Frequently Asked Questions
A few practical details about therapy and what you can expect.
How much does therapy cost?
Individual therapy sessions are 50 minutes and $155. Couples therapy sessions are typically 75 minutes and $230.
A limited number of sliding-scale spaces are also available. If cost may be a barrier, you’re welcome to reach out and ask about current availability.
Do you offer in-person and virtual sessions?
Yes. I offer both in-person and virtual therapy. In-person sessions are available at my office in Dartmouth, and virtual sessions are available to clients located in Nova Scotia.
Where is your office located?
My office is located at Suite 301, 177 Main Street in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
Do you offer direct billing or insurance receipts?
I offer direct billing to Medavie Blue Cross. For other insurance providers, payment is made at the time of your session and you’ll receive a receipt that you can submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement.
Coverage for counselling therapy varies between plans, so I recommend checking with your insurance provider to confirm your coverage before your first session.
Do I need a referral?
No. You don’t need a referral to begin therapy with me. You can reach out directly whenever you’re ready.
How do I know whether individual or couples therapy is right for me?
It depends on what you’re hoping to understand or work on. Individual therapy can offer space to focus on your own experiences, patterns, relationships, or what has been happening in your life. Couples therapy focuses more directly on the relationship between you—how you communicate, the patterns you become caught in, and what you’re hoping might feel different together.
You don’t need to be completely certain before reaching out. If you’re unsure which might be the better place to begin, we can talk about it together.
What happens in a first session?
Your first session gives us time to begin getting to know one another and understand what has brought you to therapy. There’s no expectation that you tell me your whole story or know exactly where to begin. We’ll start with what feels most important and let the conversation develop from there.
If you’re coming for couples therapy, the beginning looks a little different. Our first few sessions focus on getting to know your relationship and understanding each of your perspectives before we decide together what might be most helpful to focus on.
How often will we meet?
How often we meet can depend on what brings you to therapy, what feels manageable for you, and where we are in our work together. Many clients begin with sessions every one to two weeks, and we can adjust the frequency over time as your needs change.
There isn’t one schedule that works for everyone. We’ll talk about what feels useful and realistic for you.
What is your cancellation policy?
I ask for at least 24 business hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. For Monday appointments, this means letting me know by the corresponding time on Friday.
Appointments cancelled with less than 24 business hours’ notice, as well as missed appointments, are charged the full session fee. If you’re unable to attend in person, switching to a virtual session may also be an option.
What if my partner isn’t sure about couples therapy?
It’s not unusual for partners to feel differently about starting couples therapy. One person may have been thinking about it for some time, while the other feels uncertain about what therapy will be like, whether they’ll be blamed, or what they’ll be expected to talk about.
Couples therapy isn’t about deciding who is right or identifying one person as the problem. My role is to make space for both of your experiences and help us understand what has been happening between you.
Your partner doesn’t need to arrive feeling completely comfortable with therapy or certain that it will help. A willingness to show up and begin the conversation is enough.
