Frequently Asked Questions
General Counseling
There are two ways to contact our office. You can contact our Intake Department at 416 485-5555 x 1. When you call, one of our Intake Counsellors will ask you a few questions and connect you with a therapist immediately. Alternatively, you can fill out a web form located on our website. After filling out a web form, our intake department will contact you to answer any questions you may have over the phone or by email.
Counselling and psychological treatment can have many benefits. Possible benefits that you may look forward to include:
- Experiencing a decrease in the symptoms that caused you to seek help
- Feeling supported during a difficult time in your life
- Learning better ways of coping with difficult situations in your life
Unfortunately, counselling and psychological services are not covered by OHIP. However, our services are covered by most extended health benefit plans if they include services for a Registered Psychologist. Please check with your employer’s health benefit plan.
Yes. We have flexible office hours and offer evening and weekend appointments as needed.
Not to worry, feeling intimidated or anxious about taking the first step to seek help is completely normal. We understand that you might feel nervous or embarrassed. Our intake counsellors are empathetic and compassionate, and understand that seeking help may be difficult for some people. During the initial intake, our intake counsellors will ask you a few questions and you will only need to elaborate on any difficulties you are experiencing if you feel comfortable doing so. The intake process, on average, takes 10-15 minutes.
We understand that creating a strong therapeutic alliance is essential for successful therapy. If you do not feel connected to your therapist, please inform us about your concerns. We will gladly connect you with another therapist that will meet your needs.
We understand that seeking counselling or psychological treatment is a private matter. Therefore, maintaining your privacy is important to us. Confidentiality is one of our primary goals and we adhere to the privacy and confidentiality guidelines outlined by our profession’s regulatory bodies.
Please understand that seeking help during a tough period in your life is absolutely normal; there is NOTHING wrong with you! It is our philosophy that everyone, at some point in their life, could benefit from some form of counseling. We believe that those who take this step are courageous, and are choosing to live a more satisfying and fulfilling life.
Counselling and psychological treatment can have a significant impact on helping you to feel better in addition to or in replacement of medication. Although in some cases medication is beneficial and necessary, therapy provides you with concrete ways to manage and cope with the way you are feeling. You will gain skills and strategies that you can use in your everyday life and in the future. If you have been prescribed medication, speak with your doctor about the different options.
When you arrive at our offices you will be asked to complete a Client Intake Form and review our Consent for Service Form. After filling out this brief paperwork, your session begins with your assigned therapist. They will go over the forms with you and answer any questions you may have about the therapeutic process. The rest of the session will focus on understanding and discussing the reasons why you sought help. During the session, your therapist will ask you various questions in order to gain a more meaningful insight into the difficulties you are experiencing. This session’s focus is essentially on conducting an intake assessment and providing you with education about what to expect. Most importantly, we want to get to know you and help you to feel comfortable about taking this important step.
Couples & Marriage Counselling
In couples counselling, the therapist views the “relationship” from the perspective of each partner. During the first session, the therapist will conduct an assessment of the difficulties you and your partner are experiencing. After this session, we usually recommend that each partner attend an individual session. These individual sessions help you and your therapist to get a deeper understanding of what each person’s individuals needs are in the relationship. Once the individual sessions are complete, you can resume attending sessions with your partner; collaborative goals of treatment will be established and treatment will move forward until the issues presented have been addressed.
It is important to understand that couples or marriage counselling, like individual counselling, is a process. The time spent in counselling will depend on the issues presented. It is not uncommon for couples to feel immediate improvement in their relationship after their first session. However, long-standing changes in a relationship may take a minimum of 8-10 sessions.
Don’t give up, therapy can still help. You may feel like there is no hope for your relationship but with commitment and motivation, “lost cause” couples can still make transformative changes.
Assessments
At McDowall, our intention is provide you with a comprehensive approach to treating your health concerns. The IHA is a 15 minute holistic evaluation completed by telephone that briefly screens whether there is a relationship between your physical and psychological symptoms. This is an added value service offered at McDowall and our IHA‘s are used as an educational tool in order for you to learn more about the potential causes of your symptoms and whether naturopathic medicine would benefit you.
Anger Management Counselling
Anger management Counselling is a procedure. It can assist people in identifying stress factors. In anger management counselling, people learn steps to help them stay calm. They can then handle tense situations constructively and positively. Our Anger Management Counselling Program is a 12-week program that teaches you how to manage your anger. If you are interested please contact 416-485-5555 ext 1 for more information.
Unfortunately, like other counselling services, anger management counselling is not covered by OHIP. However, these services may be covered by your extended health benefit plan. We offer a flexible fee schedule and do our best to make sure you feel comfortable with our fees. Please contact our office and we will explain how our fee schedule works and how you may get reimbursed for your sessions with us.
Generally we do not have a waiting list and can schedule sessions within 1 weeks time. We offer our anger management program in different formats depending on how quickly you want it to be completed. Please contact our office for more information.
Yes. We have several years experience working with individuals who have legal difficulties and our program is recognized by the courts.
Yes. We can provide you with documentation about your progress in anger management (if needed) and offer a letter of completion at the end of the program.
Naturopathic Services
Integrative Health Assessment (IHA)
In this complementary 20-minute session, you will meet our Naturopathic Doctor, and have a brief discussion about your presenting concerns and how naturopathic medicine can improve your health. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have and identify areas where you are struggling.
Naturopathic Initial Consultation
Your first visit is 75minutes in length and will include a detailed inquiry of your current and past health status. We will also review all areas of your health to get an in-depth understanding of your wellness and if any additional areas need to be addressed. We will also explore relevant testing that may be needed to uncover the root cause of your concerns. A treatment plan will be created, with specific guidance on how to follow it and when to schedule your second visit.
Naturopathic IV Initial
This visit is 90 minutes in length and will include your first IV treatment, provided you are a good candidate for this therapy and do not have any contraindications. We will review all areas of your health, as well as explore any relevant testing and discuss any and all relevant treatments. Your IV treatment plan will be mapped out and your customized formula will be selected.
Second Visit
During this 45 minute visit, Naturopathic treatment options will be explored as well as any concerns not addressed in the first visit. We will also follow up on your presenting concerns and the current treatment plan. Any testing that has been completed will be reviewed in this visit.
Follow-up Visits
Follow-up appointments last from 15-30 minutes depending on the individual health requirements. They will allow us the opportunity to assess your progress and refine your treatment plan as necessary.
No, Naturopathic Medicine is not covered under OHIP. However, Naturopathic services are included under most private insurance plans. Take a look into your particular insurance plan for more information. We also offer direct billing for our patients, provided their insurance company participates in this service.
Of course you can! The optimal treatment is the combination of both conventional and Naturopathic medicine working together to help each individual patient.
IV Therapy
IV Therapy is a safe way of administering specific substances such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids at therapeutic doses directly into the blood stream. We use IV therapy to treat chronic and acute illness and also to optimize your health.
At Mcdowall Integrative Psychology and Healthcare all of our IV’s are administered through a “drip” this method can take between 45-75 minutes depending on the type of treatment you are receiving.
IV Therapy is based on the individual and their health concerns and conditions. A typical treatment program can vary between 4 and 10 treatments. The frequency of visits will discussed during the initial IV therapy consultation.
The advantage of using IV therapy is that by bypassing the digestive system it provides greater nutrient concentration in the blood stream. This allows cells to readily absorb the nutrients they need for optimal function. Good health begins at the cellular level. With proper cell function you will build healthy tissues and organs. You will be healthier, stronger and feel revitalized!
We offer many different IV formulations and also create custom IV drips for our patients. For a list of treatment options, visit our IV menu.
Yes, our IV treatments are very safe. We have gone to great lengths to ensure we are running a safe and effective program, with your care and comfort in mind. All of our infusions are compounded onsite and are patients are screened before their treatment and monitored very carefully.
Join Our Community
Get our monthly newsletter for updates, new services and mind-body health advice.