Helpful Resources

If you cannot find an answer to your question(s) here, please contact us today so that we may assist you.

About Our Therapists

What is a Registered Psychotherapist (RP)?

A psychotherapist (also commonly referred to as a “therapist” or a “counsellor”) helps with emotional and mental health problems in individuals, couples, and families through a variety of therapeutic approaches.  In 2007, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) defined psychotherapists in Ontario as “regulated health professionals,” which means that all psychotherapists in Ontario need to be licensed members of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) and to utilize the formal title of “Registered Psychotherapist (RP).”

What is a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) and a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist (RMFT)?

A Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) holistically believes that your relationships with others (for example, with your family members) represent an essential aspect of your life and personal well-being and that your counselling process is more effective if he or she fully considers all of your relationships within his or her treatment plan for you.  Within the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT), a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) is a Pre-Clinical Fellow and a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist (RMFT) is a Clinical Fellow.

What is the difference between a psychotherapist, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, and a social worker?

A psychotherapist (also commonly referred to as a “therapist” or a “counsellor”) helps with emotional and mental health problems in individuals, couples, and families through numerous therapeutic modalities.  A psychologist may work in a variety of possible roles, from teaching psychology courses in universities and engaging in academic research to counselling clients and administering advanced psychological assessments.  A psychiatrist specializes in the diagnosis and treatment (mainly through psychotropic medication) of mental or psychiatric disorders.  A social worker helps people to resolve issues of everyday life (including through counselling services) and to access government and community resources.

Can my therapist prescribe medication for me?

No, your therapist is not a medical doctor and cannot prescribe medication.  To obtain a prescription for medication, please speak with your family doctor or request a referral for an appointment with a psychiatrist.

About Our Counselling Services

Do I need to be Christian to seek counselling with you?

No, our counselling center is non-denominational and we welcome you as a client regardless of your religious or spiritual affiliation, cultural heritage, socioeconomic background, or sexual orientation.  Each of our therapists is a professionally trained Registered Psychotherapist (RP) and treats a diversity of clients through numerous therapeutic modalities.  Christian counselling is merely one of many possible counselling options available to you from our therapists.  If you do wish to integrate your religious faith or spiritual beliefs into your counselling sessions, please inform your therapist.  He or she embraces your input into your counselling process and seeks to incorporate your personal preferences into his or her treatment plan for you.

How am I helped by counselling?

Counselling may be very beneficial to you in many ways.  For example, the simple act of confidentially disclosing your personal problems to your therapist may provide you with great relief, as may discovering that you are not alone in your private struggle and that many supports are available to you.  The most important element in your counselling progress is the trusting, supportive partnership between you and your therapist.  By scheduling an appointment with one of our therapists to discuss your personal situation, you can receive his or her feedback about how counselling may be of specific assistance to you.

What are the possible risks of counselling?

Counselling is generally experienced as a safe and positive process.  However, due to the nature of change and some of the private issues that you may discuss with your therapist, you may feel increased distress or uncertainty at times.  For example, choosing to explore a painful situation from your past may stimulate dormant emotions or memories that feel uncomfortable for you until you and your therapist successfully resolve the issue.  Please share your feedback about your emotional well-being with your therapist so that he or she may support you through your counselling process.

How much counselling will I need?

During your first counselling session, you and your therapist may confer about the number of counselling sessions that you possibly require based upon your private concerns and the shared goals that you and your therapist may seek to achieve together.  The frequency of your counselling sessions may vary from weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly to more occasional appointments.  Together, you and your therapist can determine a treatment plan that best suits your unique needs and scheduling availability.

Is child-minding available?

Unfortunately, we do not offer child-minding services at this time.  Please prepare alternative childcare arrangements during your appointments.

My partner and I wish to receive Couple Counselling from one of your therapists, but a restraining order is currently in effect.  What are our options?

If a restraining order is currently in effect, you need to either delay Couple Counselling until the restraining order expires or follow legal procedures to have it revoked.  At your first counselling session, we need you to present official documentation proving that the restraining order is actually expired or revoked.  In the meantime, however, we can also schedule two separate appointments (that is, one appointment for you and a different appointment for your partner) for your therapist to assess your relationship needs and your level of emotional safety prior to proceeding with Couple Counselling.  Please contact us for additional information.

How do I arrange for counselling for my child under 12 years of age?

In order for your child under 12 years of age to receive our Personal Counselling for Children/Youth or Family Counselling service, we need to know the current marital status of you and your child’s other parent.  If you and your child’s other parent are currently separated or divorced and you possess sole custody, please present your custody papers to us at your child’s first counselling session.  If you and your child’s other parent are currently separated or divorced and you do not possess sole custody, we need your child’s other parent to provide us with his or her written authorization for your child to receive counselling prior to your child’s first appointment.  Please contact us for more information.

May I be informed of and/or participate in the counselling sessions of my child(ren)?

Please refer to How private is my child’s counselling?

About Your Counselling Session(s)

What should I expect to happen when I contact you?

In addition to answering any general questions you may have, we first ask you several screening questions to assess the best type of counselling service for you.  We then ask you for:

• Your name and contact information;
• Your preferred therapist (if you have one); and
• A brief description of your specific counselling needs.  (Please note that if you do not feel comfortable discussing your private circumstances, you do not need to answer.)

Finally, we inquire about your typical availability throughout the week in order to schedule your first counselling session (with your preferred therapist, if you have one) at your earliest convenience.

What should I expect to happen during my free telephone meeting?

We understand that seeking counselling is a potentially difficult decision for you, and so we are pleased to offer complimentary telephone meetings with our therapists.  A brief telephone meeting is a safe and helpful way for you to discuss your private concerns; learn more about how CFCS may fulfill your counselling needs; and assess your comfort level with your potential therapist.  Please contact us today to inquire about a complimentary telephone meeting with one of our therapists.  (Please note that we do not offer telephone counselling and that your therapist can only dispense advice to you during an in-office counselling session.  If you would like telephone-based emotional support and counselling, please explore our listing of Peel Region 24/7 helplines, available through our Helpful Resources page.)

What options do I have if my preferred therapist is unavailable to counsel me?

Unfortunately, we cannot always immediately book your first counselling session with your preferred therapist – for example, if your availability differs from your preferred therapist’s weekly appointment schedule or if your preferred therapist is currently at his or her full caseload.  We understand how disappointed you may feel if your preferred therapist is currently unavailable to you, and we can:

• Advise you of schedule openings with our other therapists;
• Assign you to your preferred therapist’s cancellation or waiting list; or
• Refer you to other counselling services in Mississauga or your local community.

How private is my counselling?

During your first counselling session, your therapist fully explains the principle of confidentiality and your right to privacy in counselling.  As a Registered Psychotherapist (RP), your therapist complies with specific confidentiality laws and regulations to protect your privacy.  Although your therapist may discuss your case (without personally identifying you) with his or her approved clinical supervisor for professional consultation purposes and to ensure the highest standard of ethical service delivery to you, he or she may not otherwise disclose — whether verbally, in writing, or electronically — your personal identity or case information without your written authorization.  Your therapist is also subject to several legal and regulatory limits to confidentiality.  (For more information about the legal and regulatory limits to confidentiality, please see What are the legal and regulatory limits to confidentiality?)

How private is my child’s counselling?

During your child’s first counselling session, your child’s therapist fully explains the principle of confidentiality and how it applies specifically to your child depending upon his or her age.  As a Registered Psychotherapist (RP), your child’s therapist complies with specific confidentiality laws and regulations to protect your child’s privacy.  Your child’s therapist may discuss your child’s case (without personally identifying your child) with his or her approved clinical supervisor for professional consultation purposes and to ensure the highest standard of ethical service delivery to your child.  Any other disclosure of your child’s personal identity or case information by your child’s therapist is based upon his or her age:

• If your child is under 12 years of age, your child’s therapist may fully disclose his or her case information to you as a parent or legal guardian.  In addition, you may provide written authorization for your child’s therapist to otherwise disclose — whether verbally, in writing, or electronically — your child’s personal identity or case information.
• If your child is aged 12 to 15, your child’s therapist may or may not disclose his or her case information to you as a parent or legal guardian.  In addition, either you or your child may provide written authorization for your child’s therapist to otherwise disclose — whether verbally, in writing, or electronically — your child’s personal identity or case information.
• If your child is aged 16 or over, he or she is legally considered an adult for counselling purposes.  Therefore, your child’s therapist may not disclose his or her case information to you as a parent or legal guardian without your child’s written authorization.  In addition, only your child may provide written authorization for your child’s therapist to otherwise disclose — whether verbally, in writing, or electronically — your child’s personal identity or case information.

Your child’s therapist is also subject to several legal and regulatory limits to confidentiality.  (For more information about the legal and regulatory limits to confidentiality, please see What are the legal and regulatory limits to confidentiality?)

What are the legal and regulatory limits to confidentiality?

Your therapist is required by law and/or professional regulations to discuss your therapy and/or disclose your client record without your written authorization under the following circumstances:

1. If you indicate in any way that you represent a risk of harm to yourself or others, your therapist must call upon other professionals to assist in supporting safety;
2. If your therapist is served with a subpoena, he or she is legally required to release your client record to the court and/or to testify about your therapy in court proceedings as necessary;
3. If your therapist learns of the physical, sexual, or serious emotional abuse (which may include neglect and/or exposure to violence within the family) of a child under the age of 16, he or she must notify the Children’s Aid Society;
4. If you inform your therapist of an abuse committed by another regulated health professional, your therapist may need to report this to the governing body of that professional; and
5. If you disclose to your therapist that you were abused as a child and your childhood abuser may represent a danger to children now, your therapist may need to notify the Children’s Aid Society.

What is my client record, and how do you protect the security and privacy of my client record?

Your therapist documents your counselling sessions within your client record (which is stored in both hard-copy and electronic format) for record-keeping purposes.  Your client record is the legal property of Cornerstone Family Counselling Services (CFCS) and we must retain your client record for at least 10 years following your last counselling session with your therapist.  We protect the security and privacy of your client record in the following three ways:

• Administratively — All of our staff members sign confidentiality agreements and may only access your client record on a need-to-know basis;
• Physically — Your hard-copy client record is stored inside a locked filing cabinet within a locked file room; and
• Electronically — Your electronic client record is saved within an encrypted and password-protected online database with 128-bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) data security protocols.

How do I access my (or my child’s) client record?

If you wish to access your (or your child’s) client record, we first need you to contact us and make arrangements to request a copy of your (or your child’s) client record in writing.  We then follow a different release procedure depending upon the type of counselling service that you (or your child) received from us (that is, Personal Counselling for Adults, Personal Counselling for Children/Youth, Couple Counselling, or Family Counselling).  Please contact us for additional information.

What is your appointment cancellation policy?

We understand that from time to time you may need to cancel a counselling session.  To treat your therapist and his or her current and waitlisted clients with respect and courtesy, we ask that you please confirm or cancel your appointments by 12:00 PM noon of the previous business day.  If you cancel your appointment after 12:00 PM noon of the previous business day, you may need to pay a Cancellation Fee equal to 50% of your counselling session fee.  If you fail to attend your appointment without providing any notice, you may need to pay a “No-Show” Fee equal to 100% of your counselling session fee.

What are your fee reduction options?

We offer several different fee reduction options based upon financial need.  If you are interested in reducing your counselling session fee, please inquire with our intake administrator or your therapist.  Please note that we need you to present official documentation of your gross annual household income (for example, a T4 slip) and that we also need to know your household size.

How do I claim my counselling sessions as a medical expense on my tax return?

Please retain all of your receipts from us, as the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) considers counselling sessions with a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) in Ontario to be a medical expense that you can claim through your income tax and benefits return.  For more information about how to claim your counselling sessions as an eligible medical expense, please inquire with CRA or refer to the CRA publication RC4065 Medical Expenses – 2015.

Is my counselling covered under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP)?

Your counselling with us is not covered under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).  OHIP may cover counselling with your family doctor or with a psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, or social worker employed at a publicly-funded institution (such as a hospital or a social services agency).  Please speak with your family doctor about accessing counselling services covered under OHIP.

Is my counselling covered under my private health insurance plan?

Please inquire with your private health benefits provider to learn if your private health insurance plan covers counselling sessions with a Registered Psychotherapist (RP), a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT), or a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist (RMFT).  If your private health benefits provider covers your counselling, they need to know the name and licensed credentials of your therapist.  This information is included upon all of your receipts; it is also available through your therapist’s profile page.  Please note that it is your responsibility to submit copies of your receipts to your private health benefits provider.