Individual Therapy & Couples Counselling

We really wish there was a simple answer to this one! OHIP does cover therapy when it is done by a doctor (family doctor or psychiatrist) or as a service within a Family Health Team. But, most folks do not have access to these teams or psychiatrists and many family doctors do not specialize in therapy or counselling.

Most extended health insurance does cover mental health services. This is the private insurance you might receive through work or school, or as a service covered by Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) for Indigenous folks.

We know that accessing therapy can be financially challenging, this is why we offer sliding scale services, pay-what-you-can slots and affordable therapy offered by therapy interns.

If cost is a barrier to accessing therapy, please reach out to us and we can chat about the options that exist for you. They’re out there!

At Access Therapy our costs range from $85/hr. to $175/hr. Each therapist sets their own rate based on training and experience.

The affordable therapy option ($85/hr.) is offered by therapist interns completing their final requirements of their Masters of Counselling degrees. They are supervised by the clinical lead at Access and offer fantastic and affordable therapy.

The fully licensed therapists offer sliding scale options with limited slots. This is especially useful for folks that would benefit from seeing an experienced therapist (like with trauma, abuse or severe mental health struggles) because these concerns are outside an intern’s scope of practice.

Each clinician reserves one slot in their caseload for a Pay-What-You-Can client. This is meant to make therapy attainable for people on OW or ODSP.

Yes, we do!

While we offer virtual therapy to anyone residing in Ontario, we also have Hamilton therapists who offer in-person appointments. This is the more traditional style of therapy you might have been used to prior to the pandemic. Whether you find virtual therapy more convenient or in-person therapy more appealing, the choice is yours.

Plus, you can choose to switch between in-person and virtual appointments whenever it makes sense for you in your life.

Virtual therapy has similar (if not the same) outcomes as traditional in-person therapy plus the added convenience of zero travel time and being in a familiar and comfortable place. The potential drawbacks are unreliable internet connections, access to technology (phone, tablet or computer) and whether you have a space that is private enough for you to fully open up.

Otherwise, the course of therapy is very similar in-person and virtually.

At Access Therapy, we have both options so that you can try either one and see what works best for you.

In-person appointments happen at 205- 151 York Blvd, near First Ontario Centre.