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Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve pulled some of the most frequently asked questions and compiled them into one place. Should you have any other questions that we may have missed, contact us and we will do our best to help you.
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Winter Weather: Does RMTC have a policy for inclement weather during the winter?Great question! Yes, we have developed a policy to help us safely navigate inclement weather during the winter months. Information on our policy can be found in our FAQ section of our website or, you may choose to visit our updates and announcements page for more information.
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Winter Weather: How will a closure be determined?An office closure will be decided by the RMTC leadership team but will follow the decision that the Region of Waterloo school board makes- if schools are closed, we are likely to be closed.
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Winter Weather: When will a decision on a closure be made?The RMTC leadership team will decide as early as possible, but no later than 8:30am, to ensure you have adequate notice. If a closure becomes necessary during the day, the decision will be made when required.
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Winter Weather: What happens to your appointment in the case of a closure?All appointments will be moved online by default, but if you do not wish for your appointment to take place online, we will waive cancellation fees.
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Winter Weather: What if you decide it is unsafe to come to your appointment when the office is open?You will have the option to move your appointment online with no penalty. If you do not wish for your appointment to take place online, we will defer to the usual 24-hour cancellation policy.
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Winter Weather: What if a clinician decides it is unsafe to come to attend your appointment when the office is open?You will be contacted to change your appointments to online with no penalty. If you do not wish for your appointment to take place online, we will waive cancellation fees.
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Winter Weather: How will you be notified in the case of a closure?Administrative staffwill contact you via phone and/or e-mail to inform you of a closure and create an online replacement appointment or reschedule your appointment.
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What is your cancellation policy?If you need to cancel for any reason, please do! We simply ask that you provide as much notice as possible. Our policy is to provide at least 24 hours before your scheduled appointment. If you provide less than 24 hours notice, you will be charged the full session fee. Your appointment time is reserved just for you - if you are running a little late, just let us know. Our therapists will wait up to 15 minutes into your session to begin. If we have not heard from you and it has been longer than 15 minutes, the appointment will be considered a "no show" and will be subject to our cancellation policy. We understand that sometimes life happens - if this is the case, please get in touch with us so that we may work with you! We will likely waive the cancellation fee as a courtesy for extenuating circumstances. Continued late cancellations for extenuating circumstances will be subject to half the session fee.
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Are these sessions covered by insurance?Great question! Right now, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) does not cover the cost of the services of a psychotherapist in private practice. The good news is that there are more and more private health insurance companies that offer coverage. We would encourage you to get in touch with your insurance provider to find out what mental health coverage is included in your benefits package. Specifically, inquiring about coverage for mental health services provided by a Registered Psychotherapist and/or a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist. Some of our therapists also have supervision with Registered Social Workers (RSW), which may be helpful when it comes to processing a claim through your insurance when the only available option is a Registered Social Worker. As we are not able to directly bill your insurance company, payment for the session comes from you first. We will provide you with an official receipt to submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement and/or for taxation purposes.
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Do you offer reduced rates or sliding scale for therapy?We genuinely don't think that there should be a barrier for people to access health services, be it physical or mental. However, as it stands, psychotherapy in private practice is not covered by public health insurance (OHIP). If you have private insurance benefits through work or school, you may be covered for therapy with a Registered Psychotherapist, Registered Marriage and Family Therapist, or Registered Social Worker. Get in touch with your insurance provider and ask! Our clinicians also have a limited amount of sliding scale (or reduced fee) spots available - get in touch with us if this is something that may be helpful for you. We also offer Affordable Therapy at a significant discount - click here to learn more about affordable therapy at Relationship Matters Therapy Centre.
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What forms of payment do you accept?Wonderful question! We accept eTransfers, debit, and major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX) as forms of payment. Please note that Interac debit is available for in-person appointments only. eTransfers are required to be sent before your session begins. Additionally, credit card payments are subject to an additional processing fee of 2.75%
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How will I know the therapist is the right therapist for me?This is such a great and important question - and we can promise you that you are not the only one to ask! The short answer here is, instinctively you'll know. You'll know in the same way that you get along better with one coworker than another. Though some may say "the right therapist is one who practices the right model of therapy", research doesn't really back that up. In fact, research shows that there are more important things at play in order to make therapy work - which are client extratherapeutic factors and the therapeutic relationship. In other words, if you're willing and motivated to do the work while in therapy and you also feel comfortable, safe, and supported by your therapist, we're more likely to do good work together and meet your therapeutic goals. ​ To get a feel for the therapist, ask for a free consultation. Consultations are short (about 15 minutes) where you can just chat, ask a few questions, but most importantly get a feel for the therapist. Trust your gut! Our therapists offer free 15 minute consultations for this very reason! If you would like to set up a consultation, you can simply click here to access our booking system. Alternatively, you can also send us an email to: admin@relationshipmatterstherapy.com to get started today. Please indicate in the email, which therapist you would like to consult with - along with different times and dates you would be available to chat.
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Can you diagnose or prescribe medication?No - Conveying a diagnosis and prescribing medication are known as controlled acts which only certain health care providers are legally allowed to do. Registered Psychotherapists can not convey a diagnosis or prescribe medication. We also do not provide psychological assessments.
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Do you offer online therapy sessions?Absolutely! Accessibility, in every sense of the word, is extremely important to us and we try to make our services as accessible as possible. We do have online therapy sessions available via a secured portal for both individual therapy sessions and relational therapy sessions. The great thing about online therapy, is that we are not limited to being physically near one another. Our mental health services are available online for all residents of Ontario. Which means, whether you live in Sudbury, Windsor, or anywhere else in the province, individuals and relational supports are availabe in the comfort of your own home. To get started, reach out to us through admin@relationshipmatters.com today!
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Are you accepting new clients?Yes! All of our therapists have different availabilities, which also means some may or may not be accepting new clients based on their case load. To know more, give us a call or send us an email at admin@relationshipmatterstherapy.com.
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Are you offering in-person sessions?Yes! The availability for in-person appointments varies on the therapists themselves. For the most accurate information, give us a call at (226) 894-4112 or send us an email at admin@relationshipmatterstherapy.com
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Do you bill directly to my insurance provider?No - at this time we are not able to directly bill your insurance provider. Payment is due in full at each session; at which point an official receipt will be issued to you. You may then use this receipt to file a claim through your health insurance provider for reimbursement and/or for taxation purposes.
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Are my sessions confidential?Great question! The short answer is yes, though there are important limitations to confidentiality that are important to know about. Sessions are generally confidential, meaning that personal health information shared during sessions will not be disclosed to third parties without the client's consent or the consent of a substitute decision maker in accordance with PHIPA - the Personal Health Information Protection Act in Ontario. There are a few exceptions to this confidentiality, including in response to a court order or as otherwise required by law, to report a child in need of protection in accordance with the Child and Family Services Act (1990), to eliminate or reduce a significant risk of serious bodily harm to a person or group of persons, for the provision of emergency healthcare when it is not possible to obtain the client's consent in a timely manner and the client has not prohibited such disclosure, or to report a client who is a member of a regulated health profession and where mandatory reporting under the Regulated Health Professions Act 1991 applies.
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How much does a therapy session cost?Great question! The cost of a therapy session is based on both type of therapy (individual vs relational/couple) and length of the session. These are our full fees with our clinicians - if there is a concern around affordability, luckily we also offer low-cost options for therapy with our Therapist Intern team. Here's a quick breakdown of our fee structure: Individual Therapy - 60 minutes: $160.00 +HST* Individual Therapy - 90 minutes: $240.00 +HST* Relational/Couples Therapy - 60 minutes: $180.00 +HST* Relational/Couples Therapy - 90 minutes: $270.00 +HST* *when working with a Registered Psychotherapist Here's the breakdown of our fee structure for our affordable therapy sessions: Individual Therapy - 60 minutes: $70.00 +HST Relational Therapy - 60 minutes $90.00 +HST We also offer sliding scale (or reduced cost) sessions. If any of these prices are a deterrent, call our office to discuss further options. Our office number is (226) 894-4112 and is accessible Monday-Friday 9am-8pm.
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