances:   


* Informing the Children's Aid Society if there is a suspicion of a child being at risk, or in need of protection, due to neglect, physical, sexual, or emotional abuse   

* Releasing your client file if court-ordered to do so   


 * Informing an appropriate family member, health care professional, or emergency services, if necessary, of your intention to end your life


* Informing a potential victim of violence of your intention to harm him/her/them


* Case consultation with my supervising psychologist (especially if you require a receipt on a psychologist's letterhead)

Mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies, including Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), are distinct forms of psychotherapy that incorporate the practice of mindfulness and compassion-based strategies with cognitive behavioural therapy.


Mindfulness is the awareness that emerges when we deliberately pay attention to the present moment in a non-judgmental way. It is the act of regulating one’s attention so that our focus is grounded on the present moment, while also being aware of one’s body, thoughts, surroundings and feelings. Mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies teach us to become aware of and cultivate acceptance of, our thoughts and feelings without judgment. By remaining grounded in the present moment, mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies help us to come out of our usual unhelpful patterns of automatic (aka. mindless) reactions to thoughts, feelings and events. In this way, we will be able to respond with intention rather than react mindlessly, thereby reducing the likelihood of acting impulsively in the heat of the moment. 

Mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies have been shown to improve concentration, and ease symptoms of mental and physical conditions such as stress, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, drug abuse/dependence, and chronic pain. A regular mindfulness practice has also been shown to increase one’s level of compassion and equanimity toward the self and others.  


As of January 1, 2020, fees are $175 plus HST per session hour. Fees are reviewed but not necessarily increased annually.


A regular psychotherapy or coaching "session hour" is 50 minutes long. All other services (such as hypnotherapy, EMDR, or shamanic healing) are pro-rated based on the actual session time (at a rate of $175 plus HST/50 minutes).



I have a limited number of sliding scale clients that I work with at any one time, subject to specific terms and conditions. Click below for more information.