HOW CAN THERAPY HELP?Many expect that success, motivation and the skills needed to maneuver all of life’s obstacles are innate, they just have to “make it happen.” But what happens when you’ve learned ineffective methods, developed problematic patterns, or find yourself stuck among options? How can one be expected to solve life’s equation when they don’t know or understand the formula?Therapy can help! By providing individuals a dedicated time to examine patterns, build skills, and develop a deeper understanding of one’s strengths, and how to use them, people can become more effective in their lives. They can feel competent managing stressors and pain, create resilience, adapt to life’s never-ending uncertainty, and find the motivation to overcome personal hurdles and reach their goals.Some of the benefits available from therapy include:• Developing new skills for handling stress and anxiety• Modifying unhealthy behaviour and long-standing patterns• Attaining insight into personal patterns and behaviour• Increasing confidence, peace, vitality, and well-being• Improving ways to manage anger, depression and moods• Discovering new ways to solve problems• Navigating life’s obstacles more effectively• Improving listening and communication skills• Developing new ways of relating to self and others• Revitalized relationships and increased intimacy• Enhancing the overall quality of life IS THERAPY RIGHT FOR ME?Seeking out therapy is an individual choice. There are many reasons why people come to therapy. Sometimes it is to deal with long-standing emotional issues, or problems with anxiety or depression. Other times it is in response to unexpected changes in one’s life such as relationship stress, loss or work transition. Many seek the guidance of a therapist as they pursue their own personal exploration and growth. Working with a therapist can help provide insight, support, and new strategies for all types of life challenges. Therapy can help address many types of issues including depression, anxiety, conflict, grief, stress management, relationship concerns, sexual dysfunctions, and general life transitions. Therapy is right for anyone who is interested in getting the most out of their life by taking responsibility, creating greater self-awareness, and working towards change in their lives. WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER THERAPY PRACTICES?Bliss Counselling is unique in that we are a boutique private practice focused exclusively on providing specialized and tailored services to our clients. Each of our associates focus on supporting a specific population. If you are interested in receiving sex therapy you will work with a sexologist, if you are interested in therapy for grief and loss you will work with our Bliss bereavement specialist, and so forth. Many of our clients seek us out after working with therapists who lack specialized training. HOW WILL I KNOW IF IT’S THE “RIGHT FIT?”Great question!Most studies show that the fit between the client and the therapist is very important for successful therapy. This is the reason we believe in the initial consultation is of paramount importance to your therapeutic experience at Bliss.Our therapists all have different styles, personalities, and areas of expertise, which is why we put careful attention into matching you with the best one possible for you. We want you to have a great experience and meet with someone you can relate to on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. HOW LONG CAN I EXPECT TO BE IN THERAPY?You and your therapist will discuss this question together. Your therapist will likely recommend weekly or bi-weekly sessions at the beginning to establish a working relationship. Sometimes issues you are facing will be resolved in a shorter amount of time (6-12 sessions), while others require longer-term, more in-depth work. WHAT CAN I EXPECT IN A THERAPY SESSION?Every therapy session is unique and caters to each individual and their specific goals. During therapy sessions, it is standard to talk about the primary issues and concerns in your life. Your Bliss therapist will help you develop a deeper understanding of past and current emotional issues and outline the sources of your concern and help you identify patterns of unhelpful thoughts. Therapists encourage clients to speak freely about their emotions, desires, and fears in order to reveal vulnerable feelings that have been pushed out of conscious awareness.You can expect to review emotions, thoughts, early-life experiences, and beliefs to gain insight into your life and present-day challenges and to evaluate the patterns you have developed over time. Making the unconscious conscious. Recognizing recurring patterns helps people see the ways in which they avoid distress or develop defense mechanisms as a method of coping so that you can take steps to change those patterns.Your therapist’s approach will depend on your particular situation and preferences. Your therapist may combine CBT with another therapeutic approach — for example, interpersonal therapy, which focuses on your relationships with other people.As you progress through therapy, you develop awareness, build coping skills and are able to think more clearly and positively about everyday activities.It is common to schedule a series of weekly or bi-weekly sessions, which are 50 minutes. Sometimes individuals who are going through a particularly difficult challenge may request more time per session or more than one session per week. Therapy can be short-term, focusing on a specific issue or longer-term, addressing more complex concerns or ongoing personal growth. There may be times when you are asked to take certain actions outside of the therapy sessions, such as reading a relevant article or book or keeping records to track certain behaviours.Between sessions, it is important to process what has been discussed and integrate it into your life. For therapy to be most effective you must be an active participant, both during and between the sessions. ARE YOUR SERVICES COVERED BY MY HEALTH BENEFITS?The majority of our services at Bliss Counselling are covered by your workplace benefits package or health insurance. It’s important to check with your provider to find out what your plan covers, as every plan is different for each individual.If you have EAP or Employee Benefits, it is important to confirm with your insurance provider what credentials they require in a counselling practitioner prior to your first session. Please check the following questions with your provider:Do I have coverage for counselling, psychotherapy, social work or psychological services?What are the credential requirements for the therapist?Do I have coverage for counselling with a registered social worker?Do I have coverage for counselling with a registered psychotherapist?What is my allowable coverage total per person per year?At your session, we will provide you with an insurance-friendly receipt that includes all the information about your practitioner, the service provided, and the amount paid. This receipt can be submitted to your insurance company by you for reimbursement. If you have no coverage, the receipts are still useful for income tax use.Insurance companies that generally cover services from Bliss Counselling include:・Manulife・Great West Life・SunLife・StateFarm・Blue Cross IS THERAPY COVERED BY OHIP?Therapy is only covered by OHIP when it is provided by a medical doctor, through a crisis visit to the hospital, or through a non-profit community service. Other practitioners in private practice are not covered. However, many private insurance plans or employer benefit packages include coverage for therapy sessions. It is important to check with your provider to find out what your plan covers, as every plan is different for each individual. ARE YOUR SERVICES COVERED BY MY STUDENT BENEFITS?Students at Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo are covered by their student benefits to work with a specialist at Bliss Counselling.Wilfrid Laurier University• Full/Part-time Undergraduate Students are covered $800/policy year and 80% per visit is covered. Plan details can be found here.• Full-time Graduate Students are covered $500/policy year and up to $30 coverage per visit. Plan details can be found here.University of Waterloo• Full-time Undergraduate Students are covered $400 per calendar year and up to 80% coverage per visit. A physician referral is required and must accompany first claim. Plan details can be found here.• Full-time Graduate Students are covered $400 per calendar year and up to 80% coverage per visit. A physician referral is required and must accompany first claim. Plan details can be found here. ARE YOUR SERVICES TAX-DEDUCTIBLE?Since September 26, 2012, counselling services provided by a Registered Social Worker (RSW) can be claimed as a medical expense when filing your income tax return. In other words, Registered Social Workers are now authorized “medical practitioners” for the purposes of claiming medical expenses. This includes sessions with a Certified Psychologist as well. HOW MUCH DOES COUNSELLING COST?Our rates vary depending on the length of the session as well as the experience and expertise of the clinician you are seeing. However, they are consistent with community norms, ranging from $130 to $180 per counselling hour (50 minutes in length). Shorter and extended sessions are available upon request. DO YOU HAVE REDUCED FEE SERVICES?We do not currently employ a sliding scale fee structure. However, Bliss Counselling may offer services at a reduced rate, at individual counsellor’s discretion. Reduced fee services are available on a limited basis and vary based on the experience of the clinician. Please contact us directly for more information.Subsidized counselling agencies (that may offer a sliding scale fee) include:• Carizon Family and Community Services (formerly Mosaic Counselling and Family Services);• K-W Counselling;• Lutherwood;• Cambridge and North Dumfries Family Counselling; and• Perth Huron Family Services.If you struggle with addiction, you qualify for free counselling through St. Mary’s Hospital’s Substance Use Program. You may also want to check out Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) or Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLA), which are free support groups with regular meetings in Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge. WHAT ARE YOUR PAYMENT OPTIONS?Cash, cheque, debit and all major credit cards accepted for payment. WHAT IS YOUR CANCELLATION POLICY?In order to avoid clients being charged for missed appointments, we require 48 hours notice to cancel or reschedule appointments. With adequate notice, Bliss will be able to accommodate your desired change and offer the timeslot to another client. We understand that emergencies and extenuating circumstances happen. Please contact us as soon as possible if there is a change needed in regards to your appointment. IS THERAPY CONFIDENTIAL?Confidentiality is an ethical responsibility of all therapists and mental health practitioners. In general, the law protects the confidentiality of all conversations between client and clinician. Information about your work with your therapist is not shared with anyone else without your written consent. Even the fact that you are attending counselling will remain confidential. If you happen to see your therapist in the community, they will not greet you unless you greet them first.The only thing that takes precedence over confidentiality is safety, meaning there are limits to confidentiality where your therapist has a legal obligation to report to the appropriate authorities, which include:1. intent to harm one’s self or others;2. risk of harm to children and/or dependents;3. disclosure of harm by a health professional (no matter how long ago);4. if your therapist receives a court order for your clinical records or to testify. When appropriate, your therapist may consult with other mental health professionals and engage in clinical supervision in order to provide you with the best possible service. When discussing aspects of your case in supervision or consultation, every effort will be made to exclude information that could identify you in order to protect your privacy. BOOKING REGULAR WEEKDAY APPOINTMENTS MAY BE CHALLENGING FOR ME, WHAT HOURS DO YOU HAVE AVAILABLE FOR SCHEDULING A SESSION?We recognize that schedules can be complicated! There are several evening time slots available, throughout the week, if you are unable to make a daytime appointment. Often, these are the first timeslots to be filled, so it’s important to book in advance to ensure you receive the spot you wish.Bliss Counselling office hours include daytime, evening and Saturday hours in order to accommodate our clients’ needs. CAN YOU PROVIDE A DIAGNOSIS OR MEDICATION?In Ontario, only medical doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists can make a mental health diagnosis. Of these professionals, doctors and psychiatrists are covered by OHIP and are can prescribe medication. If you have questions about receiving a diagnosis or starting medication we recommend asking your family doctor or visiting a walk-in clinic as a first step. HOW CAN I BOOK AN APPOINTMENT FOR THERAPY AT BLISS?Feel free to book online, email or call us at 226-647-4123. We are located in Uptown Waterloo at 234 Herbert Street, Waterloo ON. WHAT IF MY PARTNER WILL NOT ATTEND COUPLES COUNSELLING?We work with individuals and partners in all types of relationships and related issues. An individual session may be quite helpful for someone to consider their own ideas and feelings. This can move the process along as one partner tries out new behaviours and gets fresh ideas on how to handle difficult situations. Sometimes a partner will want to join in counselling. Even if the other partner does not attend it can be a useful experience to have individual counselling for relationship challenges. IN ADDITION TO TRADITIONAL THERAPY, WHAT OTHER SERVICES DO YOU OFFER?Bliss Counselling offers a wide array of services tailored to meet your needs: Couple Sessions, Private Intensive Sessions, Individual Sessions, Virtual/Skype Sessions, Education, Workshops, E-Courses, Teleseminars and Consultancy in addition to traditional therapy. We welcome you to visit our services pages for more information on these unique offerings. Make an Appointment Book an appointment with a Bliss Specialist today. BOOK APPOINTMENT