Frequently Asked Questions

    • VCC will follow the guidelines and regulations as set out by the Ontario Government, Public Health and the Occupations Health & Safety Act

    • Therapists at VCC will self-screen and will not attend in-person sessions if symptomatic.

    • Visitors to VCC should not attend in-person sessions if symptomatic.

    • VCC will continue to monitor government and public health directives to ensure our workplace is compliant with all health and safety regulations. Revisions to this policy will be updated as regulations in relation to COVID-19 change.

    For more information on COVID-19 vaccination, click here.

  • You can expect a one hour or one and a half hour meeting consisting of gentle exploration and conversation at your own pace. The first few sessions are often guided by conversations aimed at developing a good understanding of who you are, the challenges you might be experiencing, and your wishes or goals. You (or your caregiver(s)) might be asked to fill out various scales and questionnaires to aid in the assessment and the development of a counselling plan. Although it can be difficult to identify specific goals at first, a conversation about your wishes can help guide the type of counselling we engage in together. Perhaps you don’t have any specific goals, and that’s okay too!

  • Many insurance companies and workplaces cover a certain amount of counselling provided by registered social workers and psychotherapists. You will receive a receipt after each payment that you can send to your insurance company for reimbursement, or use for tax purposes. Unfortunately, counselling is not covered by OHIP.

  • Private therapy in the area ranges from approximately $140-$190 per hour session. Our fee is around $150 per hour, depending on who you see.

  • As per private therapy practice standards, a full 24 hours notice is requested for cancelling all counselling appointments. If you cancel or reschedule with less than 24 hours before your appointment time, or if you miss an appointment, you will be billed the full cost of your appointment. Twenty dollars from each cancellation payment will be donated to Ladybird Animal Sanctuary – an animal rescue agency in Hamilton, Ontario. Thank you for your kindness and understanding.

  • Sometimes it is the wish of the caregiver(s) that their youth engage in psychotherapy and not necessarily the wish of the youth. Taken from the Canadian Mental Health Association's website:

    "Treatment, such as counselling, medication, or psychotherapy, cannot be provided to a young person without consent. If the young person is capable, they can decide if they want to give or refuse consent to treatment. In other words, as long as a young person understands the treatment, why it’s being recommended, and what will happen if they accept or refuse treatment, the health care provider and family must respect the young person’s decision."

    There is no age of consent to treatment; instead, the youth is seen to be able to consent if they are capable of consenting. Capacity to consent depends on whether the youth can understand the information about the treatment proposed and appreciate the potential consequences of consenting or refusing consent.

    If the youth is ambivalent about counselling, they are welcome to phone or video chat with their therapist at VCC for a brief introduction and to ask any questions they might have about the counselling process.

  • Everyone is different. Some individuals might feel ready to close after 12 to 20 sessions, while others may stay in therapy for months or years. Therapy length depends on many factors such as one's goals, connection with the therapist, developmental history, symptoms and symptom history, level of impairment, motivation level, and many others.