Counselling & Therapy in Guelph and Virtually, ON

Your Questions, Answered

I know the process of starting therapy can be intimidating and frankly, overwhelming. I strive to provide total transparency around my therapeutic approach and policies, and what you can expect from the therapy process. If you still have questions after reading the following FAQs, send me an email at jenna@ionhealthperformance.com or book a free consult!

What happens in a consultation?

A good connection with your therapist is a huge factor in the therapy being successful, so consultations give you the opportunity to assess whether I'm the right fit for you. It also allows me to see whether your issues are within my scope of practice, or whether you may be suited to a therapist with different expertise. Some questions I might ask include:

What brings you to therapy now?
How long have you been struggling with this?
What are you hoping to gain from therapy? What would be different in your life by the time therapy is finished that would tell you it had been successful?
What areas of your life are you hoping to focus on (e.g. relationships, work, personal growth)?
Have you done therapy in the past? If yes, what did you find helpful or unhelpful about it?
Is there anything specific you're looking for in a therapist?

I then give you a sense of how I might approach the issue you're looking to address. You'll have ample opportunity to ask questions, so feel free to prepare some if you'd like. There is no pressure to book an initial appointment at the end of the consultation - the purpose is simply to get to know one another better.

How does therapy start?

Therapy starts with an initial session, either in-person or virtually, which can be booked online here. The focus of this session is assessment and identifying goals. Just like when you come to the doctor with aches or pains and they ask questions or run tests before prescribing a treatment, so too in therapy is it important to get a full picture of what's happening in your life before creating a treatment plan. You can expect to discuss the following in your initial session:

What to expect from therapy including confidentiality, scheduling, payment, and policies
An in-depth exploration of your current challenges - your thoughts, feelings, and circumstances, and how they affect your daily life
A history of your current concerns and a brief exploration of your family history. *You are always free to share as little or as much as you're comfortable with in therapy
What you've tried so far to cope with your issue, including previous experiences of therapy. We'll explore what has been helpful and what hasn't been
A discussion around why you may be feeling the way you do
Clarifying your goals for therapy, and creating a collaborative plan for therapy that will help you reach them
Any questions or concerns you might have around the process

Note: Depending on the issues you're facing, we may require more than session to complete the assessment.

What can I expect from ongoing sessions?

Sessions are highly dependent on your goals for therapy and the issues you're facing. I generally open up space at the start of the session if there's anything that came up (both positive and negative!) between our sessions that you'd like to work through, so it can be useful to take note of these things throughout the week. I'll provide you with new strategies and tools in each session that are tailored to your specific challenges and goals, including grounding strategies, communication skills, habit formation/goal-setting strategies, and mindfulness tools, that you can apply in your day-to-day life. I generally assess progress every 4-6 sessions.

How long and how frequent are sessions?

Length and frequency of sessions will be decided upon either in your consultation or your initial session. Typically:

Sessions are 50 minutes or 80 minutes long. For initial assessment sessions, an 80-minute session is recommended, and for ART sessions, 80 minutes is required.
Therapy starts off weekly
As you begin to notice improvements, therapy may be spaced out (e.g. to bi-weekly sessions)
Once you're satisfied with the changes you've made and feel your therapy goals have been reached, you can schedule follow-up sessions monthly or every 2 months to support you in maintaining the progress you've made
Should new issues or challenges arise, you are welcome to request a change in the frequency or length of your sessions

Note: these are recommendations for most effective outcomes, however, I will always strive to accommodate your scheduling needs

How many therapy sessions are required?

The number of sessions needed to reach your goals depends on a range of factors, including the types and intensity of challenges you're facing, the work done between sessions, and previous experiences of therapy. Research shows that on average:

People experience reductions in distress in 3-4 sessions
Significant and long-lasting changes is more likely to occur after 8 or more sessions
Longer term counselling is particularly helpful for long-standing or more severe challenges with trauma, anxiety, depression, and attachment issues
*Integrating Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) into your treatment can provide more rapid improvements, often in 1-5 sessions after assessment
I regularly check in around your progress in therapy to see what changes you've noticed, whether you're satisfied with the topics we're discussing, and what of my approach has been helpful or not so helpful. This allows me to make shifts to ensure your sessions are worthwhile.

What are your fees, and will my insurance cover sessions?

50-minute sessions are $150 and 80-minute sessions are $225. My services are covered by most extended health insurance plans that cover services provided by Registered Social Workers. If you are unsure, please contact your insurance provider. Some questions you might ask include:

Does my plan cover services provided by a Registered Social Worker?
What is the total amount of coverage I have left for the year?
How much is covered per session (e.g. 100%, 80%, up to a certain amount)?
What details are required on the receipt?
Are your family members included in the coverage?
Do I require a referral/note from a family doctor?

I do not provide direct billing to insurance, but provide you with a detailed receipt after our session that can be submitted to your insurance provider. Payment by credit card is accepted.

What is your cancellation policy?

We require that you give at least 24 hours notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment. This notice allows me to open up your time slot to someone else in need. Therapists in private practice do not receive a salary and are paid by the session. Late cancellations and no shows make it difficult to fill your time slot and can have a significant impact on a therapist’s income in the long-term. Fees for missed appointments or late cancellations are as follows:

Missed appointments will be charged the full session fee
Late cancellations (less than 24 hours before appointments) will be charged 50% of the session fee for the first occurrence, and 100% thereafter
You can reschedule your session online on the Jane platform at any time prior to 24 hours before the appointment, or contact me at jenna@ionhealthperformance.com

I understand that life happens. For this reason, the session fee will be waived in crisis situations. Outside of crisis situations, we recommend planning ahead to ensure you can make it to your scheduled session - having a backup plan for childcare or transportation and entering appointments into your calendar are all strategies we recommend to make late cancellations less likely. Our online booking system will also send you an email reminder 48 hours and a text message 2 hours before your appointment time.

What can I expect from virtual sessions?

Virtual sessions are held on our online platform, Jane. You will be sent a link to your virtual appointment 1 hour prior to the starting time. On a laptop or desktop computer, you can open the appointment on your browser, but for cell phones and tablets, you will need to download the Jane App for free. When you receive the appointment link, you'll have the opportunity to test your audio, microphone, and video. I highly recommend doing so in advance of the session to avoid any technical delays. It's important that virtual sessions are done in a private and quiet space, so you can feel free to talk openly and without distractions. If technical issues arise throughout the session, it's beneficial to try leaving and rejoining the session.

JennaMcGonegal

THERAPY