Why would I pay for counselling when my tax dollars are funding social service agencies? Well that is a good question. Thousands of dollars are allocated to agencies all over Ontario that help folks like me and you. However after being in the public sector for over 10 years, I think I can safely say that there are always gaps in service. Whether it is limited amount of sessions or sliding scales, it just never seems to be enough.
Come on, lets be honest, I don’t think someone can unpack their story in 3 or 5 sessions and hope that they will live a happy and content life. Maybe they can resolve an issue such as deciding between quitting or staying in a job or deciding to move to another country or not, but sometimes it is just not that easy.
That is why you have people like me, that have decided to open up private practices to help those that need something more. Every therapist has their own fee and it is not standardized across the province. While some may charge $80 dollars an hour and others will charge $250 dollars an hour, it all comes down to what you are comfortable with.
So when meeting with a counsellor or a therapist for the first time, do not be afraid to ask questions. You want to be clear as possible what your expectations are and what can they offer. Ask them about their credentials, ask them if they have worked with your situation before and most importantly see if you both jive well together. There is no need to dish out money for sessions on end, to then realize you do not like your therapist. Don’t get me wrong, it may very well take two to three sessions to figure out if this is who you want to share your deepest of darkest secrets with but give them a genuine chance. I guess it is kind of like dating, but not really, because that is a BIG NO NO !!
Well, that’s it folks. We started off with public to private and ended at finding your fit. Hope you enjoyed this one.
