Psychotherapy for Children and Teens
We provide psychotherapy services for children and teens aged 7 to 18+. The goal is to create an open and collaborate therapeutic relationship, and establish trust to be able to talk about thoughts and feelings that might be creating barriers to emotional well-being and social functioning. We also create opportunities in session to practice and experience positive behaviour strategies, rather than filling the full session with talking.
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Children are encouraged to begin by sharing about their week or bring up any topics that are on their mind. The therapist will provide space for the child to be heard and validated. Moving forward through the session, the therapist will guide the child through activities with the purpose of practical and experiential learning.
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Some common reasons to seek therapy might be emotional dysregulation and anger management, school refusal, defiance, social challenges and bullying, struggles with self-worth or anxiety, low-mood and depression, executive dysfunction, or bad habits.
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Depending on the age and needs of the client, family involvement may be encouraged. However, for the most part, the content shared between the client and therapist will be kept confidential.
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Psychotherapy is offered in a private setting virtually or in-person. Virtual sessions are run using only secure platforms. Jane App is the platform of choice, however any platform that is compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA") is acceptable. For more information about what to expect from a virtual session, click here.
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Psychotherapy is typically delivered in weekly or bi-weekly sessions, starting at one 50 min/session per week. Half sessions (25 min) may also be available if clinically appropriate. An individualized service plan will be determined as part of the initial intake process.
Intake Process
- Learn More About Our Psychotherapy Services
This is the first step in the intake process for psychotherapy services at Best Behaviour.
We encourage you to review the information available on this page about our psychotherapy services, as well as the FAQs. If you have questions about our services or whether psychotherapy is the right fit for you, please reach out via our Contact Form and we will follow up with you to answer any questions you may have and share an update regarding available services.
- Discovery Call
If you decide that you would like to register for psychotherapy services, visit our Online Booking Site to view our team of therapists and their availability. Schedule a Discovery Call with one of our Registered Psychotherapists. This is a free, 15-minute call to further discuss psychotherapy, availability, and best fit.
Before the call, you will be asked to log in to Jane (our online booking software). You will be sent an intake form. Please complete this before your Discovery Call, so your therapist is able to review it before meeting with you. The intake form is also used to create our wait list, in the event that we are unable to meet your service request at this time.
- Registration Form and Consent Form
If you and your therapist deem the Discovery Call a success, then we welcome you to schedule your first session! Head back over to to our Online Booking Site to view your therapist's available openings. We recommend booking at least 3-6 appointments in advance to secure your preferred time slot.
Upon registering for your first session, you will be sent a copy of a registration form and consent form. Please complete these forms before your first session, so your therapist is able to review them before meeting with you. If you have any questions about the information in the forms, or need help completing them, please reach out to your therapist or our office for assistance.
- Begin Therapy
The goal of the first session is for you and your therapist to get to know each other, and begin to put together a customized therapy plan. For children and teens, this first session may be a parent session (with or without the youth present, depending on what's best for the client). It is a chance to meet and identify next steps regarding assessments and therapy goals. Your therapist will continue to work with you as you move through therapy to help you receive the support you're seeking.
If the client is receiving both psychotherapy and ABA at Best Behaviour, there will be time allocated for both therapists to collaborate. One meeting is required, at minimum, in order to establish how each service can complement each other, and establish the frequency and details of the collaboration.
As you near the end of your therapy journey, a transition report will be shared in your final session. The purpose of this report is to summarize your therapy goals to date, and recommendations for next steps (including strategies to continue and any potential service extensions).
Of course, there are going to be individual variations to this process based on the needs of the team member and/or client. However, following this process will ensure evidence best practices are being considered at all opportunities.
Pricing
Sessions will be billed at an hourly rate of $130.00* per 50 minute session. This applies to direct hours spent with the client and family. Indirect hours used to support the client's programming will be factored into this hourly rate.
Requests to collaborate with other professionals (ex. school staff, other therapists working with the client etc.) are welcomed. Support with additional indirect tasks outside of what is typically involved in psychotherapy treatment planning and monitoring is also available (ex. contributing to a behaviour plan or determination of needs report, writing a therapy letter of recommendation etc.). This additional time would billed as direct hours, at the regular hourly rate.
If the client is receiving both psychotherapy and ABA at Best Behaviour, there will be time allocated for both therapists to collaborate. One meeting is required, at minimum, in order to establish how each service can compliment each other, and establish the frequency and details of the collaboration. This time would billed as direct hours, at the regular hourly rate.
A credit card is required to be kept on file for contactless payments. All payments are processed through Jane Payments. Only cards accepted by Jane will be accepted as eligible forms of payment.
Payment is due upon completion of the therapy session, and payments are processed at the end of each session. An invoice and receipt will be provided via email to the email address on file. Please contact billing@bestbehaviour.ca with any questions or concerns related to billing or invoicing.
*HST is not charged (as per the CRA's 'Specially Designed Training to Assist Individuals with Autism' policy and Bill C59).
Pricing for Low-Cost Sessions (available May-Dec 2024)
We understand that the cost of therapy can be a barrier to seeking help. To make therapy more accessible, we are pleased to offer low-cost sessions with certain members of our psychotherapy team. Working with one of our practicum students can provide you with the same quality care you would receive with any of our therapists, at a reduced fee. All practicum students are enrolled in masters-level coursework, registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), are closely supervised, and participate in various training opportunities during their time at Best Behaviour.
Sessions will be billed at a 50% reduced rate. The regular rate for psychotherapy sessions is $130.00 per 50 minute session, and so the reduced rate is $65.00.
Cancellation Policy
The following cancellation policy will be included in your registration form:
In the event of a cancellation, I must notify my therapist directly or by following the instructions on Best Behaviour's online booking site.
My appointment time is reserved just for me. A late cancellation or missed visit leaves a hole in my therapist's day that could have been filled by another client. As such, Best Behaviour Inc. requires 24 hours notice for any cancellations or changes to my appointment. If I provide less than 24 hours notice, or miss my appointment, I will be charged the full session fee to the card on file.
In the event of inclement weather, Best Behaviour Inc. reminds all clients and team members to travel by car only when it is safe to do so. When you do travel, allow for extra time, take care, and have caution on the roads. If my therapist is unable to get to a session due to inclement weather, they may cancel the session. If it is a centre-based session and the centre is closed due to inclement weather, all parties will be notified. In both situations, the session will not be charged. If the centre is open, then it is expected that the client will be attending their session. If I provide less than 24 hours notice, or miss my appointment, I will be charged the full session fee to the card on file.
Late arrivals and pick-ups can affect progress, and impact the schedule of the client that is seen after. If the client is late to a session, I am required to contact my therapist. The session will not be extended to make up the missed time. If I have not contacted my therapist, and they are unable to get ahold of me, they will wait for fifteen (15) minutes and then may leave. I will be charged the full session fee to the card on file. If I am able to report that I am on my way, my therapist will wait if they are able to wait in a safe, comfortable environment (ex. in the centre, in their house). However, if they are unable to wait in an appropriate environment or I am unable to attend the session as a result of the lateness, I will be charged the full session fee to the card on file. If the session is extended due to late pick-ups, the extra time will be billed at the regular hourly rate.
If my therapist cancels a session for any reason, they will contact me as soon as possible to reschedule. I will not be charged for a session that is cancelled by my therapist. My therapist will also contact me if they expect to be late to the session. The session will be extended to make up the missed time or the time will be deducted from the total session length.
If attendance falls below 75% of sessions scheduled, Best Behaviour Inc. reserves the right to offer the recurring appointment slots to another client. This will not be done without significant advance notice and communication. Events such as vacations or holidays will not count against this policy.