Psychotherapy Services at Centred Self

A psychotherapist is a skilled professional - either with a Master's degree or a Doctorate - who is trained to navigate all of the depths of what you may want to bring into therapy through 'talk therapy.’ Basically, this means that we are there to talk through what you are going through and come to a deeper understanding to work towards change. Our main job (sadly!) is not to 'fix' you, but rather to actively listen to all you are bringing into session. This sounds basic, doesn't it?! But actually, listening is one of the hardest skills that any psychotherapist learns how to do, and it is incredibly counter-cultural. In almost every day-to-day interaction, people listen in order to respond to you. So, often when you are sharing, the person listening to you is immediately linking it to their experiences, thoughts and feelings (I often think of it as two people just taking turns monologuing, as grim as that sounds). It is very odd indeed for them to ask pointed or in-depth questions about your experiences because they are thinking about their own!

Because therapy is about you and not your therapist, we have learned the hard task of setting ourselves and our own life narratives aside to help you. Our training is an 'unlearning' of sorts, as we relearn what it means to listen well. True, it is very often our own life narratives that help us with empathy, but that is how we use ourselves to be better listeners; we don't try to cut you off with our own stories but rather listen closely to what you are bringing and meet you in this.

A therapist listens to you in a way that links what you are saying and pays attention to themes, inconsistencies, and the impact rather than the story of what you are bringing. We look for the meaning behind a story to see what is really going on for you and why. Due to paying close attention to what you are saying, we can help you see the interconnections of all that you have brought to therapy recently, your imagery, and patterns to dive deeper into what may be going on in the subconscious - or even unconscious - of your behaviours and feelings. Very often, we can see how your words are impacting you in a way that you may not.

There are therapies that are more solution-focussed, and others, like us at Centred Self, that focus on relational and in-depth work. But at the end of the day, your therapist is an aide to your own self-awareness so that you can be the change you want to see. When you’re looking for your own therapist in Toronto, remember that what they do first and foremost is listen.

A psychologist is typically someone you would see for a mental health assessment or diagnosis. Their educational backgrounds usually include a Master’s or Doctoral degree in psychology where they train in both research and clinical practice. Psychologists also usually have to specialize in a particular demographic. They have to undergo supervised practice (like psychotherapists) before they become fully licensed. You might go see a psychologist if you’re looking for psychological testing and emotional or cognitive assessments.

Psychotherapists work with their clients through talk therapy to improve their mental health and well-being. There are many different modalities and differences between psychotherapy practices but revolve around managing and maintaining mental health. Psychotherapists usually have a Master’s or Doctoral degree and also undergo supervised practice before they can work independently. Before you start looking for therapy in Toronto, check out our frequently asked questions about psychotherapy. There, you’ll find more information about the types of counselling we offer, how long sessions are, and what a typical session looks like.

The biggest benefit to seeing a psychotherapist in Toronto is our skill of listening without needing it to be about us. Having someone focussed on what you are bringing and navigating you into a richer understanding of your narrative can be life changing. 

Another unforeseen benefit to therapy is that we are not your friends. This can be hard, especially if you have a great bond with your therapist! But hear me out: A therapist is not invested in your life beyond the therapy room. This means that you can share everything and anything with them without fear that it can hurt your relationship. If you need to share something over and over (like grief, or struggling in a relationship), you can do so knowing that you are not boring us or taking up too much space. You can get angry, ugly cry, and share secrets that you have not told another. All of this can stay in the safety of the therapy room.

And through this in-depth sharing and self-exploration, you often will feel more energy to focus on other things in life, like work or your relationships. We are there to help you be the best version of yourself and you get to do this in the safety of this special type of relationship. 

Psychotherapy helps with anything that is making you not live life to the fullest. It can be a whole range of things including depression, anxiety, stress, life transitions, feeling 'stuck', eating disorders/distress, body image, relationships, and what we specialize in at Centred Self: Trauma.

And trauma can mean anything from early childhood abuse, neglect, or immature parents that caused you to grow up too early. It can also mean abuse - emotional, sexual, or physical. 

If there is something in your life that you are struggling with, we are there to help. 

Whether psychotherapy is covered by OHIP is not always cut-and-dry. OHIP is great for things like doctor’s visits or hospital stays, but it can be less reliable when it comes to other types of health care, including mental health.

There are some mental health services that OHIP covers, but they are limited in their reach and goals. OHIP may cover some mental health and addiction services, but these are limited to appointments with a family doctor or nurse, or advice from helplines like ConnexOntario. The Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program is also publicly funded. The program provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy through self-led and individual or group CBT for people experiencing depression or an anxiety-related disorder. OSP is not right for everyone, and often cannot help with more complex needs.

OHIP does not cover psychotherapy from private practitioners like Centred Self, but we can provide therapy in a wider range of modalities and without arbitrary restrictions on the types of therapy we practice. You can check out our videos about therapy in Toronto to learn more about the different modalities of psychotherapy, and why you might not want to limit yourself to just one of them.

If you have a private insurance plan either through work, a family member, or on your own, your sessions with a psychotherapist may be covered under that plan. Psychotherapy is often covered by private insurance plans, but you should always check the details of your insurance plan to make sure. 

Therapy costs differ most on how much schooling or years of experience a psychotherapist has. For example, a doctor of psychotherapy with over 10 years of experience will be closer to $200, while a student will most definitely be half this price. 

Here is a brief look at what the cost of therapy 'should' look like (but keep in mind that this is just a rough guide. For example, an RPQ might have over 10 years of experience but just moved to Ontario to start their practice here). 

Trainee/student: Around $80-100 a session. 

New therapist in the field: $125-145

Registered Psychotherapist Qualifying (RPQ): $145-165

Registered Psychotherapist (RP): $160-200

Yes. Centred-Self offers a reduced cost program for affordable therapy through our Student Clinic. You can see a student psychotherapist in Torontoat a reduced cost. Trainee psychotherapists are in the final year of their Master’s program and are supervised by Dr. Jess Erb. Find more information about affordable therapy online like fees and insurance coverage from our Reduced Cost Clinic.

Now that you know what psychotherapists do and what you can expect from getting therapy in Toronto, take the next step and learn how to get started. Resources like our FAQ and Video pages will tell you more about what to expect in your first session and how the process gets rolling. You can also reach out directly to book a consultation and get the process started right away.