How to Find the Right Therapist in Ontario
Published September 18th, 2023
6.5 min read
A guide to finding a mental health practitioner that gets you.
Written by Simon Spichak
Finding a supportive therapist is literally life-changing. These professionals can help you manage your anxiety in healthy ways, learn to regulate your emotions, and teach you how to stay organized, among many other benefits. But many people don’t know how to find a therapist, let alone one that works for them.
In Ontario, it can get extra confusing. For one, there are many mental health professionals, like psychiatrists, psychotherapists, and clinical psychologists. Each one has slightly different qualifications and experiences. You might not know which one you need.
Here’s what you need to know and the questions you need to ask to be sure that a therapist is right for you.
Types of Therapists
Each type of therapist has a unique educational background and training, certification, services, and costs.
Psychiatrists
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor specializing in diagnosing and treating various mental health conditions.
People generally require a referral to see a psychiatrist, and there is often a four-to-12-month wait to see one. Through a partnership with Psychotherapy Matters, Resolve can speed up the process, allowing you to get a joint appointment with you, your therapist, and a psychiatrist in half the time.
In Ontario, provincial health insurance covers psychiatry sessions, meaning that seeing one of these psychiatrists won’t cost you anything extra. A psychiatrist can diagnose mental health conditions and prescribe different medications for conditions including ADHD, OCD, and anxiety.
Clinical Psychologists
A clinical psychologist trains for six to 10 years and needs to obtain a Master’s or doctoral degree before being ready to practice. They specialize in helping patients understand and change how they think, feel, and behave through proven science-based methods.
In addition to having a general license, psychologists can declare and specialize in one specific area, such as child psychology. These professionals are regulated by a specific psychological body within the province where they practice.
They can diagnose different diseases and conditions but cannot prescribe medication. Due to their specialty academic training, psychologists may charge more than $200 per hour.
Psychotherapists
A psychotherapist is a trained mental health professional who helps people learn to manage their mental health and improve their executive function skills. People across a spectrum of mental health — including but not limited to those with a mental health diagnosis — set appointments and visit these professionals regularly.
A governing body sets out guidelines for who can and can’t call themselves a psychotherapist in Ontario and Quebec. Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick professionals are registered as Counselling Therapists.
Psychotherapists cannot diagnose conditions, nor can they prescribe drugs.
Out of these three professions, psychotherapists are often the most accessible and affordable. Resolvve’s practitioners are priced at $100 (tax-inclusive), and this is usually covered by the health insurance provided for students across many universities and colleges in Canada. Elsewhere, a therapist can cost up to $200 a session.
Finding therapists and other mental health practitioners
You can search various online databases to find affordable mental health practitioners. Of course, you can also book a consultation with one of our psychotherapists at Resolvve.
Some other places to look:
How to tell the therapist is right for you
Many therapists will offer a free session as a meet and greet where you can get to know each other and ask questions. Here are a few insights from Kim Rau, a psychotherapist at Resolvve.
What to expect from your first therapy session
After the meet-and-greet, you will have your first actual therapy session. This involves a more detailed assessment of your mental health that helps the therapist create a strategy tailored to your needs.
“I help you identify what goals you would like to work on in therapy so you can start to feel more hopeful that change is possible,” Rau says. “This is also when we start to build rapport in our therapeutic relationship.”
Questions to ask your therapist
“Be sure to ask questions about their credentials, training, and whether they have experience in working with the specific challenges you want to overcome,” Rau says. “Don't be afraid to ask how the therapist will address your challenges.”
Here are some other examples of questions you might want to ask during the meet-and-greet or first session:
Have you treated others with the same problems or issues as me?
How do I know that the therapy is working?
What does a typical session with you look like?
How often will we need to meet?
What are your strengths and weaknesses as a therapist?
What is your overall philosophy when it comes to therapy?
How do I know that the therapist is right for me?
After a meet-and-greet and your first session, you might wonder whether it's worth continuing with the same therapist. There is no one-size-fits-all for therapists; it is entirely up to you and what you feel comfortable with.
Another critical factor is ensuring you and your therapist have a collaborative relationship. That means that they help you find what is important and set realistic goals for your time in therapy.
“Your therapist should provide a welcoming environment so you feel comfortable and look forward to attending sessions,” Rau says. “You should find your therapist easy to talk to, feel heard, understood, and never judged. Although it may feel awkward at first to talk to someone you don't know, this trust and rapport will continue to build over time.”
Conclusion
Finding the right therapist is hard. Whether you need a psychotherapist, a psychologist, or a psychiatrist, it is also essential to ask the right questions and make sure they are a fit for helping you through your challenges and issues. At Resolvve, all of our therapists are trained specifically to work with students — if you’re looking for a therapist, why not start with us?
Please note that this post is written for educational purposes; it is not therapy. If you need to talk to a professional, please book a consultation with a psychotherapist through Resolvve.
